Apex Legends Pros Abusing Newcastle’s Broken Ability Has Forced Respawn to Implement Major Rule in Pro Plays

Newcastle was once one of Apex Legends‘ least-used characters but in Season 23, he joins the list of one of the most broken characters the game has ever seen. This underused legend got a buff in Season 23 which addressed a lot of his issues.

But this wasn’t all because the Support class itself got a buff, and now it’s the Season of Support. Now people are running double or triple support teams and wreaking havoc, and Respawn is stepping in. Let’s look at how Newcastle went from barely being used to causing big changes in professional Apex play.

The Apex Legends Has Seen a HARD Shift in Season 23

Season 23 has been a game-changer for support characters and Newcastle has been the biggest winner alongside the newly reworked Lifeline. In Season 22, Newcastle was among the least-picked Legends. But after these new buffs, he’s shot straight to the top.

🚨ALERT🚨

After recent meta changes for Apex Legends, all professional teams are in search of world-class Newcastle players. 🤣

Now’s your time to be a one trick pony.

Patch Note ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/PkjH2BpPLC

— JMeyels (@jmeyels) November 5, 2024

These buffs include better shield durability and faster revives, his pick rate surged to 22.7%, briefly dethroning Pathfinder for the top spot. Newcastle’s Retrieve the Wounded ability, combined with his Mobile Shield now offers the best protection for your team.

While casual players have welcomed these changes, the competitive scene quickly realized Newcastle’s potential for abuse, particularly when paired with the gold knockdown shield which gives the teammates you revive additional health and shields.

NO MORE GOLD KNOCKDOWN SHIELDS IN COMP CONFIRMED!!!

— Raven (@raven_apex) November 26, 2024

Because of his synergy with the gold knockdown shield, every fight in the late game of a professional Apex game has just become a series of endless reviving cycles.

hey i tested it in customs and confirmed myself 😅

— Raven (@raven_apex) November 26, 2024

In response to this intense shift in the game’s meta, Respawn Entertainment has allegedly decided to remove gold knockdown shields from competitive play soon. This change was first reported by former TSM coach Elias ‘raven’ Ghribi and has possibly been confirmed by Respawn’s senior producer Josh Medina.

The Season of Support Has Been an Entertaining One

The discussion on the removal of gold knockdown shields has gotten a lot of different opinions from the Apex Legends community. Many players agree that it’s an essential fix, but others question whether it’s gonna hold up in the long term.

Fans argue that tweaking his support mechanics, such as removing health regeneration during revives or making his Mobile Shield destructible, would be a better long-term solution. For now, the gold knockdown removal is a temporary bandaid.

From a spectator POV this is the most fun meta we have had to watch since gibby was last core meta

Nuke catalyst so visual clutter is lessened and its perfect spectator wise

Gibby and Newcastle are two of highest skill ceiling legends in the game, its great for spectators https://t.co/1GE6rutKBt

— BirnoOCE (@BirnoOCE) November 23, 2024

Season 23, unofficially dubbed the “Season of Support,” has focused heavily on buffing support legends like Newcastle and Lifeline. Lifeline received a big rework that completely changed her ult and tactical ability.

Unironically enough though, despite how busted they are, people seem to genuinely enjoy the meta. For now, this new change is only limited to competitive esports games so we casuals have nothing to worry about.

But Respawn may be using this to test the waters and see if it’s a change that could be implemented in ranked lobbies as well.