Apex Legends players prove Season 19 Newcastle buff changed nothing at all

Apex Legends fans are a sharp bunch, and you can't sneak anything by them. From map teasers to elaborate puzzles, they're always working to unravel the battle royale's mysteries - but they're also adept at spotting when Respawn drops the ball.

The new seasonal content drop, Season 19: Ignite, arrived on October 31, and while the accompanying patch notes assured players Newcastle would be getting a buff, it appears that may not be the case.

Respawn investigating Newcastle 'buff' for Apex Legends Season 19

In a side-by-side video on Reddit, breaking down Newcastle's Ultimate frame-by-frame, user AGENT_KEL showcases how the two look identical.

The footage certainly makes it seem likely there's been no change to the shield-carrying Legend's Castle Wall ability. The trajectory, movement, and time to get guns up again look exactly the same.

This is despite Respawn's own patch notes pointing to "reduced recovery time on landing" and "increased max leap height" - something seemingly absent from the game itself.

Amid the usual array of salty responses, one user asked AGENT_KEL is there's any possibility players can shoot through the barrier more quickly than was possible in Season 18.

"Fortunately I have the footage where I shoot instantly after ulting before Season 19 and did the same comparison. The shooting times are identical frame to frame (sic)," they responded.

Thankfully, it appears Respawn is onto things, with a Respawn account thanking AGENT_KEL for the flag and passing the footage to the team for investigation - suggesting Newcastle could get his buff.

Given he's the game's 23rd-placed character in terms of pick rate (out of 25 Legends), it certainly sounds like he needs all the help he can get.

For more on Apex Legends, be sure to check out our guide to new Legend, Conduit.