Hero image: Apex Legends screenshot. Image: Respawn Entertainment
Respawn has permanently banned an Apex Legends player suspected of crashing matches on purpose, using an exploit tied to Ballistic’s Sling passive.
The finding was published by the game’s Anti-Cheat team in a Competitive Integrity Update on 1 October.
The team says it found the exploit while investigating a player who appeared to be crashing lobbies again and again.
Its account of how the exploit worked is specific, and is reproduced here in full:
“The exploit used a modified game client to duplicate a weapon optic far beyond its intended limits. Generating enough duplicated items placed an excessive load on the server, causing the match to become unresponsive and ultimately crash for everyone in the lobby. The player would then reconnect to the match after the crash and attempt to take advantage of other players being disconnected.”
Respawn says it has fixed the exploit, and that the action goes beyond one account. “We permanently banned the suspected user and are actioning all accounts found to be using this exploit.”
The team also set out its position on deliberate disruption. “Exploiting vulnerabilities to crash lobbies and interfere with other players’ ability to play is unacceptable,” the post reads.
It credits player reports for the result. “Thank you to everyone who reported suspicious lobby crashes and provided information that helped us investigate this issue.”
The update arrived days after Apex switched PC players from Easy Anti-Cheat to EA Javelin Anticheat. Gamers Classified explained that change when it was announced.
The post does not say how many other accounts have been actioned.
Source: Respawn on Steam – An Update from the Anti Cheat Team, Respawn on Steam – Apex Legends: Latest Update 09/29/2026