Apex Legends recently released Season 9, and as always, players got to experience the various changes that came along. Respawn Entertainment updated the weapon meta by introducing a new weapon, tuning existing guns, and adjusting the overall loot pool.
The precise and powerful Bocek Bow is the latest addition to the impressive variety of weaponry in Apex Legends. As for weapon balancing, guns like 30-30 Repeater, Mozambique, Longbow, Spitfire, Havoc, and others shared a series of buffs and nerfs among themselves. Meanwhile, the assault rifles had their headshot multiplier reduced all over the board.
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One of the most exciting changes was the Peacekeeper finally returning to the ground loot pool. Meanwhile, Triple Take replaced it as a supply crate weapon. We also saw the introduction of a new weapons category, Marksman weapons, which essentially serve as the in-betweens of ARs and Snipers. Other loot pool changes include the addition of two new hop-ups, Shatter Caps and Deadeye’s Tempo. This also saw the removal of Hammerpoint and Skullpiercer hop-ups to make room.
As with every Apex Legends season, with all the balance changes, different guns tend to dominate the meta. Therefore, we look at the weapons that can be a valuable asset in a player’s quest to become the champion. Here is our compilation of a definitive weapon tier list for Apex Legends Season 9.
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D Tier weapons in Apex Legends Season 9
P2020
Guns that are simply not good enough belong in this tier. Starting with P2020, this pistol now has a slightly lowered fire rate with an increased damage output per bullet in Season 9. However, these changes are to compensate for the removal of Hammerpoint Rounds hop-up.
With precise aim, the P2020 can tear through opponents during early fights. But no one would think twice to swap it for a full-auto weapon or shotgun as soon as they see one. As a result, the P2020 finds itself in the lowest tier despite a slight increase in its base power recently.
Also Read- Apex Legends Season 9: Which Shotgun Is the Best Between Mozambique, Eva-8. Mastiff and Peacekeeper?
C Tier weapons in Apex Legends Season 9
Mozambique
Similar to P2020, Mozambique received its share of tweaks to make up for the loss of Hammerpoint hop-up. This shotgun pistol now has a tighter spread pattern along with an increased magazine capacity of 6.
Due to these changes, Mozambique is not as bad as it used to be. The gun becomes somewhat useful in a lot of situations, especially early on in a match. However, all other shotguns still handily outclass Mozambique, thus it belongs in the C tier this season.
RE-45
C tier is generally for competent weapons, but you would want to drop them for better guns immediately. Likewise, the RE-45 almost serves the purpose of a placeholder weapon until players come across a better gun that uses Light Rounds too.
Equipping the Quickdraw Holster hop-up improves the hip-fire spread and ADS time of RE-45. Besides, it has predictable and controllable recoil, which makes tracking targets convenient. However, the main issue with this full-auto pistol is its low damage output.
L-Star
After receiving some improvements in past seasons, L-Star now performs a lot better than before. This energy LMG is unique because it does not require a reload, draws ammo directly from the inventory, but has an overheating mechanic.
At the same time, L-Star has no compatibility for Barrel Stabilizer and without the proper attachments, the gun is inaccurate for its high recoil. Its muzzle flash and projectile effects affect some of the vision while tracking targets. Perhaps few players would mind swapping the L-Star for another energy weapon in the game.
Longbow
With the Skullpiercer hop-up going out of the loot pool this season, the Longbow DMR got a compensatory buff that increased its headshot multiplier to 2.15. This change certainly adds more damage potential for players who can register headshots consistently, however; many better-ranged snipers than this DMR are available.
Overall, Longbow is decent for mid-to-long range gunfights, has a good firing rate, but does relatively low damage, and has poor hip-fire accuracy.
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B Tier weapons in Apex Legends Season 9
Sentinel
The weapons in this tier are good, but the guns higher up are comparatively better. Starting with Sentinel, a unique feature of this sniper is that players can charge it up with Shield Cells to amplify its damage for a while. However, the charge shortens over time rather than until the player has emptied the magazine.
For some, Sentinel is one of the best sniper rifles in the game as it almost serves the purpose of a mini Kraber. At the same time, it has a slow fire rate and low DPS because of its bolt-action mechanism, unless you have the newly introduced Deadeye’s Tempo hop-up equipped.
Alternator
Alternator was the recipient of a small yet significant buff last season with one additional damage per bullet. Due to its easy recoil controllability and tight hip-fire spread, this SMG is pretty accurate along with high damage output per magazine. However, other guns in the Light class, like R-99 and R-301, outclass the Alternator in terms of DPS and rate of fire.
