We take you through the history of the R8 Revolver, the nerfs that changed it; and why it still remains popular today.
People who are fans of the Counter-Strike franchise are familiar with all of the popular weapons in the games, such as an AWP. Even though these weapons are accessible in CS:GO, the game introduced a couple of new options. One of them became available in 2015; the R8 Revolver. A gun that was notorious for being one of the strongest weapons in the game.
Besides doing insane amounts of damage if you land a headshot, this pistol allowed players to kill their opponents with one body shot. This made it incredibly overpowered, especially in the hands of those who could utilize it to its full potential. When the weapon was released, Valve stated that it would occupy the Desert Eagle loadout slot. This was an indication that the gun would be excellent — but no one expected it to be as good as it was.
What was even more interesting about the weapon is that people could use it even while defusing a bomb. This made it massively overpowered, none of the other guns had the same effect.
There are a couple of things that make the R8 Revolver one of CS:GO’s most memorable weapons. As mentioned above, many players considered this pistol to be “broken” because it was too good. That’s why Valve was quick to release a couple of smaller updates that nerfed it. While it is true this had a negative effect on the gun, it continues to be a go-to option for many players today.
The “pocket awp” with long-range power
One of the things that makes the R8 Revolver one of the preferred guns for many people is the weapon’s long-range power. Similar to the Desert Eagle, this weapon is capable of doing nasty headshots from miles away. Making it ideal for those who like to shoot from long distances.
It Revolutionized Moving & Shooting
Aside from the fact you could kill someone with a single body shot — from miles away — the Revolver had another advantage. Unlike the Deagle; whose moving accuracy is not good, the R8 was ideal for people who like to run and shoot. Unlike any other weapon in the game, the R8 Revolver was as accurate as if you were standing still. Of course, there were some small differences, but it took people a couple of days to get used to them.
R8 vs Deagle
Because these two guns are similar, people always wonder which one to get. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, but if we take a look at the things that most people go for, they prefer to get the Deagle. The latter is a little bit more expensive than the R8 (which costs $600), it has almost the same armor penetration. However, it is easier to use, especially for people who are new to the game.
Despite not being as accurate, everyone can get a Deagle and start playing. This is not true for the R8. This gun has its specifics that you have to be used to if you want to make the most of it. That’s one of the reasons why new players rarely give this weapon a chance.
Even though putting in the time and effort to learn how to play with the R8 can be worth it in the long run, most people don’t want to go to the effort. Instead, they prefer to use other popular weapons, like the Deagle and the USP.
Nerfs made the weapon less viable
A couple of days after Valve introduced this weapon to CS:GO, they released a minor update that nerfed it to the ground. No one expected the weapon to be as powerful as it was. But, thanks to streamers and pro players, the folks at Valve realized that the gun was way too strong.
The quick update affected revolver’s Trigger Pull time, as well as its damage. Instead of requiring just 0.3 seconds to trigger, it needed 0.4s to do the same. This didn’t seem a lot on paper, but it made a considerable difference in-game because people were unable to shoot as many bullets as before. Needless to say, it had a negative effect on the weapon’s popularity.
Aside from the Trigger Pull time, the R8 also did less damage. Instead of 115, it was down to 85. In other words, people couldn’t kill their opponents with a single body shot anymore. The only way to kill someone with a single shot now is if you land a headshot. Needless to say, this is not easy, especially when the weapon takes almost half a second to fire.
The Aftermath
Following all of the changes related to this weapon, the R8 Revolver became just another gun people bought when they wanted to have fun. Before the nerfs, this was the preferred option for everyone; it was way more effective than the traditional guns in CS, such as the AK-47 and M4. While the R8 was OP, it replaced Desert Eagle because it did more damage and was better for long-range combat. However, once the nerfs rolled out it was nowhere near as good as the Deagle.
Despite the changes, some of the best CS:GO players still tried to utilize the weapon regularly in pro games. Some of them were successful, but we’ve seen many situations where even the best in the world couldn’t make the weapon work.
The R8 is a unique weapon that’s fun to use and can catch your opponents off guard. However, the gun isn’t what it was a couple of years ago. As a result, it’s better to focus on getting better with Deagle instead of using the Revolver. With that being said, this gun might be a part of the meta in the future. That is why you should keep an eye on the latest updates.