Melee Balance Changes

Katana
• Movement distance multiplier increased from 0.9 to 1.0 for all attacks.
• [Light Attack Hit #4] Adjusted BLOW force angle to be more horizontal than vertical.
• [Heavy Attack] Moderate increase in horizontal BLOW force.
• Various hitbox adjustments across all attacks.

Unlimited Balance Changes

Katana
• [Light Attack Hit #4] Adjusted BLOW force angle to be more horizontal than vertical.
• [Heavy Attack] Moderate increase in horizontal BLOW force.
• Various hitbox adjustments across all attacks.

Due to recent feedback, the move to push all Katana changes from the Unlimited Channel to the Melee Channel has been postponed. This gives us time to figure out the best path forward to cater to the unique needs of both Channels. For now, Katana receives an assortment of utility improvements, which includes applying the bare minimum level of BLOW force that’s expected from a Melee weapon.

Dual Magnum
• Base damage increased from 15 to ~15.25.
• Critical hit multiplier increased from 2.0x to 2.3x.
• Applied a spray pattern to all attacks, which is tuned for close-to-mid range usage (similar to the Submachine Gun).
• Changed damage dropoff curve from (3000, 7500, 0.1) to (4000, 8000, 0.2).

Due to feedback that this weapon was too difficult to aim (especially against agile targets), we have revoked its Unlimited 2.0 tuning, as it no longer made sense to apply it without hit registration improvements. Instead, we have applied tuning that fits with the legacy spray pattern system and critical hit power budget. A rework to its control scheme is planned in the long run, but we will continue to monitor its performance to ensure that it still feels powerful in the hands of those who master it.

Light Machine Gun
• Magazine size increased from 75 to 80.

With the recent improvements to the reliability of the Assault Rifle and Plasma Rifle, the Light Machine Gun was falling behind in relative performance. Due to this, we have increased its magazine size, amplifying its superiority in uptime and damage-per-magazine, and nudging it closer into being the ideal mid-range support fire weapon.

Air Bomb
• VAULTED.

Air Bomb was originally unvaulted to address a major balance issue with the efficacy of aim-heavy playstyles vs. movement-heavy playstyles. This was done in spite of the new/returning player experience being damaged by a weapon whose rushing tactics were more difficult to counter than the typical Melee-based/Anchor-based rushing tactics. Self-damage as a drawback was not enough to counterbalance this difficulty.

When combined with the global movement speed increase, the various movement distance increases on Melee weapons, our unique damage dropoff tuning, and the existing aerial movement utilities (Counter Sword, Katana, EXO Scythe, Anchor, etc.), we have determined that Air Bomb makes for movement that is far too overwhelming to keep in-game. Therefore, we have decided to vault this weapon permanently.

Air Bomb enthusiasts can look forward to near-future EXO Scythe improvements for a similar niche, but with more appropriate drawbacks (single-target damage at extreme close-range, SP cost instead of self-damage, fine-tuned Uppercut height, etc.).