Major Changes in Black Ops 6 Season 1 Update
The Black Ops 6 Season 1 update brings significant weapon buffs and nerfs, and the game’s top gun has been substantially altered.
Weapon balancing is always a hot topic in Call of Duty games, and Black Ops 6 is no different. While there are numerous weapons to choose from, a select few, like the KSV or AS Val, usually dominate.
However, the most powerful gun since launch has been the AEK-973, a burst Marksman Rifle renowned for its ability to eliminate players at almost any range. The Season 1 update has introduced a significant nerf to this weapon.
According to the patch notes, the AEK-973’s recoil penalty has increased dramatically from 20-25% to 50%, making it much more challenging to control. Additionally, small mobility nerfs, such as an increased sprint-to-fire time, have been implemented.
The most impactful change, however, is to the Rapid Fire attachment. Previously, this attachment boosted the fire rate significantly, but it now only increases it by 5% and has an extended burst delay from 115ms to 295ms. This change increases the TTK (time-to-kill) and forces players to wait longer between bursts.
The Rapid Fire mod was a staple in any AEK-973 loadout before the update, as its benefits were deemed “too strong not to take” by the developers.
The community reaction to these changes has been mixed. Some players took to Reddit to voice their discontent, suggesting that the nerf may have been excessive.
User ‘FlowKom’ remarked, “Well, that was a fun week,” with many others sharing their frustrations. One player commented, “If that burst delay is true they may as well delete the gun from the game. Pathetic devs, won’t even let us have an M8A1/ COD 4 M16 vibe,” while another added, “Wow, they completely destroyed this thing.”
The primary concern is that the changes to Rapid Fire have rendered the attachment impractical. As one player put it, “Why would anyone use something that gives you 5% fire rate in exchange for 50% recoil?”
However, some players believe the AEK-973 will remain effective even without the Rapid Fire attachment. A more optimistic player noted, “They’re really only nerfing the rapid fire attachment specifically. The rest of the gun is unchanged. It’s still a good gun without rapid fire.”
Only time will tell how these nerfs will impact the AEK-973 in Black Ops 6, but they might make it less favorable in Warzone following the integration.
