Apex Legends: Controller vs. Keyboard

Do Apex Legends Pros use Controllers or a Mouse and Keyboard?

The debate between Apex Legends players about the supremacy of controllers versus mouse and keyboard has lasted for years now, and after all this time, there might finally be an answer, with professionals shedding light on why mouse and keyboard players are gradually diminishing in the competitive scene and how pro-players are boosting their performance using a controller.

The argument revolves around the advantages granted to controller users through aim assist and automated configurations, particularly in close-up battles. Respawn, the developer behind Apex Legends, has previously addressed player concerns and imposed restrictions on certain controller configurations they deemed unfair.

Competitive Apex Legends has witnessed a prevalent inclination towards using controllers, with pro-players considering them a more favorable option. Most professional teams either have at least one controller player or have completely transitioned away from mouse and keyboard players. In instances where mouse and keyboard players are present, they often assume the role of an In-Game Leader (IGL), providing strategic calls or specializing in long-range combat with sniper rifles.

However, recent insights from professional Apex Legends players suggest that the era of non-IGL mouse and keyboard players might be over.

One veteran in the Apex Legends competitive scene, Alex 'scuwry' Scala, formerly associated with 100 Thieves, took to social media to express the challenges faced as a free-agent mouse and keyboard player. He conveyed a sense of feeling "useless" for teams, emphasizing that the demand for role-fillers is gradually disappearing. Scuwry shed light on the struggle to find a suitable team despite owning a pro league spot, indicating a shift in team preferences towards versatile players.

In Scuwry's own words:

"My only leverage in finding people to play with was the fact that I own the pro league spot, and even then, I struggled to find a team that could work. People don’t look for role-fillers anymore. They pick up roller players and hope they can learn the slot."

Agreeing with Scuwry, the In-Game Leader of Legends Gaming, a team notable for fielding three mouse and keyboard players, contributed insights in a now-deleted social media post. The IGL, Gen Ghi 'StrafingFlame' Subroto, highlighted the challenges faced by mouse and keyboard players at the highest level of play, especially when facing players using a controller to boost their performance in Apex Legends.

In the intense battles that unfold in professional Apex Legends matches, the difference often comes down to dealing enough damage to secure a clean victory. StrafingFlame pointed out a recurring issue faced by mouse and keyboard players: while a controller player could secure a one-clip elimination in the majority of instances, a mouse and keyboard player would frequently only manage to crack an opponent without securing a decisive victory.

Despite StrafingFlame and his team's notable achievement of securing third place at the 2023 ALGS Championship, he concluded his post by suggesting that, at the professional level, there is no longer a debate about which input method is better for competitive play.

When we asked our Apex Predator Boosters, most of them said they had better results when using a controller instead of a mouse and keyboard.

The Apex Legends competitive scene suggests that the gaming scene is changing in the Apex Games, with the demand for versatile players and the perceived advantages of controllers contributing to the diminishing presence of mouse and keyboard players in the professional scene. Is this the end of mouse and keyboard users in the legendary battle royale game?

 

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