Care Package weapons in Apex Legends are meant to be powerful, but the Mythic R-99 “Bird of Prey” variant, a recent addition to the high-tier loot rotation, proved to be overwhelmingly dominant. Its unique feature, which granted a highly destructive secondary fire mode (often a burst of mini-rockets or an ultra-fast tactical blast), made it a nearly guaranteed win condition in any close-quarters fight.

Respawn has acknowledged the R-99’s excessive strength and delivered a targeted nerf to reduce its impact on the competitive landscape.

The Nerf: Controlling R-99’s Dominance

The adjustment focuses on reducing the frequency with which the Mythic R-99 appears and limiting the spammability of its unique feature:

  • Reduced Care Package Spawn Rate: The overall chance of the Mythic R-99 “Bird of Prey” appearing in a Care Package has been significantly decreased. This means fewer teams will acquire the weapon, ensuring its impact is less widespread across the lobby.
  • Increased Cooldown on Tactical Mode: The cooldown timer for the weapon’s powerful secondary fire mode (the “rocket charge” or similar unique tactical blast) has been extended. This prevents players from relying on its burst damage in quick succession, forcing them to use the feature more strategically and rely more on the R-99’s standard bullet fire.

The goal is to keep the R-99 powerful but eliminate its status as an “I win” button that instantly determines the outcome of a duel.

Competitive and Meta Consequences

This focused nerf directly affects end-game competitive strategies:

  1. Restored Weapon Diversity: The dominance of the Mythic R-99 often made it mandatory, eclipsing the viability of other Care Package weapons like the Kraber or Bocek. Reducing its frequency encourages teams to make use of the full rotation of high-tier loot.
  2. Increased Skill Requirement: The longer cooldown forces the R-99 user to manage the weapon’s utility more carefully. They can no longer afford to miss the unique shot; precision is now required to capitalize on its massive potential damage.
  3. Third-Party Dynamics: The Mythic R-99 previously allowed teams to quickly and decisively wipe out opponents. By extending the cooldown, fights against a team holding the R-99 might last slightly longer, increasing the opportunity for a third-party squad to intervene and clean up the remaining fight.

The focused nerf to the Mythic R-99 “Bird of Prey” aims to bring balance back to the Care Package ecosystem, ensuring that high-tier weapons are game-changing but not game-breaking.