Modern Warfare Nerfs AS VAL and SP-R 208 in Latest Patch

Infinity Ward has put an end to those capitalizing on the broken nature of the SP-R 208 and AS VAL in Modern Warfare Season 6. The two weapons joined the latest season last week, bringing notable imbalances to the competitive arena prior to today’s patch.

The AS VAL benefited from near infinite penetration, thanks to the SPP 10-R Mags attachment. The assault rifle was turned marksman rifle with zero regard for obstacles. Shots passed through multiple structures and obstacles with ease. This led to a temporary meta shift where loadouts consisted of a semi-automatic AS VAL and a snapshot grenade. Being spotted never brought so much fear in Modern Warfare as it did this past week.

As for the SP-R 208, the new marksman rifle easily outclassed its other counterparts. Instead of slotting nicely in its category, it competed comfortably with popular sniper rifles, such as the HDR, thanks to its quick ADS speed and almost hitscan bullet velocity. Both Modern Warfare and Warzone saw a mass amount of players adopt both weapons to enjoy the advantages afforded by their broken state.

I am happy to report that this dark time has come to an end. Infinity Ward released a fix for the competitive woes facing countless lobbies. The SP-R 208 has seen a considerable ADS nerf, especially when the 300 Norma Mag 5-R Mags or .338 Lapua Mag 5-R Mags are equipped. The heavy decrease returns the Kar98k to relevancy. In addition, the AS VAL can no longer send bullets from one end of the map to the other.

The SKS and a Warzone exploit have also been addressed, but the major focus here is the alignment of the new weapons with the existing selections. The full patch notes can be found below:

GENERAL:

• Fixed an issue where players could survive in the gas while staying on the subway fast travel system

WEAPONS:

• AS VAL:
  • Fixed a bug where the SSP 10-R mags could allow bullet penetration through multiple walls
• SP-R 208:
  • Increase to flinch
  • Minor reduction to ADS speed
  • Variable zoom scope
    • Moved weapon closer to the player while ADSing
    • Small reduction to ADS speed
  • .300 Norma mag and .338 Lapua Mag ammo types:
    • Reduction to bullet velocity
    • Reduction to ADS speed
• SKS: Small reduction to ADS speed for variable zoom scopes

For those that have yet to obtain this season’s new weapons, the SP-R 208 and AS VAL unlock at Battle Pass Tier 15 and 31, respectively. You can now wield them without being universally hated by everyone in the match (kind of).