Respawn explains why it’s removing Kings Canyon for Apex Legends season 3 launch

All the hubbub surrounding Apex Legends season three seems to center around the new map called World’s Edge. But fans are wondering where that leaves Kings Canyon.

Apex project lead Drew McCoy and senior designer Chin Xiang Chong confirmed that Kings Canyon will be removed when Meltdown launches at 2pm CT today. The developers explained why they decided to disable the original map in an interview with Stevivor posted today.

“What we don’t want is for someone to get in on Oct. 1 and be like, ‘Oh, it put me on Kings Canyon, I’m going to back out,’” McCoy said. “You’re going to end up with a bunch of half dead games.”

Having two maps to pick from would split the player base, making it increasingly difficult for Kings Canyon enthusiasts to find enough players to fill up a lobby. McCoy said a similar phenomenon happened when Octane was launched in season one. After one player picked the Adrenaline Junkie, “the other two would disconnect because they also wanted to play as the new character.”

Chong, who’s one of the lead designers on Apex’s ranked modes, explained how splitting players among multiple maps would affect competitive play.

“In regards to ranked, matchmaking pools are always a big problem, especially near the top end,” Chong said. “Only 0.2 percent of players are in the Apex Predators ranking, so if we were going to offer them a choice between playing in Kings Canyon or World’s Edge then you’re essentially going to be cutting your player pool in half.”

When Solo mode launched during the Iron Crown patch, the feature was so popular that it affected queue times for ranked modes. Two maps available, especially in higher ranks, would limit the player pool.

While Kings Canyon fans may be upset by its removal, the developers hinted that the original map can make a return in the future.

“Based on feedback from players, and the data we can get, we have a lot of different levers we can pull to see what we can do about reintroducing Kings Canyon,” McCoy said.

Players will be able to jump into World’s Edge, as well as snag Crypto and a new Battle Pass, today at 2pm CT.