Apex Legends Season 14, Hunted, is off to a good start. While the map changes to King's Canyon seem to be a tad bigger than the previous season's Storm Point updates, the various adjustments to Legends and weapons make the game feel fresher than it has been for quite some time. Nerfs to the often-seen Valkyrie and C.A.R submachine gun have brought their power down to more acceptable levels, while buffs to bottom-tier elements like Mad Maggie and the EVA-8 Auto shotgun make them more viable picks. Apex Legends still hadn't ironed out all its kinks, but these changes are a big step in the right direction.
Speaking of changes, one of the weirdest weapon patches of Hunted has to do with the Wingman pistol. A mainstay of Apex Legends since the game's launch, the Wingman has always been a handy sidearm while taking on opponents from all ranges. But with changes to other weapons this season, Respawn Entertainment saw fit to adjust Wingman to the new weapon meta.
A True Sniper Pistol
The weirdest change with the Wingman has to do with its ammunition and magazines. In the past, the Wingman used to require heavy ammo and heavy magazines to upgrade its maximum capacity. In Hunted, it now uses sniper ammo and sniper magazines. This makes it the first gun outside of the Sniper Rifle weapon class to use these items.
These changes have to do with the Wingman's effective range. Unlike the RE-45 Auto and P2020 pistols, the Wingman can take on targets from further away. With enough practice, its semi-automatic nature makes it easy to line follow-up shots, and gauging its bullet drop distance becomes second nature. Couple this with the return of the Skullpiercer Rifling Hop-Up in Hunted, and the Wingman can do devastating amounts of damage if players hit their headshots.
Creating a Competitive Weapon Meta
Seeing as the Wingman has the potential to go up against Marksman Weapons and Sniper Rifles, it only made sense to give it sniper ammo. Allowing the Wingman to keep using heavy ammo would put it in direct competition with the 30-30 Repeater - a gun that, thanks to its recent buffs, now fills the same role the old Wingman did. The 30-30 Repeater's built-in Shatter Caps Hop-Up allows it to blast enemies at close-range, while its charged and uncharged shots make it great for mid-to long-range engagements. Like the Wingman, the 30-30 can also be equipped with the Skullpiercer Rifling Hop-Up, which increases damage done by headshots. These changes to the 30-30 Repeater would leave the old Wingman with nothing unique beyond a reduced movement penalty while aiming down sights (an ability that is shared by all pistols).
By swapping the Wingman's ammunition with sniper ammo, Respawn Entertainment has effectively turned the gun into a true sniper pistol. Players can hold less sniper ammo per inventory stack than heavy ammo, meaning they can't fire the weapon as liberally as before. Considering how easy it was to keep firing the Wingman from a distance with a single stack of heavy ammo, this change is appreciated. The Wingman still retains what made it unique (in that it was powerful pistol at almost any range), but it is now better situated in the weapon meta alongside the 30-30 Repeater and Longbow DMR.
The new Wingman changes will need some getting used to, but they are ultimately good for Apex Legends. Players can still strafe to their heart's content when aiming down sights with the pistol, and they can still pull off some nasty headshots at a distance. They will need to be careful of how much ammo they have left, however. This will inevitably increase the demand for sniper ammo and magazines - items that are often overlooked.
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