On the Apex Legends Reddit, a post titled “Buff Wattson please,” has over 15,000 upvotes, but Apex Legends developer DanielZKlein was quick to rebuff. “I just finished watching the VODs from yesterday’s ALGS Grand Finals and… Wattson was all over the place? True, she was no longer on every single team, but still easily on 50-60% on teams. Just rewound the final game and counted; there was a Wattson on 4 of the 6 last squads?”
Klein goes on to explain that Wattson’s main problem isn’t her power level, but that her kit isn’t enticing to players. Battle royales have become fast-paced endeavors where players are flying around the map looking for a fight. Professional play is a bit different since players are a bit more cautious with money on the line.
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That causes Wattson to be in a difficult place. She is rather powerful with a squad that values teamwork and holding locations. This is perfect for end-game scenarios, but not typical gamers.
Klein is in the same boat as everyone else, what to do? “Anyway, where does that leave us with Wattson? Ideally we find a rework that makes at least part of her kit exciting in the moment while not losing her identity as a structure giver; in the meantime, I could be convinced to buff her here and there just to throw Wattson mains like yourself a bone but with absolutely no hope that any such buff would change any of the underlying problems (low pick rate and lack of satisfaction).”
We could seem some type of buff eventually targeting Wattson, but Klein doesn’t think this will do much. Players will just need to adjust or not play Wattson because it doesn’t seem like she’s changing anytime soon.
