The team behind the online shooter Apex Legends is now planning steps against players who can cost you the victory. Those who display selfish behavior and do not care about their teammates could soon face a ban.
Who will be banned? In a recent “Check In” on May 11, Respawn spoke about plans to punish some players. This concerns players who do not really participate in the game and about whom several complaints have been filed.
This time, the steps are not against cheaters, but against truly “bad teammates.” The developers refer to this behavior as “piggybacking,” where players let themselves be carried through the game by jumping on the backs of others and saying, “Run, my little piggy.”
What is “piggybacking”? In “piggybacking,” players actively separate from their teammates or do not really participate in the game at all.
They do not pick up weapons, do not shoot, and do not help anyone.
Instead, they simply remain as far away as possible from the shrinking zone to survive as long as possible and not be seen.
Piggybacking is when a player leaves other players behind to end up in a good position and level up faster.
Jayfresh on reddit
Their goal is simply to earn many experience points and level up the Battle Pass faster. They accept that teammates suffer from their behavior and have less fun.
This is how action will be taken against the players: Currently, temporary bans are being discussed to punish players for their behavior. However, those who continue to behave negatively and stand out as “Piggybackers” can also receive a permanent ban.
For now, this is all just meant to serve as a warning:
This change will not happen immediately. We just wanted to give players a little pre-warning so they can improve their behavior.
Jayfresh on reddit
When the first penalties can be expected is still not exactly clear. However, possible solo and duo modes could help.
This is how the community feels about it: Since there have already been complaints about this behavior in advance, many players agree with the plan. However, there are concerns about the implementation, as it is difficult to automate the detection of such behavior. The player Glasseater_ says on reddit:
Don’t waste time automating this. People will find ways to do the bare minimum to avoid being banned. Matches are still getting ruined and there’s a chance players will be wrongfully banned.
Let’s just report people. Or better, find out why they do it. It’s probably because the XP grind for the Battle Pass is so unfun and that the major factor is playtime, not individual performance.
Criticism is still echoing through, even if Respawn has managed to improve its standing with fans recently:
