Note: The final shipping legends were the product of numerous incredibly talented individuals across multiple departments and disciplines. While I initiated, implemented, and drove these character designs in terms of abilities and gameplay, the final product was only realized through a team effort.
Live Service Disclaimer: Apex Legends is a live service game. Legends are subject to balance changes and even full kit redesigns. I stopped working on Apex in late 2019 and my last Legend design released in 2020. I claim neither credit nor responsibility for the current live state of Apex characters. While much of my work survives in its original form, subsequent alterations and balance changes are the unique contributions of other designers. My commentary, observations, and philosophy on Apex character design extends to my designs at the time they launched and no further.
Live Service Disclaimer: Apex Legends is a live service game. Legends are subject to balance changes and even full kit redesigns. I stopped working on Apex in late 2019 and my last Legend design released in 2020. I claim neither credit nor responsibility for the current live state of Apex characters. While much of my work survives in its original form, subsequent alterations and balance changes are the unique contributions of other designers. My commentary, observations, and philosophy on Apex character design extends to my designs at the time they launched and no further.
Early Apex Character Design
I worked on Apex from mid-2017 to late 2019. My work focused on the characters: their abilities, the role they play in the combat loop, and the strategic ecosystem they create in Battle Royale.
Key Contributions
- Initiated and built the project's earliest character prototypes to secure leadership's confidence in the feature.
- Pitched, prototyped, and implemented abilities for 6 of Apex's launch characters and 4 of the post-launch characters.
- Contributed to early guidelines for character mobility, counter-play, survivability, and readability.
I designed and scripted the abilities for the characters below. The one exception is Rampart, whose Tactical and Ultimate I prototyped before handing ownership to designer David Perera. In several cases, once I finalized a character's abilities, I collaborated with other designers then who took point on final polish and asset hookups. I also provided historical and cultural research for the narrative team when needed.
The following character pages break down how I applied my design principles to specific kits. Each deep dive explores the design challenges, the strategic role of the character, and the reasoning behind key ability decisions.
The following character pages break down how I applied my design principles to specific kits. Each deep dive explores the design challenges, the strategic role of the character, and the reasoning behind key ability decisions.
Launch Character Designs
Wraith
Gibraltar
Bangalore
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Bloodhound (Bloðhundr)
Caustic
Lifeline
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Post-Launch Character Designs
Wattson
Loba
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Revenant
Rampart
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How I Think About Characters
I have a consistent set of lenses that I apply when I work. Some of these are character-specific, others apply to game design more generally. They are general guidelines and the broader goals always inform my specific approach.
- Maximize Participation: Maximize player participation. Design abilities centered around utility, team play, and survivability. By biasing abilities toward player survival, you are creating more room for player participation. The result is better matches, more stories, and less frustration for the average player.
- Alter Player Choices: Abilities should force enemy players to alter their thinking and behavior. Rather than killing them outright, an ability should strongly suggest that they alter their tactics. Enemy abilities should make the game more interesting for you. This creates an arms race where counter-play is paramount.
- Deter with Damage: Use damage primarily as a deterrent. Damaged-based abilities increases lethality. As lethality increases, more players are killed without meaningfully participating in the match. Damage that deters players keeps them alive by scaring them off.
- Vary Ability Relevance: Different characters and abilities should take center stage at different ranges and stages of a firefight. Everyone gets a time to shine.
- Orient Fights: Fights are better when they start with players facing each other. Powerful abilities should announce squad positions and help orient fights.
- Know Your Keystone: Develop kits around a "keystone" ability. This is ability defines the kit. All other abilities support and synergize with this ability. It's a good way to define a combat role and fantasy, and ensures that the kit feels mechanically tight.
- Consider the Ecosystem: Every kit fills a niche to survive. Look for depth in the white space between kits and not just on the kits themselves. Think about how the character pairs with teammates. Leave interesting gaps that can be supplemented by teammates.
- Strategy and Tactics: Don't just consider how a character fights an engagement, consider when and where a character should fight. Different characters should favor different types of fights.
- Collateral Cooperation: Ensure that even when abilities are used selfishly, they help the team. Players can rarely tell the difference between intentional and unintentional cooperation. This "accidently" creates positive teamplay experiences.
- Avoid Rote Choices: Do not allow players to be complacent. If players are always activating an ability by rote, without thinking, adjust the ability.
- Area Cultivation: Abilities that create persistent structures introduce dynamic variety to the battlefield. This creates interesting opportunities for every player in the match.
- The Character is a Package: A character's mechanics and thematic should intertwine. The player's gameplay behavior should feel like a natural extension of the character persona.