Apex Legends removes controller configs amidst huge controversy

In a move to make the game fair and balanced, Respawn Entertainment has now removed controller configs from Apex Legends. This came after a huge community outcry about people using these configs for cheating.

Worst of all, it was undetected by anti-cheat due to configs being part of the game itself. Apex Legends might very well be the most popular battle royale game. However, it has faced a fair share of cheating problems.

Why disable configs?

Controllers generally have a disadvantage against a mouse and keyboard player. To balance that, they are provided with aim assist. People were making use of configs to automate various things in-game.

These included no recoil, shield swap, auto strafe while looting, 180 flick, tap-strafing and many more things, all while having an aim assist. Players could queue inputs automatically.

The config here in the talk is the steam config, which allows users to customize controller settings. Players can even download and use configs made by other players.

Previously, any cheating software and third-party app amounted to cheating. They could also be detected by anti-cheat. However, the configs did not come under this and were being used as cheats while playing on the controller.

Developers take swift action

While the issue has persisted for some time, a recent video from a person showcasing their config caught everyone’s attention. Without using cheats, the person was cheating, which caused an uproar in the community.

In a recent patch, Apex Legends removed the support for configs, fixing the issue altogether. Now the game goes back to how it's meant to be played.

Respawn Entertainment acknowledged the issue and released a patch to disable configs. Senior design director at Respawn, Evan Nikolich, also confirmed that the team is patching all possible configs.

The Apex community, both casuals and pros, appreciated the efforts of the developers. They also confirmed that most of the configs are now failing to work.