Controversial Gold Knockdown Shields Will Return to Apex Legends Global Series

The Tier 4 (Gold) knockdown shields in Apex Legends have always been at the center of controversy. Knockdown shields as a whole have already been nerfed once in the past as players were able to easily protect themselves from all incoming damage, making it very difficult for opponents to finish them off once they got downed.

But Gold Knockdown Shields have the ability to let players self-resurrect which has become a major problem in ranked and competitive play. Respawn Entertainment removed them from competitive play but it looks like the knockdown shields will be returning to competitive Apex Legends soon.

Why gold knockdown shields are problematic in Apex Legends

There are instances of players getting downed where players with gold knockdown shields simply hide behind other knocked players or crawl away to safety during fights.

Teams that should finish third are sometimes able to clinch a second-place finish in ranked games and in some cases, they are able to tank zone damage and get teams that are alive killed. With coordinated and smart play, it is possible to “unfairly” secure ranked points by simply staying alive longer than other teams.

In the next season of Apex Legends, gold knockdown shields are getting their passives changed and the Guardian Angel perk from gold backpacks is being transferred over to the knockdown shields. This means that it is now important for Lifeline, Gibraltar, and Newcastle players to get the Tier 4 knockdown shields instead of the gold backpacks.

The golden backpacks on the other hand are getting a new passive. Players who acquire gold backpacks will have the ‘Deeper Pockets’ perk enabled, which allows you to carry additional heals. You will be able to carry two Phoenix Kits, three Shield Batteries, and three Medkits while taking up just one item slot each.

With the changes being made to gold backpacks and knockdown shields, Respawn has decided to bring back the tier 4 knockdown shields into competitive play and scrims. Season 14 is set to arrive on 9th August and it shall bring with it the aforementioned changes to gold backpacks and knockdown shields.