L-STAR changes in Apex Legends

The L-STAR hits a little harder and gets the Redline hop-up, which boosts damage and projectile size when close to overheating.

• Damage 19 → 20
• Added Hop-Up: Redline: Increased damage and projectile size when close to overheating

TipRedline pays you for pushing the L-Star toward overheat, so hold the trigger in close fights instead of feathering it.

The L-STAR's projectiles start bigger and grow more over distance, so shots are easier to land.

• Increased initial projectile size
• Increased projectile size over distance

LMGs other than the L-STAR lose reverse hipfire, but their hipfire spread is tighter to make up for it and the original plus reticles are back.

• Removed Reverse Hipfire mechanic from LMGs
• Hipfire spread decreased to compensate
• Updated reticles to original plus design

TipLMG hipfire is consistent from the first round instead of tightening as you fire. Open close fights hipfiring rather than saving it for the tail of the magazine.

The L-STAR's recoil moves around more and its projectiles are much smaller, so it is harder to land shots with.

• Increased vertical and horizontal movement in the recoil pattern
• Significantly reduced projectile size

The L-STAR deals more damage per bullet.

• Damage 18 → 20
• Headshot damage: 25

TipHeadshots here pay only about a quarter more than body shots, so breaking tracking to chase the head costs more than it returns. Staying on the body is the safer trade on a moving target.

The L-STAR does more damage per shot, and gold magazines now cut the cool-off time more than purple ones.

• Damage 17 → 18
• Gold Magazines now reduce the cool off time more than purple mags
• Smoothed out cool-off animations

The L-Star can no longer take barrel attachments.

Can no longer equip Barrel Attachments

The crate L-Star comes with Disruptor Rounds for more damage to shields and bullets that pass through players, with slightly lower base damage, better recoil and no barrel slot.

• Added Disruptor Rounds: 60% damage increase against shields
• Base Damage 17 → 16
• Projectiles now have passthrough: 60% damage retained
• Projectile growth increased
• Improved recoil pattern
• Removed barrel
• Ammo Stockpile: 324
• Reduced VFX brightness when hitting unarmored targets

TipThe bonus is against shields and the base hit is smaller than before, so its edge sits on the first bar of a fight. Given a choice of targets, open on the one nobody has shot yet rather than one already cracked.

The L-Star kicks less at the start of a spray, and its stow animations now match their timings better.

• Reduced recoil at the beginning of the pattern
• Stow animations adjusted to better match timings

The L-STAR's shots travel faster and it fires more before overheating, and hitting unarmored targets no longer causes a bright red flash.

• Increased projectile speed.
• Number of shots before overheat at base 20 → 24
• Removed bright red flash when hitting non-armored targets.

TipMore shots before overheat sustains fire in longer engagements, and removed flash stops enemies from tracking you mid-spray.

The L-STAR does less headshot damage over a shorter range, takes longer to cool off after overheating and handles slightly slower.

• Headshot damage multiplier 1.75 → 1.5
• Headshot distance 64m → 57m
• Overheat cool-off time 2.5 → 3.6
• Slightly increased handling times

TipTrigger discipline pays more now; let the weapon cool before pushing aggressive. Body shots matter more than headshots.

The L-STAR is weaker: barrels help less, its projectiles are much smaller and it does less damage, so hits are harder to land and hurt less.

• Reduced barrel effectiveness at all rarity tiers
• Significantly reduced projectile collision size
• Damage 18 → 17

The L-STAR now takes energy magazines, which let it fire longer before overheating and cool a bit faster, and barrels for less recoil, but its hipfire is less accurate and its shots look smaller.

• Now takes Energy Magazines - Mags on the L-STAR work differently than other weapons because of its unique interaction with ammo. Instead they will allow the L-STAR to fire more shots before it overheats and allow it to cool-off its heat build up slightly faster.
• Now take Barrels for recoil reduction
• Projectile VFX scale reduced by roughly half
• First-Person on-hit impact effect intensity reduced
• Hipfire spread increased

TipFinding magazines and barrels on the ground now enables the L-STAR - swap your attachment pool strategy entirely.

The L-Star has a new recoil pattern that kicks sideways at first and then settles into a steady upward climb, and feathering the trigger keeps it in the good part of that pattern; it also vents and cools faster when not overheated.

• LSTAR has a new recoil pattern that kicks horizontally at first and then settles into a relatively consistent upward recoil. Players who feather the trigger will be able to keep the LSTAR in the good portion of the recoil pattern.
• LSTAR venting time after letting go of the trigger 0.4s → 0.15s
• LSTAR will now reduce heat faster when not overheated -- 1.15s from 99.9% to 0% charge if not overheated, still 2.45s if overheated.

TipLearn the new recoil pattern to dominate close range - the weapon now punishes trigger discipline less and stays heat-efficient longer.

The L-STAR is now floor loot that uses energy ammo and overheats instead of reloading, with slightly less damage and fire rate but less sideways kick, so short bursts work best.

• The L-STAR is no longer a crate weapon and can now be found around the map.
• Uses energy ammo.
• Reloading has been removed and the L-STAR will overheat after sustained fire so best to fire in short bursts to manage overheating and recoil.
• Damage reduced per shot 19 -> 18
• Rate of Fire 12 → 10
• Less horizontal viewkick when the weapon fires.

TipFire in short bursts to manage heat and recoil; it no longer sustains like other LMGs.