Apex Legends Horizon nerf in Harbingers Collection Event update explained

Horizon has seen a major nerf in the Harbingers Collection Event update in Apex Legends. While the changes seem minor on paper, their reflection within the game will entirely upheave the Horizon meta and possibly make her amongst the lowest-picked Legends in the upcoming Seasons. Ever since her climbing presence, Respawn has been quite adept at releasing substantial nerfs before she became too overpowered.

Our article will explore the depth of the recent Horizon changes the balance team has made. For a detailed brief on the matter, read below.

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Will Horizon be viable after her nerf in Apex Legends Season 18?

Horizon has received severe nerfs to her kit, primarily her Tactical Ability. The Apex Legends Harbingers Event patch notes detail these changes as follows:

• Gravity Lift weapon accuracy decreased while in Lift (more spread)
• Vertical Lift speed reduced by 20%
• Hover time at top of Lift reduced to 0.5s (was 2.0s)

The magnitude of nerfs that have been dished out are far more adverse than what they seem.

Horizon's Tactical ability was a game-changer. While it is a base part of her kit, its versatility is what made it such a great tool. From popping Shield Batteries and repositioning to pushing out enemies from behind the cover, its uses were entirely up to a player's own wits and creativity.

We will definitely see a significant decrease in her playtime with these nerfs. While the reduction in weapon accuracy was a warranted change, the extreme reduction in hover time and lift speed will surely take a toll on her pick rate in casual and competitive playlists.

As discussed above, Gravity Lift was an extremely versatile Tactical Ability. We speculate that the 20% vertical lift speed will entirely kill any outplay situation within the game. With a lowered hovering time paired with the speed nerf, her Tactical will simply serve as a distraction and nothing more.

Our belief is that Horizon might still be relevant after her nerfs. However, these changes will impact how extensively she is played across the competitive events.

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To salvage the situation and to keep her still relevant, we urge players to aggressively use her Tactical ability to gain high ground and contest enemies. In worst-case scenarios, players can use it to push out enemies from cover or block doorways.

It is safe to say, at least for the next few Seasons until her kit is addressed again, Horizon will no longer make the headlines again. Being amongst the top-picked Legends in the Apex Legends Global Series (ALGS), she definitely emanated an unparalleled presence across the competitive scene.

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