A new weapon has just dropped in Apex Legends, the Havoc rifle, and it is certainly going to divide opinion. As part of the first significant addition to the game since it launched, the HAVOC brings with it plenty of uniqueness and another reason to not immediately discard energy ammo.
Belonging in the assault rifle class, the Havoc has a decent damage output of 18 for body and 36 for head per “bullet”, which, when compared to a Devotion LMG, is not too shabby at all. Its default option does suffer from upwards drift, so you will need a stock to try and eliminate some of that — engagements from distance can be a little finicky without. The Havoc does also seem to have some pretty significant bullet drop, so bear that in mind.
“The Havoc Rifle just dropped into the arena, and it’s about to cause some – well, you can guess. This full-auto energy rifle joins the Hemlok as one of the arena’s highest damage-per-shot weapons in auto-fire mode, and is the arena’s only hitscan weapon in charge beam mode. It’s also the only weapon to date that can be equipped with two different hop-ups.”
Some quick stats:
Damage (body): 18 (55 in single shot)
Damage (head): 36 (110 in single shot)
Fire Rate (RPM): 600 (ESTIMATE)
DPS (body): 180 (ESTIMATE)
Base Magazine Size: 25
Ammo Type: Energy Ammo
Attachments Slots Available: AR Optics, Standard Stock, Hop-up: Turbocharger/Select Fire
Where the Havocreally comes alive, however, is when you apply one of two Hop-ups that are available for it; the only weapon that allows a choice of Hop-ups. A Selectfire Receiver will allow the user to turn a Havoc into a faux-sniper that does 55 base damage and 100+ for a headshot, though the charge-up can take a little getting used to so it may not be the out-and-out best for sniping. The Turbocharger, meanwhile, eliminates the wind-up from the default so you can get to lasering far quicker.
There are a few things that really go against the Havoc, the first being that it doesn’t have the best clip size, especially compared to the Devotion. In addition, it’s another gun that you may struggle with unless you have the extra parts to help it reach its true potential, though the fact that you can choose from two Hop-ups does make it a little easier to find something. Let’s also not forget that energy ammo is still scarcer than other ammo in Apex Legends.
The Havoc is a well-balanced gun that helps out an overlooked resource (energy ammo) and also makes two often neglected Hop-ups far more viable. It’s incredibly dangerous up close and can put opposition players down in seconds, who also seem to currently panic when hearing such a beefy and unfamiliar weapon. While the jury is out on whether you should drop your R-301 for it or not, its multi-faceted nature makes it at least worth checking out.
Next up, Respawn: five Mozambique shots instead of three? Please?
From our Apex Legends review:
“Even the most jaded of battle royale fans will find their interest rejuvenated by Apex Legends thanks to Respawn’s attention to detail, superior gunplay, and fantastic innovations, though the loot boxes and progression system certainly need addressing.”
MORE APEX LEGENDS:
– Apex Legends’ Progression System Is Its Worst Feature
– Apex Legends Characters, Ultimates, Abilities & More
– The Best Apex Legends Characters
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