Update #2: (Feb 20th) More on G18 damage drop-off as well as slug and .44 upper chest damage multiplier.

Update #1: (Feb 19th) More findings have been published on Shotgun and PDW damage changes.

While updating the list with new findings on shotgun and PDW damage tweaks, which you can find below, we lost the original article due to an infinite redirect loop problem. This caused the site to go down for a few hours, but we were able to bring back the site (if you’re reading this) and the updated list on a new page. Unfortunately, 75 valuable comments were lost in the process, but we’re working on bringing them back. If case we’re not able to recover the comments, as early signs don’t look promising, we do apologize for that and the outage.

Original Story: (Feb 18th) Recently, Daniel Matros revealed that Battlefield 3 might not be getting the ‘big patch’ in February. However, the guys over at DICE have been hard at work fine tuning Battlefield 3 over the past few months. Core Gameplay Designer, Alan Kertz, has released some primarily data on weapon balance changes that ‘may or may not’ make it in the next patch.

Symthic forums, famous for analyzing gun stats, got a hold of the “preliminary data” from Kertz . The data outlines what the next patch will potentially change in terms of weapon damage, multiplier, drop-off, and such.

1. Damage changes

Assault Rifles:
545x45mm bullet minimum damage (All assault rifles except G3A1)

• 17 -> 18.4 {Buff}

G3A1

• Min Damage 20 -> 22 {Buff}
• Max damage 30 -> 34 {Buff}

Carbines
SCAR-H

• Min Damage 17 -> 20 {Buff}

LMGs
M60 & M240B

• Max damage 30 -> 34 {Buff}
• Min damage 20 -> 22 {Buff}

PKP

• Min damage 20 -> 22 {Buff}

M249, M27IAR, RPK-74M

• Min damage 17 -> 18.4 {Buff}

Sniper rifles

All sniper rifles:

• Upper chest damage multiplier 1 -> 1.25 {Buff}

M98B

• Max damage 95 -> 80 [Nerf]
• Dropoff start dist. 20 -> 15 [Nerf]
• Dropoff end dist. 75 -> 120 {Buff}

All other bolt-action sniper rifles

• Max damage 75 -> 80 {Buff}
• Min damage 55 -> 59 {Buff}
• Dropoff start dist. 20 -> 15 [Nerf]
• Dropoff end dist. 75 -> 100 {Buff}

All semiautomatic sniper rifles except SKS:

• Min damage: 34 -> 37.5 {Buff}
• Dropoff start distance 12 -> 15 {Buff}

SKS

• Dropoff end distance 50 -> 60 {Buff}

Shotguns (Update #1 + #2)
12g Slug (Auto & Semiauto)

• Max damage 50 -> 75 {Buff}
• Min damage 34 -> 37.5 {Buff}
• Dropoff start dist. 8 -> 15 {Buff}
• Dropoff end dist. 40 -> 50 {Buff}
• Upper chest damage multiplier 1.0 -> 1.25 {Buff}

12g Slug (Pump-action)

• Min damage 34 -> 37.5 {Buff}
• Dropoff start dist. 8 -> 15 {Buff}
• Dropoff end dist. 40 -> 50 {Buff}
• Upper chest damage multiplier 1.0 -> 1.25 {Buff}

12g Frag (Auto & Semiauto)

• Some weird things in the files, not 100% sure about frags yet.
• Looks like only the min direct damage is reduced from 10 to 5 [Nerf]

12g Frag (Pump-action)

• Max direct hit damage 60 -> 67 {Buff}
• Blast damage 30 -> 40 {Buff}

12g Buckshot

• Max damage 20 -> 12.5 [Nerf]
• Dropoff start dist. 4 -> 8 {Buff}
• Dropoff end dist. 25 -> 30 {Buff}

12g Flechette

• Max damage 14.3 -> 11.2 [Nerf]
• Min damage 8.4 -> 8 [Nerf]
• Dropoff start dist. 12 -> 15 {Buff}
• Dropoff end dist. 25 -> 30 {Buff}

PDWs (Update #1)

• P90 & MP7
• Min damage 10 -> 11 {Buff}
• Drop-off end dist. 50 -> 40 [Nerf]

