The latest Rivals update touches sixteen items in total, and the split is lopsided. Buffs make up the bulk of the patch, nerfs are limited to a pair of weapons, and two more entries land in a middle category that the balance pass treats as neither an upgrade nor a downgrade.
Quick answer: Twelve items were buffed (Minigun, Permafrost, Maul, Flashbang, Freeze Ray, Grappler, Grenade, Jump Pad, Molotov, Smoke Grenade, Trip Mine and Warp Stone), two were nerfed (Burst Rifle and Distortion), and two received mild changes that count as neither (Crossbow and Sniper).
Full list of balance changes in the new Rivals update
Every item touched by the patch, sorted by how the change affects it.
| Item | Change |
|---|---|
| Minigun | Buff |
| Permafrost | Buff |
| Maul | Buff |
| Flashbang | Buff |
| Freeze Ray | Buff |
| Grappler | Buff |
| Grenade | Buff |
| Jump Pad | Buff |
| Molotov | Buff |
| Smoke Grenade | Buff |
| Trip Mine | Buff |
| Warp Stone | Buff |
| Burst Rifle | Nerf |
| Distortion | Nerf |
| Crossbow | Mild change (neutral) |
| Sniper | Mild change (neutral) |
All 12 buffed items
Utility gear carries this patch. Flashbang, Freeze Ray, Grenade, Molotov, Smoke Grenade and Trip Mine all move up, which covers nearly the entire throwable and trap category at once. Movement tools follow the same pattern, with Grappler, Jump Pad and Warp Stone all landing on the buff side.
On the weapon side, the list is much shorter. Minigun, Permafrost and Maul are the only three non-utility entries getting improvements, so the practical effect of the update is felt more in how you open a fight, reposition or deny space than in how much damage your primary puts out.
- Weapons buffed: Minigun, Permafrost, Maul
- Throwables and traps buffed: Flashbang, Freeze Ray, Grenade, Molotov, Smoke Grenade, Trip Mine
- Movement and repositioning tools buffed: Grappler, Jump Pad, Warp Stone
Burst Rifle and Distortion nerfs
Only two items were pulled down in this pass. Burst Rifle takes a nerf, continuing a long pattern of the weapon being reined in whenever it climbs back toward the top of the pick order. Distortion is the other item on the list.
Note: because everything else in the patch either improved or stayed roughly level, both of these effectively fall further behind than the nerf alone suggests. If Burst Rifle or Distortion was your default pick, expect it to feel weaker relative to the twelve buffed items, not just weaker than it was before the update.
Crossbow and Sniper: The neutral changes
Crossbow and Sniper both appear in the update, but neither is a buff or a nerf. The adjustments are mild enough that they sit in their own category, and they should not shift where either weapon lands in the pecking order. You can keep running the same loadout with either one without relearning it.
What the patch means for your loadout
With nine of the twelve buffs going to utility items, the cheapest way to benefit from this update is to change what you bring alongside your gun rather than changing the gun itself. Grenade, Molotov, Flashbang and Smoke Grenade all got better at the same time, and so did the three tools you use to close or break distance.
The two weapons on the nerf list are the only ones that need a real second look. Everything else either improved or stayed where it was, so most loadouts survive this patch intact.
