The Saida problem in AFK Stages - A Change needs to be made! - AFK Journey: Homestead

Описание: In this video I take a deep look at the impact of Saida on AFK stage progression in AFK Journey and why her current design may be unhealthy for the long-term balance of the mode.

Saida was released in August 2025 and initially flew under the radar during Season 4 Phase 3. However, once Season 5 Phase 1 arrived, her impact on AFK stages became impossible to ignore. Her EX Weapon +15 ability, which can effectively lock down enemy teams for 45 of a 90-second battle, quickly pushed her into the center of nearly every successful AFK strategy.

Despite developer attempts to counter this with new enemies and unaffected mechanics, the situation has only escalated. In Season 6 Phase 2, after clearing the initial 700 stages, only 8 of those clears did not include Saida.

This video covers,
00:00 - Intro - State of Season 6 Phase 2.
01:51 - How did we get to this point?
04:04 - Devs first attempt to "fix" this.
06:10 - What was this "fixes" impact?
09:07 - General Saida Thoughts & Powercreep
10:55 - How do AFKJ fix the problem?
14:47 - Outro - I want to have fun doing stages again..

The developers have previously stated they want multiple viable strategies and tactical flexibility, but right now many AFK stage clears revolve around a small group of heroes built around Saida.

Sometimes the healthiest solution for a game system is also the hardest one. The question is whether the developers are willing to “rip the bandaid off” and rebalance a hero months after release!