Escape from Tarkov nerfs AS VAL & VSS in 12.6 ammo balance patch

Battlestate Games has nerfed the popular AS VAL assault carbine and the VSS sniper rifle in the latest Escape from Tarkov patch 0.12.62 hotfix, via recoil and damage tweaks for 9×39, 9×19, and 9×18 ammunition in a June 2 update.

On May 28, Battlestate’s popular hardcore FPS title Escape from Tarkov underwent another long-awaited server wipe. Everyone was shunted back to basics, and players began building their impressive arsenals all over again.

Battlestate moved soon after to tweak gunsmith quests, and made easy-to-buy early game weapons and items “more available” in patch 0.12.61. Days later, the Russian devs have put some of the top-tier guns in their sights too.

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Escape from Tarkov patch 0.12.62 targets bullet stats

The devs confirmed on June 2 that “several types of 9×19 and 9×18 ammunition” had been buffed in a 0.12.61 bullet balance hotfix. 9×39 ammo was also “slightly debuffed,” Battlestate confirmed. This came in the form of a recoil increase.

• Read more: 6 tips & tricks to give you a head start in Tarkov’s 12.6 wipe

These buffs and nerfs were targeted at specific weapons: the dominant AS VAL, and the VSS sniper rifle. In particular, the VAL’s top-tier SP-6 ammo pick had its recoil bumped up from 7 to 10. The 9×39 BP and SPP suffered similar fates.

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There were a few other guns buffed in patch 0.12.62 as well. Popular Tarkov sidearm picks like the PP-91 Kedr and the PP-9 Klin should now reliably penetrate Class-3 armor. 9×19 Pst Gzh bullets will now also penetrate Class-2 armor.

• Read more: Shroud tips Vepr Hunter as ‘crazy overpowered’ in Tarkov

Despite the changes to their BP and SPP ammos, the AS VAL and VSS should remain at the top of the post-wipe Tarkov meta. The VAL offers fantastic all-round strength for all fledgling raiders, while the VSS is a premier sniper pick.

Here are all the bullet changes in Tarkov’s latest update:

Escape from Tarkov patch 0.12.62 bullet changes

• 9×19 PST gzh: Penetration 18 ⇒ 20.
• 9×18 PBM: Penetration 22 ⇒ 31.
• 9×18 PMM: Penetration 25 ⇒ 28.
• 9×39 SP6: Recoil 7 ⇒ 10.
• 9×19 PSO gzh: Damage 56 ⇒ 59.
• 9×21 SP12: Damage 75 ⇒ 78.
• 9×39 SPP: Damage 67 ⇒ 64; Recoil 5 ⇒ 20.
• 9×39 BP: Penetration 50 ⇒ 48; Accuracy 15 ⇒ 10; Recoil 5 ⇒ 22.
• 9×19 AP63: Penetration 25 ⇒ 29.

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Battlestate Games

Don’t expect the Escape from Tarkov gun meta to change too much despite this 0.12.62 balance update.

The 0.12.62 changes may have tweaked recoil on some bullets, but Tarkov fans are worried the changes won’t do much ⁠— there’s been a bug loose in the title since 12.5 that has meant recoil “doesn’t work on full-auto guns,” including the AS VAL, according to ‘NoFoodAfterMidnight’.

Battlestate did not address this rumored bug, so it’s likely they have not yet built a fix for the issue. Be wary of the bug until it is addressed by the Tarkov devs. Dexerto will update you if any change is implemented for the exploit.