When Ash joined Apex Legends in Season 11, she was supposed to be a game changer. She was bringing various abilities players had been dreaming of: intel-gathering, a damage-dealing tool (with a debuff), and even a portal to outsmart enemies. Sounds like a dream, right?
Well, that dream hasn’t quite materialized. As the months passed, players found her kit to be janky and not as efficient as hoped, resulting in her becoming one of the least-picked Legends. Fortunately, a developer has recently teased some upcoming changes for Ash, which could be just what she needs to finally break into the mainstream.
Respawn has always strived to keep the gameplay experience fresh, and in a recent interview with TheGamer, Apex Legends’ live balance designer John Larson showed that as he hinted that the team is once again looking to balance the meta.
Larson indicates they’re particularly focused on adjusting Legends who are underperforming or receiving less love from players. The goal? To be more agile and reactive, tweaking characters and mechanics as the meta shifts and as players voice their concerns.
He then specifically mentioned that Ash is a prime candidate for these kinds of changes and even teased some exciting updates that could bring her up to speed with the current meta.
Ash is one that I’m excited to for in [Season] 24. […] We’ve got some changes coming – if you’re sleeping on Ash now I don’t think you’ll be sleeping on her for much longer.
This has sparked a wave of excitement in the community as players are now looking forward to the changes. While Ash has a loyal following, many have felt that her kit hasn’t quite lived up to the potential she seemed to promise when first introduced.
Her unique blend of high-precision abilities and the potential to gather intel was appealing, but the reality of her kit has left many frustrated. For those players, this announcement is incredibly welcome.
On paper, all of her abilities seem valuable and for most parts, they are. However, all of them have some serious flaws that prevent them from truly shining. First off, the Arc Snare is tricky to use, it’s hard to land consistently, and when it does hit, it doesn’t always have the impact players expect.
The Marked for Death passive ability is nice for providing intel, but in a fast-paced game, it doesn’t offer enough control over the situation to make a meaningful difference in the heat of battle. Then there’s Phase Breach. Ash’s ultimate is where things really start to fall apart.
For a character who is supposed to be ninja-like, it’s loud, really loud. The noise it makes when activating the portal is so distinctive that enemies can pinpoint players’ location from a distance.
As for the possible changes, the main focus should be on her ultimate, mostly the noise it makes, and less traceable by enemy players. Her passive is generally fine but a little bit more tracking distance would be nice (not necessary). As for the Arc Snare, it needs a bit more damage.
In the end, if Respawn can iron out the rough edges of her kit and make her ultimate less of a liability, Ash might just become the ninja-like, tactical powerhouse she was always meant to be.
What exciting changes do you think Larson was talking about? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.
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