Black Ops 4 Balances Shotguns, Adds Depth to Pistols

Black Ops 4 has made a few tweaks that are certainly noticeable and have an impact on overall gameplay.

Shotguns have been rebalanced and placed in the secondary weapon slot next to the pistols.

“We talk about shotguns all the time,” Treyarch expert game designer Tony Flame said, according to VG247.

“They’re the hardest guns to balance. According to players, they’re either underpowered or overpowered, even when they’re actually both at the same time. For example, when we see the shotgun gets just near the level of effectiveness of an assault rifle, from the players’ experience they feel too powerful.

“So we have to get that balance just right. It’s always a tricky one. We wanted to make sure they weren’t overly frustrating – that’s the number one [priority] – but also make them satisfying.”

The intention is to redefine the shotgun’s role in the game.

“We’ve gotta balance them in line with a secondary,” Flame continues. “They’ll be balanced against pistols, each in their own role.

“Shotguns have their own unique playstyle where you get a consistent number of hits to kill. It’s not going to be as much about getting the one hit kill with the shotgun. It’s more about getting the first hit, taking cover, rechambering the shotgun, then popping out for the second hit.”

Additionally, shotgun players can use all of their customization points into attachments for their gun, providing it with better range and more power with longer barrels and chokes.

“Then you can actually extend your one hit kill range quite a bit, but you’re investing heavily in your gun from the attachment side,” Flame says. “That’s an example of the attachment strategy we’ve got for each weapon.

“Internally, we’re going back and forth. By the time we come into beta, we think we’re going to be in a really good spot.”