Apex Legends developer Respawn Entertainment unveiled upcoming changes to the game ahead of its 14th season, including a new barrel mod and buffs to the EVA-8 shotgun.
The much-maligned EVA-8 shotgun is receiving a host of buffs at the start of season 14. The changes all focus on its speed and handling: its base fire rate has been increased, and it receives a higher fire rate increase from all levels of shotgun bolts. It can also equip standard stocks, which will make its handling and reload speed faster. Finally, it can once again use the Double Tap hop-up, which is back in the floor loot pool this season following the G7 Scout’s removal from the care package.
The new barrel mod is called laser sights. It’s an epic-level attachment for SMGs and pistols that grants a large hipfire spread reduction when equipped. Laser sights also add a colored laser underneath the barrel of the gun it’s attached to. The laser color can be customized in the game’s settings to help with ease of vision and colorblindness.
The development team had several goals in mind when creating these changes. With laser sights, the goal was to add more precision to late-game close-quarters fights. When teams clashed inside the final ring in high-stakes shootouts, there wasn’t always a benefit to be gained from aiming down sights, which is what barrel stabilizers assisted with. Respawn hopes these changes will have a greater impact in late-game fights.
With the EVA-8 buff, the dev team wanted to put it in a healthier spot by emphasizing what makes it different from other shotguns—its speed—rather than simply increasing its damage. Once a powerhouse among shotguns, the EVA-8 has languished at the bottom of the pile for a few seasons now. The developers are hoping these changes give it the boost it needs without returning it to the overtuned powerhouse it used to be.
Apex season 14 starts on Aug. 9.
