Apex Legends Shotgun Guide | All You Need To Know

Shotguns are the basis of the aggressive playstyle in Apex Legends. Mastering how to play around shotguns will not only teach about aggressive play, but also how to play around cover. Each of the 4 shotguns in Apex are unique in their own way providing their own pros and cons. This Apex Legends Shotgun Guide should get you primed and ready for warfare by giving you the intel on each weapon.

Shotguns only receive 2 types of attachments: Optics and Bolts. Bolts increase the fire rate, while optics can help with aiming. The shotguns in Apex receive different bonuses to fire rate based on the shotgun itself, while Optics can be applied to any shotgun.

Optic attachments available for all shotguns are:

Shotguns in Apex tend to be paired with either another close range weapon or a mid to long range weapon. With close range weapons your typical options are SMG's or a Wingman. This combo is the epitome of playing aggressive, by rushing into close range and wreaking havoc. On the other hand, with a mid to long range weapon, you can make up for the exclusivity of close range for shotguns and play at the 2 extremes of ranges (close and far).

Our personal favorite is the EVA-8 and Longbow combination, the two extremes of range. The EVA-8 is still the best shotgun in the game despite the recent nerfs, while the Longbow allows you to play at a distance if you need to.

Here is a basic overview of the Shotguns in Apex Legends: (If you want a detailed breakdown of time to kill (TTK) for each weapon, check out our TTK spreadsheet).

In the early days of Apex, the Mastiff was a beast. However, since its move out of the care package it has fallen off to a degree. The semi automatic shotgun launches 8 pellets horizontally that can shred through enemies within a close range. This spread is decreased when aiming down sights, as the spread further tightens. The Mastiff has a high pellet count as well as good damage per pellet, however it is offset by its slower fire rate and crazy recoil.

With the proper aim, the Mastiff can decimate the unsuspecting. When comparing damage among shotguns, the full spread of the Mastiff comes in second place in our Apex Legends Shotgun Guide. Similar to all shotguns in the game, the Mastiff's potential skyrockets with the use of a bolt. The shot speed increase makes the Mastiff's overall DPS much better.

When using the Mastiff, it is always better to aim down the sight, as the spread condenses, which increases the likelihood to get massive damage with its tight spread. The Mastiff is very reliant on positioning, as the spread is a pure horizontal like, so there is not much to forgive.

However, if you can learn to play around the horizontal spread, the Mastiff can lead you to victory. A special note goes out to Gibraltar with a Mastiff, as aiming down sights with the Mastiff as well as the Gun shield is a nasty combo. Yep, this Apex Legends Shotgun Guide has got you covered.

The bolts' fire rate increase to the Mastiff are:

The EVA-8 Auto is the fastest firing shotgun in Apex which puts this gun up in S-tier of our Apex tier list . Although to counter its fast fire rate, it does the lowest damage per pellet out of the other shotguns. The EVA also has a great spread when it shoots. When fired, a 8 pattern of pellets come out, which means if you center your shots, the 9 pellets can easily hit and deal massive damage. Compared to other shotguns like the Mastiff and the Peacekeeper, it surpasses them in close-quarter damage because of its fast fire rate.

The most significant advantage of this gun is its high fire rate. This fast pace makes it incredibly easy to follow up shots and provide a consistent damage output. Although, due to its low damage per pellet, you really need to hit your spread, or you'll be doing a measly 7 damage. Despite the low damage and the recent nerfs to its fire rate, the EVA-8 is still the best shotgun in the game

The bolts' fire rate increase to the EVA-8 are:

The Mozambique is Apex's most iconic gun. The shotgun pistol hybrid has made significant progress over the years with its steady increase in buffs. However, even with all the buffs, the removal of the Hammerpoint hop up severely hurt the shotgun.

In the Season 9 update, the Mozambique gained the capacity to shoot six bullets, which is a significant buff. The triangular spread makes the Mozambique a bit tricky to use, but each pellet packs a punch. The gun's true use comes from the Arenas game mode, as it is a free weapon with cheap upgrades.

At the end of the day, the Mozambique isn't a gun you want to use all through the game. You typically replace it for either a better shotgun or a better secondary. But, in Arenas it can be paired with an expensive weapon as a nice secondary as the full spread can put in the work if needed.

The bolts' fire rate increase to the Mozambique are:

The Peacekeeper is a fun shotgun. Before the EVA-8 became the beast it is now, everyone was using the Peacekeeper as it was the best shotgun in the game. The shotgun has great damage, a star shaped spread, and on top of that some great animations (particularly when you are on a zipline). What truly makes this weapon unique is the choke. By aiming down for a couple seconds, you can charge the Peacekeeper to reduce the spread.

Although it doesn't have the fastest fire rate or the most forgiving spread, it dishes out ridiculous amounts of damage. Typically holding charges around corners as well as playing on high ground are valuable tactics to have to play around the choke. But, if you can learn and master the spread, then you won't need to rely on the choke that much.

The Peacekeeper is capable of shooting down sights with high accuracy. This allows you to get those high damage headshots. It also doesn't lose its headshot multiplier when used in long or mid range engagements.

Rather than increasing the fire rate, Shotgun bolts decrease the rechamber time for the Peacekeeper, and here's by how much :

That's it for our Apex Legends Shotgun Guide. Be sure to check our guides for other weapon classes!