PP2000

• Min damage 10 -> 12.5 {Buff}

PDW-R

• Min damage 12.5 -> 14.3 {Buff}
• Drop-off start dist. 8 -> 4 [Nerf]
• Drop-off end dist. 50 -> 30 [Nerf]

AS VAL

• Min damage 16.7 -> 18.4 {Buff}
• Drop-off start dist. 8 -> 4 [Nerf]
• Drop-off end dist. 50 -> 40 [Nerf]

PP-19

• Min damage 9.1 -> 12.5 {Buff}
• Drop-off end dist. 50 -> 40 [Nerf]

UMP-45

• Min damage 12.5 -> 13.75 {Buff}

2. Attachments

Fore grip

• Basically before it reduced the horizontal recoil by 50%, in these files it reduces h-recoil only ~20-33% depending on weapon.
• It also increases the minimum spread 20% ~ 50% depending on stance and weapon.

Suppressor

• Suppressors will not reduce the damage anymore.
• Now it will reduce the distance where damage starts/stops to drop off instead.
• For most weapons it will decrease the min spread by 25% instead of 50%
• Although looks like M60 will still have the same 50% effect.

Heavy barrel

• For most of the weapons it decreases ADS min spread by 75 or 50% depending on weapon.
• Recoil is still increased by 10 or 15% and HIP min spread by 20-25% depending on weapon.
• It doesn’t make AN94 100% accurate anymore while aiming down the sight.
• Reduces ADS min spread by 75% and only increases recoil by 10%, the hip fire penalty is 20% for AN94
• G3A1 is same than AN94 except heavy barrel increases recoil 6.7% and hip fire is increased only 14.3%
• For few weapons it also makes Spread increase per shot 10% higher.
• It will also increase drop-off end distance by 50% making weapons more deadly at ranges between 50m and 90m, depending on weapon.

Flash suppressor

• Will decrease recoil by 17 ~ 25% depending on weapon.
• For most weapons it increases hip min spread by 20~25% but some weapons don’t have any hip accuracy penalty.

Extended magazine

• There seems to be extended magazine for AS VAL which didn’t exist before.
• With ext mag it will have 30 bullets in a mag instead of 20

3. Accuracy changes

Assault rifles
AEK971

• Recoil right 0.5 -> 0.3 [Nerf]
• ADS Min Spread, Not moving 0.2 -> 0.4 [Nerf]

AK74M

• Recoil up 0.3 -> 0.28 {Buff}
• FirstSRecoilMul 2 -> 1.5 {Buff}

AN94

• Recoil up 0.45 -> 0.3 {Buff}
• FirstSRecoilMul 1.5 -> 2 [Nerf]

F2000

• Recoil up 0.3 -> 0.26 {Buff}

FAMAS

• Recoil left 0.6 -> 0.35 {Buff}
• Recoil right 0.6 -> 0.5 {Buff}
• Recoil decrease 15 -> 18 {Buff}
• FirstSRecoilMul 2 -> 2.6 [Nerf]

G3A1

• Recoil up 0.55 -> 0.45 {Buff}
• FirstSRecoilMul 1.2 -> 1.8 [Nerf]

L85A2

• Recoil left 0.4 -> 0.3 {Buff}
• Recoil decrease 22 -> 18 [Nerf]
• Min spread, ADS, not moving 0.4 -> 0.2 {Buff}

M416

• FirstSRecoilMul 2 -> 2.4 [Nerf]

Carbines
AKS74u

• Recoil up 0.3 -> 0.28 {Buff}
• FirstSRecoilMul 2 -> 2.2 [Nerf]

HK53

• Recoil up 0.3 -> 0.28 {Buff}
• Recoil left 0.3 -> 0.2 {Buff}
• Recoil right 0.5 -> 0.35 {Buff}
• Recoil decrease 22 -> 18 [Nerf]

SCAR-H

• Recoil decrease 15 -> 13 [Nerf]

SG553

• Recoil up 0.3 -> 0.25 {Buff}
• FirstSRecoilMul 2.5 -> 2.2 {Buff}

QBZ-95B

• Recoil left 0.5 -> 0.335 {Buff}
• Recoil right 0.5 -> 0.335 {Buff}
• Recoil decrease 22 -> 18 [Nerf]
• Min spread, ADS, not moving 0.4 -> 0.5 [Nerf]