Charge Rifle
Being the game’s only hitscan weapon, the Charge Rifle has very high accuracy and performs excellently from a really long distance. However, it lacks versatility in other areas. This sniper has the longest reload time, and since it cannot equip extended mags, it does not benefit from the golden magazine. All in all, the Charge Rifle is a perfectly fine weapon in its current state.
Mastiff
Once a must-pick gun because of its immense close-quarters capabilities, Mastiff is now probably third in the shotgun race after its recent set of nerfs. Well-connected shots from the Mastiff can inflict severe damage to opponents. But for the average player, it is something they cannot pull off consistently.
Besides, the Peacekeeper has made a comeback and the EVA-8 has risen to prominence this season. As a result, Mastiff merely feels like a former shadow of itself, and some would say it is currently in a balanced state.
Devotion
Devotion used to be one of the most powerful guns in Apex Legends when it belonged in the care packages. Eventually, this energy LMG became a part of ground loot, received a series of nerfs, and is heavily dependent on the Turbocharger hop-up to reach its fullest potential.
Without a Turbocharger, Devotion suffers from a slow ramp-up rate, a mechanic the gun implements to maximize its fire rate and damage output. On the other hand, attaching that rarely available hop-up turns this LMG into a beast. With a Turbocharger, Devotion attains its faster fire rate instantly and is capable of dishing out the highest DPS among all other weapons after ramping up.
Hemlok
Before being nerfed in the past couple of seasons, Hemlok belonged among the top-tier weapons. Players dreaded an encounter against this assault rifle because of its high accuracy, damage output, and efficient functionality across all ranges.
Despite still being viable in both burst fire and single fire mode, Hemlok is no more as powerful as it once was. It is still a good weapon and definitely in a more balanced state, but other ARs slightly outclass it now.
HAVOC
In Season 9, Havoc received improved recoil controllability early in the pattern to help make up for the reduced headshot multiplier on ARs. While this makes the gun more viable in mid-range fights, the overall recoil pattern is still heavy and hard to control. This is what makes the Havoc’s accuracy fall off at longer distances.
Similar to Devotion, Havoc performs to its true potential with a Turbocharger equipped. Attaching the hop-up removes the spin-up delay before firing the weapon, melting down enemies in close-to-mid range combat. Without the attachment, Havoc is still a fairly capable gun.
30-30 Repeater
Introduced last season in the assault rifle class, 30-30 Repeater received a new identity this season categorized as a marksman weapon. This lever-action rifle now has a slightly increased leg damage multiplier and movement speed with aiming down sights (ADS).
With precise aim, 30-30 Repeater hits hard in medium-to-long range gunfights and has a fast fire rate. Additionally, its unique charge-up mechanic while ADS-ing allows for the outgoing shots to deal enhanced damage at the cost of a reduced rate of fire. However, the Repeater comes up short against SMGs and shotguns in close-quarters combat, thus settling for the top spot in the B tier.
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A tier weapons in Apex Legends Season 9
G7 Scout
In this tier, all the guns are powerful, but there are a handful of weapons better than them. G7 Scout transitioned into a marksman-type weapon and received subsequent adjustments with increased movement while ADS-ing and reduced hip-fire accuracy.
G7 Scout is one of the better mid-to-long range guns. Being a semi-auto weapon, it is ideal for contesting snipers and its decent rate of fire makes it capable of competing against automatic weapons. Overall, the G7 is no doubt a versatile gun to use, but it’s not the best fit for close-range engagements.
Wingman
While beginners might find this high-powered revolver tricky to use, players with accurate aiming skills can shred through opponents with it. Wingman requires the abundantly available heavy ammo and landing a couple of well-placed shots with it can destroy the enemy’s shields in close, mid, or long-range encounters.
Since the Skullpiercer hop-up is no longer available, Wingman had its headshot multiplier increased to 2.15. As a result, it will provide a higher reward for registering headshots reliably.
VK-47 Flatline
A solid gun for close and medium-range engagements, the VK-47 Flatline has high damage per second and incredible hip-fire accuracy. Even though the recoil on this AR might seem a bit troublesome to control early on, it becomes fairly controllable with some practice. The headshot multiplier on Flatline has been toned down, but utilizing the Anvil Receiver hop-up adds another level of versatility to it.
