Whether it’s in the vents in Cryo Archive or throughout the many dark corridors of Tau Ceti IV, Marathon players will know that the WSTR is a menace. The shotgun is capable of downing almost anyone in just two hits – exactly the amount needed before it has to reload. A nerf seemed more or less a given, and game director Joe Ziegler has finally revealed when: April 21st.
Noting that it’s become a “dominant option and is eclipsing a lot of the other short-range options that exist in the game,” Ziegler said that the change would ensure that it can no longer down an enemy with Blue rarity shields (or above) with two short-range hits. It’s still very useful for two-shotting those with Green rarity shields, so you can still farm Free Kit Runners for Contracts.
Ziegler notes that this change should “force a reload in scenarios where the target has a blue shield, allowing for some more counterplay in these scenarios.” It may sound like the death knell for those who love to 1v3 or, even better, rat in a corner during Solos to kill unsuspecting players, but the WSTR should still be a useful option. Just not the only one.
Of course, this is far from the end of balancing as the team is keeping track of a “variety” of issues, so even more changes could come down the pipe. In the meantime, maybe you should enjoy the current WSTR in all its pre-nerfed glory.
