Apex Legends dev hints at Gold Knockdown nerf after Ranked concerns
Apex Legends Game Designer John ‘JayBiebs’Larson has hinted that Gold Knockdown shields could be getting some sort of nerf in Ranked, following community feedback.
The Apex Legends community has been split onthe inclusion of Gold Knockdown shields in RankedsinceSeason 13began.
Even pro players like TSM’s Mac ‘Albralelie’ Beckwith have called for theremoval of Gold Knockdowns in Rankedafter much discussion around the issue.
Now it seems that the developers have listened to the feedback as Game Designer John “JayBiebs” Larson has tweeted out hinting that Gold Knockdowns may be getting an adjustment sometime soon.
Apex Legends dev responds to Gold Knockdown shield concerns
Larson firsttweetedthat he had been “grinding ranked this week” to gather experience about the current state ofRanked Reloaded in Season 13.
After confirming he’d been watching streams and browsing social media to assure fans the team is listening, Larson tweeted “Self-rez feedback heard loud and clear.”
While Larson simply acknowledged that the team had heard the feedback, the wording “loud and clear” makes it sound as if the team is going to make some major adjustments coinciding with the community’sdiscontent with Gold Knockdown shields.
Whether this means an overhaul, some kind of nerf for Ranked, or outright removal from the game is yet to be confirmed.
Self-rez feedback heard loud and clear
— JayBiebs (@RSPN_JayBiebs)July 21, 2025
Still, some players seem unsure of how best to deal with Gold Knockdowns with the current state of Apex Legends.
TSM’s Phillip “ImperialHal” Dosenrespondedto the tweet saying that some only think it’s become an issue due to “the influx of gold items from armories” suggesting the development team may simply want to adjust that instead.
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Others, however, are more on the fence about a potential change with Twitter user@mjbnowsaying that it’s simply “the loud minority complaining about it.”
Regardless, it appears the Apex Legends’ development team is fully aware of the unrest surrounding Golden Knockdown shields and will likely address it sometime around the next Ranked split.
