New Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and Warzone Update Nerfs Controversial Weapon

gamerant.com:

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and Warzone have received an update that nerfs the Longbow and significantly changes the BAS-B's new JAK Outlaw-277 conversion kit. Recently, criticism of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3's Longbow sniper rifle has reached an all-time high.

The weapon has caused complaints since its introduction back in November, but Modern Warfare 3 fans have become increasingly fed up with the Longbow. Users pointed out that it benefits from standard aim assist like an assault rifle or SMG, instead of the usual toned-down aim assist seen in other snipers. This attribute, combined with its quick handling, made it an extremely powerful tool in the hands of a skilled controller player. As forum posts and YouTube videos drew more attention to the weapon in recent weeks, Call of Duty's development teams have finally decided to respond.

Call of Duty's March 22 update modified the Longbow's aim assist to match other sniper rifles and also increased its incoming flinch as well as its target flinch. A developer note explained that the incoming flinch change should help players with automatic weapons counter the Longbow at close range, as long as they land the first shot in a gunfight. The new update also changed the BAS-B's JAK Outlaw-277 kit. In Modern Warfare 3, its upper torso damage was decreased while its fire rate was increased. Another developer note explained that these changes aim to make the kit less lethal but still usable among run-and-gun marksman rifle fans, thanks to its buffed fire rate that allows for 2-shot kills in a reasonable amount of time. In Warzone, the BAS-B kit saw a fire rate buff but no damage nerf.

The update also increased incoming flinch when using the BAS-B's Sawed Off mod by 157% in both Modern Warfare 3 and Warzone. Other additions in the update included bug fixes for Modern Warfare 3's Winner's Perks challenge and Warzone's Irradiated perk. Of course, the main feature of this update is the long-awaited Longbow nerf, but it still