Cheaters, DDoSers, and hackers have always been a major problem in Apex Legends, but developer Respawn is considering taking some serious legal action against perpetrators in an effort to resolve, or at least proactively mitigate, the issue. After taking a look at what steps have already been taken in order to curb cheating, Respawn has conceded that banning the perps isn't enough, and more extreme steps are needed.
Even though Apex Legends has been free to play since it was released in 2019, hackers and cheaters still heavily diminish the experience, and turn players off entirely from a game where it's becoming increasingly difficult to win fairly. A recent wave of bans took out a sizeable swath of hackers and cheaters, including some that were highly-ranked players. But cheaters are the proverbial hydra, and for every head that gets cut off, two more sprout up to replace it, and no matter how many bans Respawn dishes out, it ultimately does little to stop the problem. High-profile streamers are particularly targeted by hackers, which means further bad press that negatively impacts the Apex Legends community as a whole.
But while players are understandably frustrated, Respawn is ultimately the most impacted by the issue. While it has taken steps to compensate players who have lost competitions to cheaters, the growing problem takes developers' time and attention away from the game itself in order to focus on finding and banning hackers and cheaters. According to Dexerto, Respawn head of communication Ryan Rigney has acknowledged that the bans simply aren't enough, and that the developer is now looking into more proactive and extreme avenues they can take instead, including legal ones. In response to player frustration on Twitter, Rigney succinctly summed it up: "TL;DR: Team's on it."
To its credit, Respawn has already taken some pretty significant steps towards curbing the issue, including creative solutions like implementing a system that forces cheaters to play with each other instead of with players who want to compete honestly. What legal means Respawn intends to take remain unknown at present, so players and the public at large will have to wait for whatever actions are announced in the future.
Respawn certainly isn't alone in dealing with cheaters and DDoSers, but the sheer volume of such malcontents present in the game means that whatever steps Respawn takes will likely be followed by other developers in dealing with their own cheating problems. Apex Legends has long been considered a worthy competitor to other battle royales of its ilk, but it's also poised to be a trendsetter in dealing effectively with cheaters, depending on what direction Respawn decides to take.
Source: Dexerto, Ryan K. Rigley