Respawn Entertainment made a major announcement for Apex Legends players—Arenas: Duels, a new limited-time 1v1 mode where players get to vote on their favorite loadouts. However, opinion has split: while some remain excited, others have called it lazy, broken, or accuse it of neglecting more pressing problems such as the servers.
So, what is Arenas: Duels? The mode is a 1v1 battle where players vote for preferences in weapons, legends, and maps. Sounds simple, right? And yet the reaction from the community has been somewhat… divided.
Stage is set for some strategizing, with one player such as @ittzjoh4nn4 joking on winning free with the R-99 combo. Meanwhile, @xBig_401 locks in his choices while joking, “Rampart and all I need is Sheila.” On the other, reaction came from @Swytchers who really went off about the mode, calling it “terrible” with preset loadouts and recycled maps.
So here’s the other biggie—server-side. Players have even started reporting outright breaking bugs, especially on PS5. There are voluminous reports of misbehaving East Coast servers, which @MissClemm and @TheElliottWitt have been vocal about: “Lobbies don’t load, punishments stack for no reason.” @SkyAreFrauds had no qualms about stating, “Don’t care. Your game is fucked, fix it.”
Meanwhile, the other folks are asking Respawn to never turn these fun modes into limited-time events again. Van Gogh @_1ldc_ refused to remain silent: “Stop making it limited time… We want it all the time!!!!” Meanwhile, @Fizzybubblerz questioned the vote, asking how they can’t vote on BR map rotations instead.
In the middle of all these madness, there are yet a few who are truly excited: @Ozmo_Slice cracked a joke about being “bricked up” to take on Ballistics and Devotions, while @takuni1986 appreciated the idea and wonders what community voices such as @DavidSmithX1 think of it.
Having said that, the real question is altogether from the moment the mode actually goes live: will it work? With the whole dodgy server issue threatening the very existence of the game, mixing reactions concerning the mode itself, Respawn might have more than 1v1 battles to keep intervals from.
One thing, though, is absolute: The Apex Legends world does not know boredom very much. Whether keeping with the chaos or the competitive spirit, or just sitting to watch the stingy drama unfold, Arenas: Duels looks set to be another wild ride in the Apex world. Now, if only the servers could keep up with it.
There are two options to think about: will you be making your way into the madness of 1v1s, or are those smooth error screens keeping you company? Either way, grab your popcorn—this is going to be fun!
