Now that Stasis was rightfully knocked down a few pegs it's time we start looking into other outliers within the strict meta the PvP has. We all know that special weapons are rampant right now, but the thing that many of us do not want to admit is that 120 Handcanons are also a tad too strong. These things defy everything about what it means to be a pistol, they have ridiculous range, they hit like freight trains put into overdrive, there's a ton of options to pick from, and they can have rolls that completely mitigate their drawbacks. This gives them a ton of enjoyment value and character, but in the current state of the game they far exceed every other primary weapon by a large margin. Anyone in a lobby who has a KD higher than 1.5 is likely wielding a 120, 4/6 guardians per team are likely wielding the same weapon archetype if not the same Handcanon itself. Hell even the devs in the most recent Sandbox Livestream said that they are on their radar for "being a little hot." (https://youtu.be/1UgWmS3NTj0 Good highlight video of the sandbox team discussing the future of the game. Around 9:48 is when they briefly mentioned handcanons.) I'm no expert on how to balance things in this game, but it feels really damn cheap to get killed by these things. You could have an overshield and still get killed faster than you could ever kill them. You could have Sweet Business fully revved-up with armor mods giving you better ADS in the perfect and optimal range and your shots will barely cause enough flinch to protect your noggin. You could be *across the map* and still get absolutely bodied by two "well placed" headshots. Not to mention the Aim Assist and Bullet Magnetism these things have which makes them *extremely forgiving,* and I'd know cause my aim is trash and I definitely shouldn't be landing the headshots I aim. (https://youtu.be/1UgWmS3NTj0?t=647, Same vid as before but with a timestamp that takes you directly to their discussion about Accuracy and Aim Assist.) There are many reasons why this a problem and it is a very slippery slope when it comes to game balancing decisions. I do not expect any changes to happen overnight if at all. So hypothetically what are our options, what could we tweak or change that could improve the overall experience without shifting the balance too much? - Reduce the "Aim Assist" - High damage should come at a cost, in the case of these hand canons it should be a drastic reduction in the handholding from Aim Assist features. - Increase Received Flinch when ADSing - Unless you are landing *every* headshot using a bullet hose SMG, AR, or LMG you will lose a fight against a 120 user. The flinch they seem to receive simply doesnt effect them in the slightest. (Take this as a grain of salt, could just be the games natural Aim Assist coming in to save your missed handcanon rounds.) - Increase Damage Falloff - The damage of 120s is fine, you're trading Fire Rate for Damage, but for crying out loud these things are handguns! You should not be able to contest DMT and sniper rifles with one of these things. - Buff other primaries and their bodyshot damage slightly - I just wanna use something that isn't a Shotgun, Grenade Launcher, Sniper rifle, or Handcanon in PvP without feeling like a wet noodle :( (https://youtu.be/1UgWmS3NTj0, A very good video on why/how Primary Weapons could be improved in the PvP sandbox.) Thanks for reading, if you take anything from this post please check out the linked videos. They are very insightful and the creators who made them deserve all the positive attention they can get.