Respawn Entertainment has rolled out several balance changes for Apex Legends, targeting some of the most dominant weapons in the meta.
The three weapons affected include the 30-30 Repeater, Charge Rifle, and the RE-45 auto pistol, receiving a range of buffs and nerfs.
The 30-30 Repeater has become one of the most popular weapons to use in esports as a high-damage weapon at medium ranges. In Respawn’s latest patch, the rifle will see a reduced base headshot multiplier and will receive a smaller multiplier buff from Skull Piercer.
The Charge Rifle has also been a dominant weapon in the competitive playlist in Season 26. As a result, the sniper rifle will receive multiple changes. The select fire damage has been reduced to 40%, the damage scaling minimum distance has increased to 75 metres, and the Locked Hop-Up will now require 450 points to unlock.
Respawn Entertainment also shared that changes to the RE-45 nerfed the gun ‘a bit more’ than anticipated, and so it will be buffed to make the weapon more viable. The horizontal and vertical recoil will be improved, and the purple magazine size will be increased by three.
How These Changes Will Impact Esports
Fans can see the latest changes take effect in the ALGS Split 2 Pro League, as the esports tournament always takes place on the live version of the game.
According to data platform Apex Legends Status, weapons like the 30-30 Repeater and the Charge Rifle are amongst the top-performing weapons in terms of damage and knockdowns in regions such as EMEA. As such, spectators may see these weapons become less popular, allowing more niche picks to stand out.
Other popular weapons, such as the Peacekeeper shotgun and G7 Scout, have not been changed. So, these will likely remain top picks for most professional players.
