Treyarch dev implies major change coming to 9 Bangs and Concussion grenades in Blackout
9 bangs and concussion grenades in Call of Duty’s Blackout beta were amongst the most desirable items to loot on the map, but Treyarch developer Matt Scronce has strongly hinted that a change is coming.
The 9 bang particularly is a very strong tactical throwable, which will stun an opponent three-to-nine times, depending on how long it is “cooked”. it leaves anyone in its effective range effectively blind and immobile.
Except – technically not everyone in its range. It was discovered in the beta that while the 9 bang and concussion will affect opponents and teammates, it has no affect whatsoever on the thrower themselves.
This issue was pointed out in a Reddit post by u/Avi304, who said “I’m the only one that noticed that they don’t impact the player that throw them? I hope its a beta thing and they will tweak that.”
With 9 bangs and concussions already so effective, having the player who throws them immune to their affects makes them not only powerful, but also very easy to use.
For this reason, Scronce agreed with the sentiment that hopefully it was just a beta thing.
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Because they prevent opponents throwing equipment back, or even reloading, there is only one effective counter to them – the reinforced perk, which gives added protection, but is not a complete hard counter.
Perhaps by making 9 bangs and concussions affect the player that throws them also, they will become more difficult to use, and make engagements in which they are used more balanced, while still giving an advantage to the player who uses their equipment well.