For those who are fans of Loba in Apex Legends, it sounds like things are looking up. Respawn Entertainment reveals that various buffs are currently in the works for the playable hero in Apex Legends.
As a shooter that puts players in the shoes of the diverse cast of Legends, character abilities are important. While shooting skill will always be paramount, the specialties of the various characters are key to success. Despite coming out three seasons ago, Loba has not gained much traction in Apex Legends. Even with her loot detection and teleporting abilities, players still opt for other choices.
That could be changing eventually though, because the team behind Apex Legends is working on Loba fixes. Something that causes confusion for fans is that Respawn seems hesitant to buff up Loba's abilities. According to one developer, the bracelet teleport power Loba has skirts a fine line between useless and overpowered. A large part of the strategy in the game comes from knowing where the enemy could have gone or be hiding. If Loba's teleport saw a buff, it could result in her appearing behind players without them knowing she was there.
While that would be detrimental for the Apex Legends experience, the team is not counting her out yet. As of this time, there are two changes to Loba that the developers are considering implementing. A major downside to the teleport is that it can fail in multiple locations. A broken traversal ability severely limits Loba's playstyle, so Respawn is aiming to patch those bugs out. The other fix speeds Loba's movement while the bracelet is airborne and when she teleports. Respawn did not commit to a specific timeframe for when these buffs will release, so Loba fans will need to wait for now.
In hero shooters, it is inevitable that some characters will thrive while others are forgotten. It is important for the developers to focus on the weaknesses of those heroes to create an experience with more balance. There are certainly players who enjoy Loba for her lore and powers, but have to accept she is not as viable. The buff for the broken teleport locations seems like a no brainer, and it is great that Respawn is fixing it.
Though some could argue that the main issue is with the teleport in general. The developers mention that combat readability is core to the gameplay, so why design a teleport? In a competitive game, there should not be abilities that can end up overpowered just from a few tweaks. That said, it does sound like the team behind Apex Legends is working hard to put Loba in a better spot.
Apex Legends is available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One, and will release for the Switch on March 9.
Source: Dexerto