Apex Legends Season 11 weapon buffs & nerfs: EVA-8 and L-STAR changes

Apex Legends Season 11 is here, and there’s a couple of shake-ups in the weapons department with some changes to the EVA-8 Auto and L-STAR. The two dominant guns will be nerfed, while care package changes see the G7 Scout vaulted and the Triple Take return.

The new Apex Legends season, Escape, has arrived, with plenty of changes on its way to the Outlands. Storm Point marks the fourth stomping ground for the Apex Games, and a new Legend in Ash (yes, that Ash from Titanfall) is ready to lay their claim to the title.

The game’s pre-existing content is also changing though. Outside of the usual assortment of Legend buffs and nerfs ⁠— including a big boost for Wattson ⁠— the weapons littered across the Outlands are also being revamped.

The EVA-8 Auto and the L-STAR headline the Apex Legends Season 11 weapon changes, with the two meta guns receiving nerfs.

That’s not all though, with care package changes, and a new hop-up ready to boost up the Mastiff and 30-30 Repeater.

EVA-8 Auto nerfs

The EVA-8 Auto is facing another set of nerfs in Apex Legends Season 11. Despite changes in Season 10 nerfing its fire rate with Shotgun Bolt attachments, Respawn are now completely reverting its Season 8 buffs, which edged the fire rate up from 2 to 2.1.

• Read More: Apex Legends Storm Point Wildlife guide

The EVA-8 Auto has dominated the shotgun meta for the last couple of seasons in Apex Legends, especially since the Mastiff faced nerfs. With the EVA-8 being the go-to gun in late-game fights, the latest fire rate nerf might edge other picks like the Peacekeeper above it.

EVA-8

• Fire rate reduced from 2.1 to 2.0

Dev Note

L-STAR nerfs

The L-STAR is being nerfed too in Apex Legends Season 11. The Energy LMG has risen up to be a powerhouse of the meta after its Season 10 changes, even with a decent nerf in the Evolution Collection event.

In Season 11, the L-STAR will hit for one less damage per bullet, down from 18 to 17. This may not seem like a lot, but in conjunction with the ammo nerf in September, this could knock it off its perch at the top of the Apex tier list.

L-STAR

• Reduced barrel effectiveness at all rarity tiers
• Significantly reduced projectile collision size
• Damage reduced from 18 to 17

Dev Note

Peacekeeper

• Slightly increased pellet size
• Choke up time reduced from 1.5s to 1.25s
• Choked up shots remain tight for slightly longer when exiting ADS

Dev Note

Longbow

• Damage reduced from 60 to 55

Dev Note

New Dual Shell hop-up boosts Mastiff and 30-30 Repeater reloads

Outside of the actual numbers changes, a new hop-up is coming in Apex Legends Season 11.

Named Dual Shell, it buffs up the reload time of the Mastiff and 30-30 Repeater. Instead of reloading one bullet at a time, the Dual Shell hop-up will put two rounds in at once, getting back to full in no time.

The hop-up makes for some interesting tech experienced players can pull off. Being able to quickly reload two bullets and take those last couple of potshots could be the difference maker in a fight.

Of course, the full reload speed increase is nice, so if you find a Dual Shell hop-up, you should pick it up.

G7 Scout buffed as it moves to care package, Triple Take on ground

Care package wise, the Triple Take is moving back to the ground. Having been shifted to a marksman weapon from a sniper in Season 10, it’s likely to feel a bit different come Season 11 ⁠— given it’s going back to its Energy rifle roots.

• Read More: The best weapons in Apex Legends

In its place, light marksman rifle G7 Scout will be put in the rare drops. It’s getting a slight damage buff, but it will also have the Double Tap trigger hop-up equipped.

The boost, which was vaulted in Season 8, fires out two bullets with one pull, and makes the Scout a big threat in close quarters combat.

Triple Take

Weapon drops from care packages increased, but not for Kraber

Finally, care package weapons will be a common sight across the Outlands. The drop rate for weapons is doubling from 25% at the start to 50%, scaling all the way to 100% by the game’s end ⁠— guaranteeing a weapon in late-game drops.

However, don’t expect there to be a dozen Krabers in play all of a sudden ⁠— the one-shot sniper’s drop rate will be specifically reduced to avoid every game becoming a skull-cracking mess by the end.