Newcastle’s arrival in Season 13 failed to shake up the meta in a significant. Now, more than a season later, the Apex Legends devs have detailed what they’ve learned about the change and how it may have caused Gibraltar’s fall from grace.
Gibraltar was a staple of Apex Legends, particularly in the pro scene, prior to Newcastle’s release. The big man’s ability to provide cover was invaluable for any competitor and many teams composed the rest of the squad with that in mind.
When Newcastle was buffed in Season 14 though, things started to shift away from the Shielded Fortress and towards the newcomer and his more mobile playstyle and the devs have now offered up some thoughts on what that means for the game.
Apex Legends devs detail Newcastle’s effect on Gibraltar and the rest of the meta
According to the devs, there are a few reasons that Newcastle has overtaken Gibby but his recent buffs pushed things over the line.
“In Season 14, we made changes to Newcastle to improve his viability and provide an alternative option at the competitive level to Gibraltar and we’ve seen some positive traction pulling weight off Gibby as the must-pick anchor/support for the team,” Respawn’s Devan Mcguire said in a Reddit AMA thread.
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Gibraltar’s pickrate is also suffering because of Seer, who has also skyrocketed in popularity over the last season. His ability to pressure teams at the worst moments means there’s a lot less freedom even when protected by the dome shield.
“Additionally, with the rise of Seer, Gibraltar’s revives are also not quite as free anymore and aggressive teams have more opportunities to push,” Devan noted. “Given the shake-up we’ve seen on the competitive scene recently, we’re currently evaluating the evolving meta to see if any actual adjustments are needed for Gibraltar at this time.”
The dev wrapped up by reminding fans that the team is always looking for ways to improve on underwhelming Legends without changing their identity.
