Apex Legends System Override Update Makes Wattson Less Of A "Must-Have," Says Respawn

Alongside the addition of Octane's heirloom and the start of System Override--which sees the return of Kings Canyon--Respawn has implemented Update 4.1 into Apex Legends (and it's pretty big). The update adds several notable in-game changes to Respawn's battle royale game, including one that makes Wattson into less of a must-have for playing in Ranked.

Previously, a full stack of two grenades took up a single slot in a player's inventory--allowing you to, for example, hold six grenades at the cost of only three slots. Once you had a big enough backpack, it was very easy to stockpile grenades, which your squad could then use to bombard an opponent from afar.

This tactic proved devastating in the final circles of a match (especially if you throw in Bangalore's Rolling Thunder, Cautic's Nox Gas Grenade, or Gibraltar's Defensive Bombardment), especially in places where it was more difficult for an enemy squad to find space to retreat and reposition themselves. So, of course, a bunch of people used it.

The only true counter to this strategy is to have a Wattson in your squad. Her Interception Pylon will destroy all incoming ordinance, whether it's a grenade or one of the aforementioned character abilities. Because of the growing popularity of grenade spamming in the final circles, it's made Wattson an increasingly necessary component of any squad looking to win at a high ranked level.

In order to curb this problem, the latest update changes how in-game inventory works--specifically when it comes to grenades. With Update 4.1, instead of a stack of two, each individual grenade will fill an entire inventory slot. So now those three slots are only three grenades, not six. "We're trying to address the problem of grenade spamming," Respawn lead game designer Carlos Pineda said during Apex Devstream #4. "Right now, people carry a lot of grenades and endgame they're just chucking grenades--it almost makes Wattson a must-have because everyone is throwing grenades."

Wattson isn't the only character Respawn is addressing with Update 4.1. The new update adds a necessary buff to Gibraltar, a much-needed change to Crypto, and adjusts Bloodhound so they play as the character they've always meant to be.