Apex Legends players know that the R-99 SMG can be key to grabbing a victory. Though, there are a few tips that you can use in battle to really master this rapid weapon.
The R-99 SMG is one of the top-tier weapons to use in Apex Legends, so picking one up is a great way to give yourself a chance of becoming the Apex Champion.
However, the rapid sub-machine gun is a weapon that can also be pretty tricky to handle. Its recoil is one of the most difficult to control in-game and to do the full 198 damage, you will have to land 90% of the shots from one round of ammo – which can be difficult in the late game.
It didn’t receive any real major changes in the Season 14 buffs and nerfs, but to help you unleash the R-99’s full potential, you’ll need to get to grips with its hyper-aggressive playstyle.
Apex Legends R-99 damage stats
As noted, the R-99 can deal some serious damage if you get up close and personal with an enemy player. If you’ve managed to master the recoil, you’ll shred through an enemy’s health in no time.
If you’re lucky enough to get a weapon in the early part of the game, where enemies don’t have a ton of armor on, it’ll take between six and eight clean shots to deal 100 damage to an unarmored opponent. The full damage breakdown for the R-99 can be found below.
| Body Part | Damage |
| Head | 17 (1.5x) |
| Body | 11 |
| Legs | 9 |
| Body DPS | 198 |
R-99 Mag attachments
This lightning-fast SMG can spew out hundreds of Light Rounds with very little downtime, provided you have the ammo. To avoid having to constantly reload mid-firefight, you’ll want to prioritize upgrading the R-99’s Mag.
Below you can see the number of rounds each mag rarity will give you.
- Stock: 20
- White Mag: 22
- Blue Mag: 24
- Purple/Gold: 27
R-99 optic attachments
Here are the optics that can be equipped to the R-99:
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- 1x Holo
- 1x HCOG “Classic”
- 2x HCOG “Bruiser”
- 1x-2x Variable Holo
- 1x Digital Threat
Load up on attachments and use optics
Now, if you’re dedicated to getting better at Apex, mastering the R-99’s recoil can take some time in the Firing Range. However, if the luck is on your side, you’re better off loading up on attachments – specifically the Barrel Stabilizer, Extended Light Mag, and a sight of your choice.
Unlike some other weapons, you aren’t slowed down when you aim down sight. In fact, when you aim down sight with the R-99, you’re still pretty quick across the ground. This means that you ADS without becoming a sitting duck.
Don’t ever use the R-99 at long range
Kill-hungry Apex players will take shots with weapons even when they aren’t supposed to. You may deal a tiny touch of damage to an enemy, but you’re likely to never get a kill as enemies will simply dash away.
The R-99 only has a 1x headshot multiplier from 39 meters and beyond. This means you’re better off either using your secondary weapon at range or trying to get closer to your foe.
Also, Apex Legends Season 14: Hunted added the Laser Sight attachment which can greatly reduce hipfire spread, making the R-99 even more of a beam in close-quarters combat.
R-99 recoil pattern
You can see the recoil pattern for the R-99 above. After shaking from side-to-side for the first 5-6 shots, it goes flying up and slightly to the right. To mitigate this, simply pull down and veer slightly left.
Once you’ve mastered this recoil pattern, you’ll be even more accurate in close-quarter fights. You can see recoil patterns for all the weapons here.
So, there you have it, everything you need to know about the R-99. If you follow these R-99 tips & tricks, you’ll be able to secure more SMG kills in no time.