Apex’s season 19 shakes up long-range meta with nerfs to 30-30 and buffs to other options

The long-range meta in Apex Legends may look different when its 19th season rolls around with tweaks to a series of weapons that can perform well in mid and long ranges, Respawn Entertainment confirmed at a press event this week.

Shaking up the mid and long-range meta was “at the forefront of our minds” for a few reasons, according to game designer John Larson, including the supremacy of the 30-30 Repeater in the ALGS and some deficiencies in the Charge Rifle rework.

The 30-30 had by far the most playtime in the ALGS, according to stats-tracking website Apex Legends Status—and Larson called the event a “30-30 festival.” Respawn is trimming its hip-fire spam potential by giving the weapon more recoil when fired without aiming down sights. The Hemlok is also getting a “slight” damage nerf.

If you were used to running to the nearest Replicator to craft yourself a 30-30, you’ll have to go back to scavenging it off the ground or a death box with Ignite, too. The Repeater is coming back to floor loot alongside the RE-45, so there will be a bit more of a chase when it comes to grabbing this weapon.

To tune up some alternatives, Respawn will increase the “projectile size and projectile growth” of the Longbow DMR, Charge Rifle, and Sentinel. The Charge Rifle rework “hit the usability a bit harder than we expected,” Larson said, so the weapon is getting an additional change. The team will improve its bullet drop ballistics to shore up its potential for longer-range engagements.

Surprisingly, the Bocek is also in line for some tuning. Respawn “didn’t like how often it was left in care package drops,” so the developers are improving its initial draw speed. Its Shatter Caps attachment is even getting a tune-up with a tightened blast pattern and, more importantly, the ability to toggle its alt-fire mode on or off.

In addition to the balancing adjustments, expect new rotations in the care package and Replicators, which include the Wingman in the crate and both the R-301 and Volt as floor loot. Players can see how the update shakes out when Apex’s season 19, Ignite, drops on Oct. 31.