Apex Legend’s New Bocek Weapon Will Be Nerfed Very Soon


UPDATE

A developer at Respawn has now responded, saying that a nerf for the Bocek weapon is coming soon.

David Bocek (excellent name) is a Game Designer in the weapons department at Respawn Entertainment. In a reply to a thread complaining about how powerful the Bocek weapon is, they assure us that the nerf is on its way.

It’s rare that we see a balance patch arrive so swiftly after a new season update, but Respawn has clearly heard the criticisms of the combat bow.

Hopefully, we’ll start to see the Season 9 loadout meta shake out once everyone has fulfilled their Katniss Everdeen roleplay.

Original Article

Players of Apex Legends think that the new Bocek Bow weapon might be a tad overpowered.

The new class of weapon was added in the most recent season update for Apex Legends. Titled ‘Legacy’, the update also brought with it a brand new 3v3 game mode and the new Legend ‘Valkyrie’.

Credit: Respawn
Credit: Respawn

While the majority of the season update has been well received, the Bocek weapon is seeing some criticism. It’s mostly to do with how efficient it is at dealing damage to enemy players.

The bow has the capability of dealing 70 damage for a hit to the body. That number goes up to 123 if you can manage to hit them in the head. In short, the Bocek is capable of downing a player with a basic shield in two shots.

Players with better shields aren’t much safer. With a wicked quick fire rate, negligible reload time, and dead-eye accuracy, the Bocek is lethal in the hands of the right player. Even at long ranges, the bow is mighty capable of ruining an entire squad in its current state.

Case in point, look at how this player is able to use the Bocek to make an epic play to secure a win.

What’s the community response?

Players on the Apex Legends subreddit are busy proclaiming their frustrations with the new weapon. User ‘Fearnog’ says: “It’s just so easy to use. I feel so guilty using it. It’s fun now but I guarantee in a week everyone will be sick of it.”

Another writes: “I am already tired of dying from an opponent that I never had a chance of finding to fight back. This weapon is Kraber levels in its current state, I really don’t understand what they were thinking.”

Credit: Respawn
Credit: Respawn

Thankfully, players aren’t just complaining about the state of the weapon – they’re offering up potential solutions, too.

‘Kareem4311’ suggests that the Bocek damage should start to drop off significantly at long ranges, given the projectile fired is only an arrow. This would stop it from being more competitive than sniper rifles at that distance.

Credit: Respawn
Credit: Respawn

Part of the frustration comes from the ridiculously high projectile velocity that the arrows are fired at. Several users comment that the Bocek feels more like a hitscan weapon than any other gun in the game. Reducing the projectile velocity could help to increase the skill ceiling of the weapon, forcing players to be more aware of how they lead their shots.

Another example, this player is able to hit some ridiculous long-range shots thanks to the massive projectile speed.

https://www.reddit.com/r/apexlegends/comments/n8oojl/cant_believe_i_hit_that/

How has Respawn responded?

Respawn Entertainment are yet to make any comments on the effectiveness of the Bocek weapon. As it’s a weapon in a totally brand new weapon class, there were bound to be teething problems with its first introduction.

Luckily, Respawn is usually on the ball about addressing severe balance issues. It shouldn’t be too long before we see a comment from the studio or even a hotfix.

Credit: Respawn
Credit: Respawn

That said, we are still in the early stages of Season 9. The team will likely want to wait at least a couple of weeks for the weapon meta to settle down before it makes any significant changes. By limiting the effectiveness of the Bocek too soon, it could end up making it totally non-viable.

What do you think of the new Bocek weapon in Apex Legends? Let us know across our social channels.

[Featured Image Credit: Respawn]

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