Apex Legendsis one of the most popular battle royale games on the market despite having slower content drops than other free-to-play titles, and now, players have an idea of why post-launch releases are a bit slower. According toApex Legendsdirector Chad Grenier, the speed of new additions is due to a refusal to make the team endure crunch time.
Crunch time is one of the most negative aspects of the video game industry. A period where developers often endure sleepless nights, 18-hour workdays, and other major struggles, some of the most highly praised studios in gaming have been reported to have horrendous crunch time. Naughty Dog, Rockstar, andCyberpunk 2077developer CD Projekt Redare among the most well-known cases of crunch time in gaming.
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According toApex Legendsdirector Chad Grenier, however, the game’s development team will not be forced to endure absurd amounts of crunch just to deliver the game’s fans a bit of extra content. WithApex Legendson track to earn $1 billionalready, it would not seem like that crunch is necessary, and Grenier shared his philosophy on a healthy workplace via a Reddit AMA.
In response to a rude commenter calling Grenier a liar, the director remained courteous and touched on the issue ofslowApex Legendscontent drops. Per Grenier, “we’ll probably be slower at making content than if we worked 15-hour days but that’s just not something we’re willing to do.” The director goes on to state that theApex Legendsteam has doubled in size to meet content demands, with the focus being on bringing “quality content at a healthy pace.”
WithApex Legendscoming under fire for crunch timeawhile back via a former developer’s reddit post, Grenier’s recent comments that he and other higher-ups “refuse to crunch the team” is a positive sign of change in the industry. With Rockstar also improving crunch time conditions and more recent cases causing gamers to speak up and demand change, it seems like the people behind the games are finally being treated a bit better.
WithApex Legendscharacter reworkspossibly in development alongside more seasons of content, fans can rest assured that the game will still be supported for a long time to come. If that support feels slightly slower than other battle royales, however, just keep in mind that it seems to be for a good reason.
Apex Legendsis available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One with a Nintendo Switch version in development.
