Shotguns Might Become Insane in December's Patch

This may be a little early to talk about the changes that are coming in December. I mean we haven’t even gotten the wipe that is supposed to be in August. So, it definitely is early, but that isn’t going to stop me from having this conversation. On the last Tarkov TV podcast that was streamed a couple weeks ago, Nikita showed off the changes that are coming ot only this month, but down the road at the end of the year. It’s the first time we’ve ever had this much of a heads up for upcoming content, features, and changes. And probably the two biggest changes that are coming in December are the recoil changes, which we will be talking about in a future video, so subscribe if you want to see that video. And the armor hitbox changes for all the armors in the game. This is something that a lot of people know is a big deal, but others don’t know how massive of a game change this will be. Alongside inertia, the hitbox changes might be the single largest shake up to Tarkov we have ever seen in the game’s history thus far. And there is one category of weapon that might stand supreme at the end of it.

Armor is complicated with how they absorb damage; we all know this. But where the armor protects you is a much easier mechanic to understand. Depending on where the armor says it has protection, you will have coverage for those body parts. If it says thorax, then not only is it your chest, but your neck, shoulders, ribcage, and all of your back. It’s basically a big square that covers you up, even if something like that slick, that has a lot of exposed parts of the body, they are still covered right now because the hitboxes are so uniform and all encompassing. It’s much simpler than what we saw on that livestream. In December, things are going to be drastically different. So, if we use the slick once more as an example, even though that armor covers your thorax, the protection will only be where the plates of the armor actually are. Which is center mass, covering the torso. So now, what can happen is that even with that beefy level 6 armor on, you are not nearly safe as you once were. Even a shot right above the chest, under the chin, can now kill you in a single shot. That area of the body is not safe anymore. Neither are your ribcages. These areas are not seriously exposed while wearing something like a slick.

Now of course, there are other armors in the game; while not the same class of protection, the areas they cover can sometimes be more effective than even the toppiest of top tier armors; the meta will certainly change in terms of what people decide to run, where they want the protection, and how much protection they want. When this change comes around, armors that have neck and arm protections are most likely going to be way more enticing for players who want to have as few body parts exposed as possible. However, one weapon class might throw a massive wrench in the entire equation. I am going to go out on a limb and say that shotguns when the December wipe rolls around are going to become very prevalent in this game. Even more so than they already are. I don’t know why but seeing the one clip in their reveal video of the PMC wearing a trooper armor, and getting smoked out a shotgun, leads me to believe that these guns will be the go-to backup weapons for many players running normal rifles or SMGs. Because yes, while you only need a Paca to stop most ammo types for a shotgun (with the two glaring exceptions being AP-20's and Flechette ammo), having more of the body susceptible to a volley of buckshot being sprayed at you means even just one of those pellets can become problematic should it hit the wrong body part at the worst time. I imagine (or I guess I should say hope), that BSG might have the foresight to see this coming and adjust shotgun availability and the prices of the ammunition because Magnum sits currently at only 66 rubles per shot. Granted, you can only purchase 60 at a time per reset. But a stack of 20 split in half with the other in your secure container is usually more than enough for a raid, especially on a budget. And the sheer number of options for buckshot and even slugs on offer in the game, means that even if you can’t get magnum, express or just normal 7mm buckshot will do just fine. And shotguns are particularly interesting, because they require barely any extra modifications to make them work and work well. The only thing people might immediately change is the tube size for those that rely on it. The Saiga-12 could also become popular because it’s rate of fire is so high. Even with just a 5-round magazine, you can spray that weapon insanely quickly if you want to. And again, depending on what your opponent is wearing, you’ll only need one or two pellets to hit to kill them. It’s all going to create an interesting dynamic between which weapons and armors begin to see the spotlight in Tarkov.

I think it’s important to once again just emphasize how big of a deal this one change is actually going to be. If all the parts are implemented correctly, and things work as intended, because unfortunately that caveat needs to be said, this will be the single largest gameplay shift in Tarkov’s history. I mean for a while way back in the day, player faces didn’t have a hitbox, so center of mass was the play for taking out other people. And then the head became the go-to spot to land your shots. And that was also a massive deal, but the game was in its infancy at that time, so it kind of got swept under the rug. And then mag loading got added and people thought it would ruin the game. And the healing animations got introduced and people thought that would kill the game. But all that these have done is make the game better. Could they be improved upon further? Of course; that’s why selective healing is being added. So, we don’t have to always hit the tab button every time we want to do something. But each time a massive gameplay mechanic is added, people usually go to a worst-case scenario. And I can honestly see why. BSG does not have the best track record when it comes to stuff like this. And I know I’ll be jinxing this by saying it out loud, but it finally feels like they have the direction they want to take Tarkov. And can deliver on that in a somewhat timely manner. Which is a first for the game if I’m being honest. But out of all the big overhauls that they have added into Tarkov, this one will be the biggest so far. And it’s not even close. I stress on that “so far” part because the final addition they could make that would topple even advanced armor hitboxes, is of course open world. But after that last livestream, my hopes for that are low.

Either way, armor hitboxes getting more accurate is really going to shake up the game. SMGs are scarier, shotguns are most likely going to be terrifying, and who knows? Maybe leg meta will quickly evolve to just an overall flesh ammo meta; where rounds like SP7, 9mm Luger CCI, and 5.56 Warmegeddon can be viable in Tarkov consistently and not just be a niche way to play. But what are your thoughts of the potential meta shift that comes with better armor hitboxes? Let me know in the comments down below and subscribe for more videos going over the two future patches when their and my general thoughts about them. I hope to see you in future ones.