The Bocek and Spitfire have already established themselves as the two strongest and most frustrating weapons in Apex Legends Season 9. It’s not like Spitfire was broken last season or anything…
Thankfully, the Respawn devs have heard loud and clear that the guns definitely need a bit of a rework. According to the head of Comms over at Respawn, Ryan Rigney, those nerfs are arriving today. Like, today. Right now.
EDIT: The nerfs are now live. Spitfire bullet damage is down to 18 from 19 and has a reduced mag size for Purple Mags. Bocek body damage has been reduced from 70-60. Some positive changes!
We're shipping two separate updates to @playapex today to address bugs and balance some weapons.
Later today these changes will be added to the Legacy update patch notes at this link: https://t.co/X7ihMfTuHF
See the full list of changes early in the image below: pic.twitter.com/681FJLyB1o
— Respawn (@Respawn) May 11, 2021
What’s the problem with the Spitfire and Bocek and why is everyone so upset about them? Well, the Bocek is a silent, fast-firing, 70-damage-per-shot-at-least weapon that seems to have completely breezed through Respawn’s playtesting.
I expect these initial nerfs to address the damage problems more than anything. A larger redesign of the weapon is probably not possible within the first week of the new season, although it would be great to see the Bocek reimagined with more bullet drop, tiered quivers (like magazines for other weapons), and a more recognizable arrow trail.
The weapon is a lot of fun to use, and the fact it’s overpowered obviously adds to that feeling of fun, and I hope that the nerfs don’t completely destroy the weapon. Finding the right balance between viability and completely overpowered strength is a difficult one to strike, although Respawn has shown that they are capable of it: the rest of the gun meta in Season 9 is pretty great.
As for the Spitfire? This weapon is an absolute menace. With a huge magazine, barely noticeable recoil changes from the start of Season 9, and enough damage per shot for a capable player to wipe an entire squad before they reload, it’s clear something had to be done about the weapon.
For those that played Season 0 of Apex, the current form of the Spitfire brings back some painful memories. Despite the mild nerf that the gun underwent at the start of the season, it’s still a dominating and frustrating gun to play against. Why take any other weapon when your opponent has so many more bullets than you?
Added to the fact that the Spitfire is available to purchase during the first round of the new Arenas mode and you have a weapon that feels oppressive in every corner of the game. Hopefully, these nerfs will prove that Respawn has in fact listened to the community online (various professional players and streamers have been vocal about the two weapons) and will make some quick positive changes to the gun meta.
