3 Ways Apex can tackle their "Gun Problem"

As Apex goes on Respawn is going to inevitably run into a “gun problem” They can’t keep releasing new guns each season without diluting the weapons pool, especially as the game is now in it’s double digits for seasons.

The problem is a new gun is a great way to add something fresh to a season to draw players in, but eventually the game might have too many guns, causing balance/loot issues.

Now, some might say an obvious answer is Vaulting. Locking a gun away for a few seasons. The problem with that strategy is Apex’s economy. Apex has always sold gun skins for various in game currencies. Respawn has kind of backed themselves into a corner. They can’t take the obvious fix and vault guns because players have bought gun specific skins.

Even now in season 11, some guns are incredibly rare, and looting is harder with some very niche attachments being a looting risk as you may never come across the gun/attachment combo you want. For instance, do you hold on to that turbo charger on the hopes you find a Devotion?

Below I propose a few changes that will help fix the gun problem and keep Apex’s loot pool healthy for years to come.

1. Permanent Gun Split: Shotty/Snipers

One way Respawn could help ease the loot pool would be to add a permanent shotty/sniper mode to the game, and permanently split the gun pool. Pistols/SMG’s/Assault Rifles/LMG’s would be in standard. Shotguns/Marksmen/Snipers would be in the other. Both modes would be forever available, but never again together in the same match. This change might prove controversial, but a permanent gun split could be healthy for the loot pool and allow for more guns in each category. This also means loot drops for optics and hop ups could be split, even more helping the loot pool. We could over time have twice as many guns in each category without it feeling as congested.

2. Permanent Gun Split: Maps

As Respawn adds more maps, now with the game having four maps, if they dont want to split the guns into two modes, they could split the guns via maps. I personally like this option less, but it could work. I’d rather have the previous option and just pick a mode based on my “mood” and still have all maps available. It could be a solution, but it would be unfortunate to possibly no longer have your favorite gun on your favorite map. If they did this however, it could allow for smaller maps that maybe only had pistols and shotguns

3. CHANGE the Game Economy.

I believe the gun problem has an obvious fix. The problem is Respawn can’t vault guns because of paid gun skins. It would cause an uproar to vault paid skins. So the answer is simple. The Economy needs to change. It was never sustainable to keep the gun skins per gun. Change the economy to where if you unlock that “purple whatever” skin for your favorite gun, you unlock all identical skins on all guns that have it. Respawn needs to change it to where you buy a “skin pack” that applies that skin to multiple/all guns instead of a single gun. This change would be retroactive, moving forward, and with prorated refunds if you bought the same skin twice on different guns. While it would not affect the gun pool, applying this change to Legend skins would be great for players.

Now I admit this is somewhat an imperfect solution as it doesn’t work with Legendary unique skins. Most skins have duplicates across the board except Legendary’s are unique to a gun.

I propose some type of currency bonus / credit system where if you bought a legendary gun skin, and that gun is vaulted for a season, you get a free Loot tick with like 1000 coins plus two bonus items or something each season that gun is vaulted.

Respawn could also have an catch all allowance where if any gun is vaulted that you have bought any skin for you can request a full refund.

Having a Vaulted Item Bonus and a Optional Refund System would allow Respawn to vault guns for a season or two. Right now, if your favorite gun is relocated to Care Packages, it feels pretty rare and inaccessible as is. I have yet to see a Spitefire, and only got an Altenator a couple times. At least with this system you get an actual reward for your gun being vaulted.

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