Apex Legends Developer Explains Why Arena Maps Are Not Smaller

The recently released season of Apex Legends, called "Legacy" and effectively Season 9 for the popular free-to-play video game, added a new permanent mode to the title called Arenas. Essentially, Arenas are smaller 3v3 round-based maps that are carved out of the larger maps and feature several points of interest. Despite the fact that the Arenas maps are already smaller than the normal battle royale maps, some players seem to think that an even smaller map would be fun, but recent comments from Respawn Entertainment developers appear to explain why the maps are the size they are and no smaller.

More specifically, Apex Legends lead game designer Daniel Klein responded to a suggestion about making Octane's Gauntlet one of the Arenas maps by noting that the Gaunlet "would be too small" as an Arenas map. Klein indicates that it is an important design aspect that an Arenas map has multiple points of interest included within them, and while Octane's Gauntlet might be good for one of those points of interest, it's not enough all on its own.

"We experimented with lots of stuff! Lots of spaces in BR maps and also lots of custom map prototypes," Respawn designer David Bocek added in a later comment. "We learned a lot about what works and what doesn't, and unfortunately small maps just didn't really work imo. In my personal experience they felt like they got too same-y really quickly, you lose most of the interesting and meaningful decision making about where to go based on where you think the enemy will go, weapon loadouts, etc. The POIs like the health bins and the cash stations and the care package just felt all too close together too."

Apex Legends is currently available for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC and is in the midst of Season 9, which seems to have dropped the number in favor of a name only with "Legacy." You can check out all of our previous coverage of the popular video game right here.

What do you think about Apex Legends' new season so far? Have you been playing the new Arenas mode? Let us know in the comments, or feel free to reach out and hit me up directly over on Twitter at @rollinbishop to talk about all things gaming!

[H/T Dexerto]