This pistol is secretly the best meta close-range weapon in Apex Legends Season 24

Apex Legends Season 24 Split 2 has gone live on March 25, 2025, and the latest update has made major changes to numerous weapons. While players were speculating that the mid-seasonal change would bring forth a meta spearheaded by SMGs, it seems like that has not been the case. Instead, a pistol that was considered to be one of the weakest weapons in the game has secretly emerged to be a meta weapon.

This article will explore the pistol which has silently become a close-range meta weapon in Apex Legends Season 24 Split 2. Read below to know more.

Note: Parts of this article are subjective and reflect the writer's opinion.

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Which pistol is the best meta close-range weapon in Apex Legends Season 24?

Changes to the P2020 pistol

Though quite unexpected, the P2020 pistol has emerged to be one of the prime meta weapons in Apex Legends Season 24 Split 2. While the mid-season update introduced only a minor buff, its impact has been game-changing.

Before we proceed to understand why the weapon has become meta in close-quarter combat, let's check out the changes provided by the official patch notes on March 25, 2025:

• Normalized laser effectiveness to other weapons

"Dev Notes: The P2020 had worse-than-average scaling with the lasers as the base hipfire was better than its peers. We’ve decided to remove this and lean harder into its hipfire accuracy being a part of its identity."

You might be interested in: All Legend buffs and nerfs in Apex Legends Season 24 Split 2

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Why is the P2020 the best meta close-range weapon in Apex Legends Season 24 Split 2?

Now, to address the question that has been looming over everyone's head, we have to first understand the implications of the buff made for the P2020 pistol. This weapon's base hipfire spread was arguably worse than other pistols, and even SMGs in the game. While it could equip a Laser Sight, its effectiveness remained subpar compared to other weapons with the same attachment, as stated by the developers.

The latest changes provide the weapon with much better hipfire prospects. It is so much so that in close-quarter combat, it can outshine the prime SMGs in-game, such as the C.A.R., Volt, and the R-99.

Check out: Are SMGs overpowered in Apex Legends Season 24 Split 2? Possibilities explored

With the debut of Apex Legends Season 22, we saw the introduction of Akimbo weapons. Essentially, players could dual-wield certain weapons in the game. It was only applicable to two weapons, namely the Mozambique, and the P2020 pistols. While they might not have been as effective then, the P2020 akimbo combo is arguably the strongest close-quarter weapon you can use in the game right now.

With this as your secondary weapon pick, you get access to a weapon that has a large magazine, fantastic hipfire accuracy, and the capability to shred through enemies' health without breaking a sweat. It features the fastest time-to-kill speeds (TTK speed) for CQC situations (close-quarter combat), and being a semi-automatic dual-wield weapon, you do not have to worry about whiffing an entire magazine like you would with a fast rate-of-fire SMG.

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That's everything that you need to know about the P2020 being the best meta close-range weapon in Apex Legends Season 24 Split 2. Stay tuned to Sportskeeda's esports section for more related news and guides