Although it's at least a month away, there's a lot of hype around Apex Legends season 9. Respawn Entertainment has recently teased that 'a lot of Titanfall content' will be relevant this season. That doesn't mean Titans apparently, but it'll be interesting nonetheless how the season shakes up.
It remains to be seen exactly what gets added, but longtime fans know what to expect. There will be a new legend in some sort, with a recent Apex Legends leak saying that it's Blisk. New guns and new maps are possible, though it remains unlikely at the moment. Buffs and nerfs will shake up the meta, while the shake-up of Hop-Ups will do the same. In fact, of the 9 Hop-Ups that have existed, the most that have ever been in a season concurrently is 6. Of those, there's one Hop-Up that has been snubbed more than any other: Disruptor Rounds.
Apex Legends Disruptor Rounds
In short, Disruptor Rounds are effectively the opposite of Hammerpoint Rounds. As the latter is designed to hit health more heavily, they go on weapons meant to finish off an opponent. The former deals more damage to Shields, having been available on the Alternator and RE-45. However, despite these limitations, the Disruptor Rounds have only existed in proper in season 2.
For those who were around in Apex Legends season 2, many may remember the Alternator+Disruptor Rounds meta that emerged. It was, without a doubt, a lethal combo. A nerf for them makes sense, but the complete removal afterward doesn't really. As shields are fluctuating part of a character's health, Respawn may not want big buffs that will shield purple armor available for those with white armor. No doubt it would be hard to balance, but decreasing their effect on levels of shields could be one potential balancing field. Either way, while everything from the Precision Choke to the Skullpiercer has underwent changes and remained in rotation from season to season, Disruptor Rounds have not.
Nostalgia may be a key factor for anyone wanting them to return, but there's another aspect as well: the game is much larger than it was in season 2. The aforementioned Titanfall content, depending on how it is implemented, could see the need for more shield damage. At the same time, Evo Shields were not a thing, and their inclusion now means the playing field isn't exactly the same. Perhaps Disruptor Rounds could be nerfed in their shield damage but also deal increased damage to things like Rampart's Shields and more, finding their way into the battlefield more usefully. It all remains to be seen, of course, and it's entirely up to Respawn. But since the days of the Disruptor Rounds, the Alternator has, seemingly, at best remained stagnant or fallen on Apex Legends tier lists.
Apex Legends is available now for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.