Apex Legends is toning down new hero Valkyrie's jetpack

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Respawn developer noted that Valk mains were 'taking coffee breaks' in the clouds.

Apex Legends Season 9 Legacy Arenas
(Image credit: Respawn Entertainment)

If mobility is key in Apex Legends, then having a bloody jetpack gives you one hell of a leg up. But with new hero Valkyrie soaring care-free above the competition, Respawn has decided to tone down her rocket-propelled backpack.

Live balance designer John Larson broke the news on Twitter earlier today. See, Valk's jetpack has two modes—a direct flight mode, and a "hover" that consumes fuel at 10% rate. This allows her to stay airborne for much longer at the expense of mobility. In practice, this meant a whole lotta Valk players were just chilling in the clouds.

Larson does note that Respawn felt this was fine at launch, replying to one comment that "we thought about it, but we didn't know for certain if it would manifest itself as an issue." The change now comes as Apex's Global Series esports league spins up in earnest. With a $1 million prize pool on the line, the developer obviously doesn't want teams cheesing their way to victory by hovering out of range. 

Respawn has been fairly on-point with tuning this season's new additions. Legacy's new Bocek compound bow was nerfed after dominating its first week, while this week saw Apex finally punish people for quitting Arenas mid-game.

I'm a little sad to hear Respawn is cooling Valk's jets for competitive play, honestly. But as Emma found out all-too-late, Titanfall 2's right there if you want your Apex gunfights to take place at 100mph.

Natalie Clayton
Natalie Clayton
Features Producer

20 years ago, Nat played Jet Set Radio Future for the first time, and she's not stopped thinking about games since. Joining PC Gamer in 2020, she comes from three years of freelance reporting at Rock Paper Shotgun, Waypoint, VG247 and more. Embedded in the European indie scene and a part-time game developer herself, Nat is always looking for a new curiosity to scream about—whether it's the next best indie darling, or simply someone modding a Scotmid into Black Mesa. She also unofficially appears in Apex Legends under the pseudonym Horizon.