Apex Legends devs confirm Valkyrie jetpack nerfs in May 27 update
Respawn Entertainment has confirmed that Valkyrie’s VTOL Jetpack is getting nerfed in a future update due to many players using it to hover in the air for extended periods of time.
The Apex Legends Legacy update added a plethora of new content to the battle royale, including the 3v3 Arenas mode, new weapons, a fresh Battle Pass, and of course, a new Legend – Valkyrie.
This character comes with her own VTOL Jetpack that allows her to soar over her opponents. Now, Respawn has confirmed that she’s set to receive a nerf after a few players took advantage of this ability to fly extended distances.
John ‘JayBiebs’ Larson, the Associate Live Balance Designer at Respawn Entertainment, addressed his issue on Twitter. Many players are using the VTOL Jetpack to hover above their enemies for extended periods of time.
This is particularly during the final fights of competitive matches, since she becomes more difficult to hit. While she can’t fire her weapon from the air, she has an unfair advantage that lets her avoid elimination.
Larson confirmed that they’ll nerf this ability in a new update on May 27. The upcoming changes will make it so that hovering in the air will consume the full amount of fuel.
“Valk’s “tac hover” was designed to consume fuel at 10% of the normal rate. With ALGS ramping up, we figured we should remove this exception,” he said. “We found Valks would often take coffee breaks above the final fight in scrims. This will go live on Thursday.”
Some players feel that the change wasn’t needed since Valkyrie can’t draw her weapon in the air. “Why would you remove it if it’s easy to counter by looking up and beaming them as they are incredibly slow,” wrote one user.
Since is the issue is players using her VTOL Jetpack for too long, some suggested changing it so that the ability only consumes slightly more fuel rather than the full amount.
Despite this, it seems that the developers are willing to go ahead with the nerf as they’ve planned it on Thursday. Be sure to check our guide for collecting the Valkyrie skin in the Apex Legends Legacy Pack in Season 9.
Image credits: Respawn Entertainment