Gun damage changes

Battlefield Weapon Balance Philosophy & Feedback

One of the strongest points of classic Battlefield design —especially in Battlefield 4— was its caliber-based damage philosophy. Weapon performance made sense: 5.56 mm killed in 4 shots, 7.62 mm in 3, 9 mm in 4, .45 in 3, and heavier calibers like .44/.50 in 2. Higher damage meant clear trade-offs: slower reloads, higher recoil (often horizontal), smaller mags, or worse handling at range. Examples like the FAMAS or Bulldog had insane RPM but were hard to control; AUG or L85 were more stable but slower-killing, rewarding precision. This system gave every weapon an identity. If you mastered a gun, it could compete with anything else.

In Battlefield 6, much of that logic is gone. Too many guns kill in 5+ bullets without real advantages. Many roles are badly defined: guns meant for precision or range are outperformed by faster, more forgiving options. Recoil and accuracy are so forgiving that attachments barely matter. This creates a meta where slow-killing guns feel obsolete, a handful of weapons dominate, and variety suffers.

Current issues with specific weapons

AK-205: Extremely stable and precise but slow TTK (6 shots). Loses duels against almost anything at mid/long range. No true niche.

UMG-40: Too weak for its low RPM; can’t compete at short or medium ranges. A low-RPM SMG needs damage to justify its role.

M60: 3-shot kill potential, but awful precision and recoil even with bipod. Feels like firing a DMR one bullet at a time, not an LMG.

RPK-M: Uses 7.62 mm but kills in 4 shots while similar weapons kill in 3. Bad recoil and poor accuracy in sustained fire.

P-18 / ES-5.7: Pistols feel weak as backup weapons, requiring too many bullets in CQC — especially vs very strong primaries like the M4.

Why this matters

When a weapon’s defined role can be easily outclassed by others in its own range, it loses purpose. This breaks weapon diversity and discourages skill expression. The game needs clear damage identities and meaningful trade-offs again.

Suggested adjustments per weapon

AK-205: 4-shot kill, lower RPM, slightly reduced base accuracy/control to make attachments matter and reward skill.

UMG-40: 3-shot kill, increased recoil to limit long-range effectiveness, worse hipfire, keep its precision as identity.

M60: Slight recoil reduction, moderate precision buff (especially with bipod), keep 3-shot damage but make it usable at range.

RPK-M: 3-shot kill (to match 7.62 role), more recoil, better burst accuracy but worse sustained accuracy.

P-18: 4-shot kill (9 mm baseline). ES-5.7: 5-shot kill but emphasize high RPM and mag size. Bring pistols back to being viable secondaries.

Final thoughts

Battlefield’s strength was never just raw stats — it was identity and balance. Caliber dictated damage; recoil, control, and handling balanced it. Every gun had a purpose and could be competitive. Right now, too many guns kill too slowly with no upside, while a few outperform everything. Bringing back caliber-based balance and meaningful trade-offs would restore depth, variety, and fai

rness to the weapon sandbox.