Armored Core 6 Ver.1.02 Update: was Balteus really nerfed that hard and how? We checked 

FromSoftware’s Ver.1.02 patch for ARMORED CORE VI FIRES OF RUBICON released on September 11 has implemented balance changes for Balteus and two other bosses in the game, but specific details on what was adjusted are not known. In this article, I report on my findings upon having a look at what feels different, focusing on the battle against Balteus. 

Although the particulars of what has been changed with the balance adjustments implemented this time around, players seem to feel that the Chapter 1 boss AAP07: BALTEUS has been weakened, and many report feeling that Balteus’ homing missiles have been nerfed significantly.  

In an attempt to verify these claims, I tried comparing how the homing missiles act now vs on a gameplay video taken before the update. And certainly, I could feel a difference. For example, in taking on Balteus prior to the update, one had to read the trajectory of the missiles carefully, and dodge swiftly after they came in close proximity. Carelessly dodging in any direction will not help shake off the missiles, and you will instead get staggered and take heavy damage.

However, now, after the patch, it seems you can dodge most of Balteus’ missiles by simply automatically locking-on and running in one direction. While Balteus’ missile launching has an abundance of different patterns, it seems homing performances have been brought down as a whole. The boss’ barrage of homing missiles was one of the things players dreaded the most (Related article), so this change makes the boss battle considerably less challenging. That said, Balteus’ Grenade Launcher and other weapons are still very much in tip-top condition, so neglecting to dodge them using Quick Boosts will more than likely end in your demise. 

The various boss- and weapon-related updates this time around all seem to be favorable to players, so those who had previously felt that the game’s difficulty is not suitable for them might be encouraged to give Armored Core 6 another try, while veterans can enjoy the renewed performances of Rifles and Machine Guns in their assemblies. 

ARMORED CORE VI FIRES OF RUBICON is available for the PC (Steam)/PlayStation 4/PlayStation 5/Xbox One/Xbox Series X|S. 

Written by. Amber V based on the original Japanese article (original article’s publication date: 2023-09-11 21:33 JST)