Apex Legends Season 18 all weapons buffs and nerfs

The latest trailer for Apex Legends Season 18: Resurrection was launched on August 3, 2023, showcasing a number of weapon changes making their way into the new Season. Along with the gameplay trailer, a new Dev Blog was released, encapsulating in it the various improvements and nerfs being made to weapons across the board.

With a rise in controller-meta and aim-assist dominating the gameplay in Apex, the developers have shown some concern and made necessary adjustments to the SMGs and other weapons in the game. Read on below to get a more detailed preview of the same.

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R99 nerf, Peacekeeper buff, and other weapons changes in Apex Legends Season 18

As discussed above, controller inputs have dominated the competitive sphere of Apex Legends for a majority of the past few Seasons. With aim-assist being extremely powerful mostly for SMGs, the developers have addressed the issues and acknowledged the shortcomings MnK players face while combatting against controller users.

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SMG changes

Season 18 will feature a number of SMG nerfs across the board. Globally, all SMGs will now have their strafe speed slowed and their headshot multipliers reduced. Furthermore, there will be increased damage fall-off for this category of weapons, making them entirely viable only for close-range combat.

R99 SMG nerf

The R99 SMG is getting an additional Nerf. It will have a lesser magazine capacity than before and every extended mag will now have one less bullet. Furthermore, its vertical recoil is also being changed, making it harder to control than in previous seasons.

Prowler SMG buff

The Prowler is making its way into the Care Package and receiving the 'Select Fire' hop-up buff to it. The Select Fire hop-up allows players to toggle between burst and full-auto shooting modes.

Being a burst gun traditionally, this will make the already strong Prowler a formidable weapon to pick up. No longer being ground-loot, players will find the Prowler exclusively in the Care Package drops, fully kitted.

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Shotgun Changes

Peacekeeper buff

Shotguns are seeing a massive buff, indicating a shotgun-centric Season for players very soon. The Peacekeeper, which is the hardest-hitting shotgun in the game, is receiving Disruptor Rounds. This hop-up in Apex Legends allows the weapon to have 30% increased damage against shields. The Peacekeeper will undoubtedly be the meta weapon for Season 18.

Mastiff buff

The spread of the Mastiff shotgun is being tightened, ensuring shots are more concentrated and powerful. The Mastiff will resemble the strength it possessed back when it was in the care package.

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Assault Rifle Changes

Hemlok Burst AR buff

The Hemlok is the only assault rifle receiving a buff in the upcoming update for Season 18 of Apex Legends. Its overall damage will be increased from 20 to either 21 or 22 damage per bullet. Furthermore, its recoil has also been reduced, making it a fierce competitor against the Nemesis Burst AR.