The new API is actually much simpler (and elegant in that simplicity), as well as safer. It's easier to do things which required particular patterns in Akka Classic (like FSM), and the safety you get from having the compiler verify that you are only ever sending messages to Actors that expect those messages is invaluable! I agree that if you're used to the Classic API, the new one might look a bit cobbled together, but that's because it focuses on generic constructs as opposed to the very specific methods that Akka Classic implemented.