Weapon buffs and nerfs in Apex Legends Legacy
The full patch notes have been revealed for Apex Legends Season 9: Legacy, with many changes coming to the current Season 8 update, lets take a look at how the weapon meta will change.
Apex Legends Season 9: Legacy will add lots of content to the game, including a new Legend, weapon, and 3v3 Arena mode.
The official patch notes presented not only Legend changes but also the weapon buffs and nerfs that could potentially see a whole new meta for Season 9: Legacy, so let’s get into it.
Assault Rifles
For the Assault Rifles, it seems the R-301, Flatline, and Havoc will all be getting a nerf like the Hemlock in the last update, as Respawn have decided to reduce their headshot multiplier from 2.0 to 1.75.
This will make things more interesting in the weapon meta for Apex Legends, as both the Flatline and the R-301 have been very dominant in Season 8.
Havoc
Further, the Havoc has also been buffed to balance out the headshot nerf, with increased recoil controllability early in the pattern. This could potentially make the Havoc very competitive, as it is the only Assault Rifle to receive a buff in the Legacy patch.
SMGs
In general, the SMGs remain the same with no nerf or buff added to any weapon in the class. The only slight change is that the R-99 is now in the golden weapon loot, which will be very strong.
As the SMGs have received no nerf, could we see weapons like the Volt, R-99, and Alternator be more dominant than ever? The Alternator was buffed in season 8, where it was already very competitive and even had a higher win rate than the R-99, so keep an eye on it for Legacy, as it could be meta.
LMGs
Most of the LMGs in Legacy are untouched from Season 8, however, the Spitfire has received a well-needed nerf.
Spitfire
The initial start-up recoil has been increased for the Spitfire, which the devs believe could help people fight against it. The idea is that someone with a more close range, fast fire rate weapon will hit more shots than someone with a 55 round Spitfire.
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The devs are aware that the Spitfire was extremely strong in Season 8, and so are prepared to make further changes if need be.
Snipers
Longbow
To balance out the loss of Skullpiercer, the headshot multiplier has been increased from 2.0 to 2.15. The Longbow was great in Season 8, but without Skullpiercer, it can never truly reach the damage output of the Sentinel and the Charge Rifle, unless you’re an extremely good shot with it.
Triple Take
Many Triple Take fans will be disappointed to know that it has now entered the Airdrop, replacing the Peacekeeper.
The Triple Take has therefore been buffed slightly to make it a strong care package weapon, increasing the fire rate from 1.2 to 1.3, reducing the time for a full precision charge from 1.1 to 1, increasing movement speed while ADS, and also increased spread while airborne and aiming down sights.
Marksman Rifles
Apex Legends Legacy also brings about a new weapon class known as Marksman Rifles. This is a class for medium-ranged weapons such as the 30-30 Repeater, G7 Scout, Bowcek Bow, and even the Triple Take.
All weapons in this class will no longer be able to equip any sight larger than the 3x, which is a big nerf for anyone who enjoys the 2x – 4x scope.
However, weapons in this class did receive a slight buff, as movement speed while aiming down sights has been increased for every Marksman weapon, which is faster than snipers but slower than ARs.
30-30 Repeater
The 30-30 will be a very strong gun in Legacy, as the patch notes revealed a leg-damage multiplier increase from 0.75 to 0.85. This could bring it more in line with the G7 Scout and actually make it a competitive mid-ranged option.
G7 Scout
The G7 Scout has been the most versatile weapon in Apex Legends for many seasons, being able to perform up close with an accurate hip-fire, and from far especially with a 2x – 4x scope.
It seems Respawn is taking away some of its versatility, reducing its hip-fire accuracy by increasing the hip fire spread. This could see the 30-30 Repeater take its place, as its hip-fire will now be better than the G7’s.
Shotguns
It seems the shotguns will be fairly untouched this season, with the Mastiff being nerfed in Season 8, it seems the Eva 8 and possibly the Peacekeeper will be the strongest options.
Peacekeeper
Legacy will see the Peacekeeper back in the floor loot, with some relative nerfs to bring it back in line after being a very strong care package weapon.
Although it comes with a Precision Choke by default, the damage has been reduced from 10 to 9, the reload and rechamber times have both increased, and the pellet spread has also been increased for all charge levels. The Peacekeeper will also lose charge quickly after leaving ADS.
Despite these nerfs, the Peacekeeper is sure to come back with a bang and be a strong, viable option for close-range engagements.
Pistols
Wingman
Much like the Longbow, the removal of Skullpiercer means the headshot multiplier has been increased from 2.0 to 2.15, which is more of a nerf than a buff as it loses a great Hop Up.
P2020
The removal of Hammerpoint Rounds is also a big hit to the P2020, making it much less viable. It did also get a buff in return, increasing its bullet damage from 15 to 18, however, this won’t replace the strength of Hammerpoint Rounds.
Further, Respawn noticed most players were not taking advantage of the fast fire rate, so they decreased it from 8.5 to 6.25, along with the buffed damage this should make the P2020 easier to use.
Mozambique
The Mozambique has received a nerf and buff in Legacy, increasing the clip size from 4 to 6, but also the removal of Hammerpoint Rounds means it won’t be anywhere near as useful or powerful.
That’s all for the buffs and nerfs on all weapons for Apex Legends Season 9: Legacy, which players will be able to enjoy today when it releases at 10 AM PDT (6 PM BST).
For more on Apex Legends stay tuned on Charlie INTEL and check out our article on all of Valkyrie’s Legendary & Epic skins.
Image Credits: Respawn Entertainment