"MobEffect::removeEffects was given a null or removed target" assert happening when dynamically applying effects on entities

[1.19.30]

Partner Rank: 

2

Partner Team Reporting:

Everbloom Studios

Verification builds:

N/A

Summary:

A strange assert keeps coming up at certain times where effects would most likely be applied to entities. Several times under certain conditions that are seemingly random these would happen. There isn't a consistent means of telling what's causing this, and we think it might be a code oversight that's been left in as it causes no major issues.

Assert:
~~

Assertion failed: MobEffect::removeEffects was given a null or removed target
Condition is false: false
Function: MobEffect::removeEffects in D:\a_work\1\s\handheld\src\common\world\effect\MobEffect.cpp @ 341

Impact:

The impact on gameplay and player experience is null and void, due to the fact that players do not encounter asserts and this has caused no issues whatsoever in-game. However this would be considered a "blocking" issue on any maps that happen to have this assert occur (as has been the case with several projects of ours recently).

Repro Steps:

We're unsure of what the repro steps are but we suspect is has to do with removing or placing an effect on an entity that's in the middle of its dying animation. This would explain why it cannot find a target.

Expected Results:

The expected result is no assert as this seems like a concern that should be addressed through code. In our maps we can't always control for that so it will keep happening under these edge circumstances as we do not have a consistent means of detecting them being in their death animation at all times.