EVA-8
Being a fully automatic shotgun, EVA-8 comes with a fast fire rate, strong hip-fire accuracy, good damage output, and high magazine capacity. Besides, if equipped with a Purple Shotgun Bolt, it becomes endgame-viable.
EVA-8 has been a well-balanced and underrated weapon for a while. Finally, it is starting to get the attention and affection it deserves this season with the rise of a weapon meta dominated by shotguns. Overall, EVA-8 is very effective in combat, and only one other shotgun currently outclasses it.
R-99
The R-99 has consistently been one of the top guns to use in Apex Legends. With a rapid rate of fire and very high damage per second, this SMG is a shredding machine in close-to-medium range engagements. The only challenging part is controlling the relatively high recoil, which makes it skillful to down opponents in only one clip.
The best part is R-99 uses abundantly available light rounds, meaning one can always stack up enough ammo for the late game.
Triple Take
One of the biggest winners this season, Triple Take has moved into the category of Care Package weapons with a slew of subsequent adjustments, including increased fire rate, movement speed while aiming, and reduced time to fully charge. Besides, Triple Take used to belong to the sniper rifle class, but now it is a marksman weapon.
Apart from Triple Take becoming a crate weapon, not much has changed about this gun. It stands out for having the capability to perform well in close-range and long-range, with it functioning almost like a shotgun in close quarters.
R-301
Many players consider R-301 as the embodiment of a perfect weapon. This assault rifle uses light rounds, has a high fire rate and accuracy in close, medium, and long-range. It also has good hip-fire accuracy and the smooth recoil pattern makes it very easy to control. Besides, putting on an Anvil Receiver enhances R-301’s damage, making it even better at long distances. All in all, the R-301 can perform consistently well in the hands of a beginner as well as a skilled player.
M600 Spitfire
Ever since its Season 8 buffs, M600 Spitfire has spiraled to the top of the weapon meta. This LMG has the highest magazine capacity among all weapons, leading to the highest damage dealt per mag. A fairly low recoil on this gun makes it convenient to control and efficient to use at mid-to-long distances with some practice.
Despite receiving reduced recoil controllability, Spitfire remained incredibly powerful at the start of Season 9. As a result, the devs decreased its bullet damage and Purple/Gold mag size a week later to help establish better weapon balance. However, Spitfire is still strong enough for a spot in the A tier.
Also Read- Apex Legends Season 9: Upcoming Spitfire and Bocek Nerf Confirmed by Respawn Entertainment
S Tier weapons in Apex Legends Season 9
Volt
Finally, the best weapons in the game find their spot in S-tier, starting with Volt. It is one of the newer guns to arrive in the game and even received a slight nerf to its damage not so long ago. Nevertheless, it has consistently been a phenomenal gun to use in battle.
The Volt is an energy-based weapon that doesn’t require a Turbocharger to become incredible. This SMG is great in close and medium range while performing decently at somewhat longer distances. It also packs enough damage per shot and with a simple recoil pattern, the reward for accurate aim is high.
Peacekeeper
Peacekeeper surprised many at the start of Season 9 by coming out of the Care Package and returning to the ground loot. Despite receiving a fair share of tuning to its pellet damage, rechamber time, and reload speed, among other changes, Peacekeeper is still the best shotgun in the game.
The shotgun has the Precision Choke built-in by default helping it fulfill its role perfectly in close range. Well-connected shots from the Peacekeeper can deal extremely high damage, making it easier to knock enemies out. The hip-fire also has a tight spread and combined with precise aim, this shotgun becomes deadly.
Bocek Bow
The newest weaponry in Apex Legends is perhaps also the most powerful weapon addition in a while. The Bocek compound bow is a precision marksman weapon that can be destructive in skilled hands. It has incredible accuracy, damage, decent fire rate, and significantly less audible than any other weapon.
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Bocek Bow started so strong that the devs had to roll out a subsequent update to nerf various aspects of it. However, it remains an overly powerful weapon and it’ll be interesting to see where this bow fits in the meta as time progresses. The newly introduced hop-ups, Shatter Caps and Deadeye’s Tempo, help modify the functionality of Bocek Bow and it can equip both these hop-ups simultaneously.
Besides the aforementioned guns, the two remaining crate weapons, Kraber (.50 Cal sniper) and Prowler (burst SMG), also belong in the S-tier for being two of the best weapons in their respective categories.
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There is our weapon tier list for Apex Legends Season 9. Which guns do you think are the best for this season? Let us know in the comments below!
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