LMGs
M240

• FirstSRecoilMul 1 -> 1.7 {Buff}

M249

• FirstSRecoilMul 1 -> 2.2  [Nerf]
• Recoil decrease 15 -> 12  [Nerf]

M60

• FirstSRecoilMul 2 -> 1.5 {Buff}

MG36

• Recoil decrease 15 -> 13  [Nerf]
• FirstSRecoilMul 1 -> 1.8  [Nerf]

PKP

• Recoil up 0.75 -> 0.65 {Buff}
• Recoil decrease 7 -> 13 {Buff}
• FirstSRecoilMul 1 -> 1.5  [Nerf]
• Max spread, ADS, not moving 1 -> 3  [Nerf]

Type88

• Recoil left 0.4 -> 0.3
• Recoil right 0.4 -> 0.3
• Recoil decrease 15 -> 12  [Nerf]
• FirstSRecoilMul 1.34 -> 1.5  [Nerf]

RPK

• Recoil decrease 15 -> 13  [Nerf]
• FirstSRecoilMul 2 -> 1.8 {Buff}

QBB-95

• Recoil up 0.45 -> 0.37 {Buff}
• Recoil left 0.1 -> 0.4  [Nerf]
• Recoil right 0.3 -> 0.4  [Nerf]
• FirstSRecoilMul 1 -> 2  [Nerf]
• Recoil decrease 15 -> 13  [Nerf]

PDWs
AS VAL

• Recoil left 0.2 -> 0.25 [Nerf]
• Recoil right 0.3 -> 0.45 [Nerf]
• Recoil decrease 22 -> 18 [Nerf]

PDW-R

• Recoil decrease 22 -> 18 [Nerf]
• FirstSRecoilMul 2.5 -> 2 {Buff}
• Min spread, ADS, not moving 0.4 -> 0.5 [Nerf]
• Min spread, ADS, moving 0.6 -> 0.8 [Nerf]

Min spread, HIP, not moving

• Standing 1.5 -> 2 [Nerf]
• Crouching 1 -> 1.5 [Nerf]
• Prone 0.75 -> 1 [Nerf]

Min spread, HIP, moving

• Standing 2 -> 2.5 [Nerf]
• Crouching 1.5 -> 2 [Nerf]
• Prone 1.25 -> 1.5  [Nerf]

MP7

• Min spread, HIP, not moving, prone & crouching 0.75 -> 1.2  [Nerf]
• Min spread, HIP,moving, prone & crouching 1.25 -> 1.5  [Nerf]

P90

• Min spread, HIP, not moving, prone & crouching 0.75 -> 1.2  [Nerf]
• Min spread, HIP,moving, prone & crouching 1.25 -> 1.5  [Nerf]

PP-19

• Recoil decrease 25 -> 20 [Nerf]
• FirstSRecoilMul 2.5 -> 2 {Buff}
• Min spread, HIP, not moving, prone & crouching 0.75 -> 1.2 [Nerf]
• Min spread, HIP,moving, prone & crouching 1.25 -> 1.5 [Nerf]

PP2000

• Min spread, HIP, not moving, prone & crouching 0.75 -> 1.2  [Nerf]
• Min spread, HIP,moving, prone & crouching 1.25 -> 1.5 [Nerf]

UMP45

• Min spread, HIP, not moving, prone & crouching 0.75 -> 1.2 [Nerf]
• Min spread, HIP,moving, prone & crouching 1.25 -> 1.5 [Nerf]

Pistols
G18

• Recoil up 0.7 -> 0.5 {Buff}

M9

• RecoilDecrease 15 -> 30 {Buff}

M93R

• Recoil up 0.5 -> 0.4 {Buff}
• Recoil left 0.4 -> 0.2 {Buff}
• Recoil right 0.4 -> 0.2 {Buff}
• FirstSRecoilMul 2.5 -> 2 {Buff}

.44 Magnum

• Spread increase 0.6 -> 0.3 {Buff}

Thanks to Jorge and Gav for the tip. We waited for Alan Kertz to publicly authenticate the data before publishing. Kertz stated on Twitter, “yes symthic has authentic update info, your feedback on these preliminary changes will be hugely valuable for a future update.”

Source: Symthic forums – Confirmation: Kertz’ Twitter Feed