Apex Legendsplayers have been demanding a nerf to the Peacekeeper shotgun for a very long time now. The weapon has been consistently strong sinceApex Legends' launch as an energy weapon that’s incomparably strong in close quarters engagement. Add in a Precision Choke Hop-Up attachment and the Peacekeeper is even a great weapon at range. And that’s exactly why Respawn has now decided to nerf the Peacekeeper, finally giving in to player requests.
In a server update issued recently, Respawn made the biggestnerf to the Peacekeeper shotgunthat the weapon has seen since launch. And that’s saying something, because the Peacekeeper has been touched on 4 separate occasions previously. The new nerf goes a step further, nerfing the Peacekeeper broadly. According to Respawn the nerf decreases the projectile width of Peacekeeper bolts, increases the weapon’s bolt spread, and also increases the spread for the final Precision Choke attachment level.
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The result of the nerf is that the Peacekeeper will no longer be the best weapon in so many diverse combat scenarios. If anApex Legendsplayeris still going to be sliding into near-melee range, the Peacekeeper will still be excellent. Spread and projectile width doesn’t matter so much at that distance. But the further a player gets from their opponent, the less the Peacekeeper will be effective. Failing to close distance with the Peacekeeper won’t reward the player in the same way it did prior to the patch.
As for whether the Peacekeeper nerfs will prove enough, it will likely take a while for players to decide.Apex Legends' metais interesting and players are fickle, so not having such a priority weapon could lead to different frustrations. Of course, it’s also possible that Respawn didn’t nerf the Peacekeeper enough. The weapon’s been nerfed several times before, with the most recent being November 22. It’s always possible that the Peacekeeper will remain players' go-to, placing it in-line for another nerf.
This recent nerf did also affect one other weapon. TheEVA-8 shotgunalso had its projectile width shrunk. It’s not clear why the EVA-8 got caught up in the Peacekeeper nerfs, but it’s possible that Respawn has more specific plans for how it wants to shift the meta. Perhaps by nerfing these popular shotguns, Respawn is encouraging players to experiment with other weapons for short-to-mid range gunfights.Apex Legendsplayers will have to figure out what works best for themselves.
Apex Legendsis available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
