Ever since Apex Legends launched fans have been asking for additional modes that feature squad sizes besides its traditional trios mode. A duos mode was eventually added, and while there’s no solo mode as of yet, there is an option to solo queue into matches if you’re feeling particularly confident in your Apex abilities.
One option that Respawn hasn’t explored is increasing squads above 3 teammates, which hasn't been possible. At least it wasn't until now. Thanks to a recent bug, players were loading into matches with squads that had expanded to 5 or 6 players. Unlike other bugs in Apex’s past, players are surprisingly positive about this glitch as it could be a sign of a brand new game mode.
The biggest problem with this particular bug is that it caused a 5 or 6 player squad to randomly form in the trios mode due to an issue with Apex’s server. While that might be fun for the team that gets the unfair advantage, it’s pretty crummy for everyone else in the lobby. The bug has since been fixed so it won’t affect any future games.
However, on an interesting note, Apex’s live technical designer commented in a Reddit post that the overcrowded squad bug “looks super fun for a game or two.” Which, admittedly, it does. In fact, some players were quite receptive to this bug with many asking for it to become a new game mode. There’s even been some speculation among fans that this was less of a bug and more of an accidental leak of an experimental game mode, although there’s no evidence to support that theory.
Apex’s squad sizes have always been pretty small, so the idea of being able to run around in bigger groups could make for an intriguing new way to play. In the past, Respawn has stated that it wouldn’t include a quads mode as any team size beyond trios “became chaotic in a negative way.” However, Apex has seen many changes over the years including the addition of the Arenas mode which completely alters the way the game is played. So perhaps Respawn's opinion on the subject has shifted and bigger squad sizes could be possible in the future.
For now, the bug is patched, so don’t expect to have two or three extra teammates any time soon. But if you’re looking for other reasons to load into Apex Legends, the Genesis Collection Event is live until July 13th and it’ll let you revisit Skull Town for a dose of old-school Apex action.