Apex Legends' new Charge Rifle is already getting nerfed

(Image credit: Electronic Arts)

The only new weapon introduced in Apex Legends Season 3 is getting an adjustment, according to the Apex Legends Trello board. The Charge Rifle - known to some as the powerfall anti-Titan weapon from Titanfall, and others as the weapon you don't want in the hands of other squads in Apex Legends - will be adjusted to be more balanced. 

The Trello board doesn't go into detail, but it does state that the "current Charge Rifle balance is not where it should be. Changes incoming." Any of us who have succumbed to the spicy hot light of the Charge Rifle from an enemy that's leagues away can tell you what the incoming changes will be - a damn nerf. Please. If the fact that this gun is used to fell Titans in another game doesn't tell you the sheer devastation it imparts, nothing will. 

The Charge Rifle is a sniper rifle that takes Energy Ammo - the only other one in the game besides the Triple Take. But the Charge Rifle packs a 1-2 punch that is absolutely lethal to nearly everyone, no matter the armor you've got on: as the person wielding the Charge Rifle aims, it initially fires a small laser that does medium damage, followed by a significantly stronger beam that does immense damage. It's devastating, and on a map like World's Edge that's full of long sightlines and extreme changes in elevation, it's an absolute menace. 

No word on when the obvious nerf to the Charge Rifle will roll out, but it could be as soon as October 15, which is when the Halloween event Fight or Fright begins. Considering the event will introduce a new free-for-all game type that lets fallen Legends become superfast zombies, the Charge Rifle at its current state could drastically tip the scales. 

For now, the Charge Rifle is at its biggest and baddest, so you're going to need the best armor you can get. Here's the Apex Legends vault locations: how to get the key and open the room.  

Alyssa Mercante

Alyssa Mercante is an editor and features writer at GamesRadar based out of Brooklyn, NY. Prior to entering the industry, she got her Masters's degree in Modern and Contemporary Literature at Newcastle University with a dissertation focusing on contemporary indie games. She spends most of her time playing competitive shooters and in-depth RPGs and was recently on a PAX Panel about the best bars in video games. In her spare time Alyssa rescues cats, practices her Italian, and plays soccer.