AS VAL Nerfed in CODM S8 — Fire Rate, Damage, and Range All Changed
Season 8 "Against All Fate" hits the AS VAL with three nerfs at once — fire rate, damage falloff, and effective range. Here is what changed and whether the weapon is still worth running on emulator.
Note: This article is based on pre-launch sources confirmed before September 9. Exact numbers will be verified and updated once the official S8 patch notes are live. Direction of all three changes is confirmed.
The AS VAL is one of the more interesting ARs in Call of Duty: Mobile for emulator players. Its burst fire mode is easy to control on mouse, its subsonic nature makes suppressed builds practical, and its damage was strong enough at close-to-mid range to compete with SMGs. Season 8 "Against All Fate" changes all three of those numbers at once.
What changed
Three separate adjustments hit the AS VAL in Season 8:
Damage falloff range tightened
Old: 15M — 50M — 75M breakpoints New: 25M — 38M — 75M breakpoints
The first breakpoint actually moved out (15M → 25M), meaning you get full base damage slightly further than before. But the second breakpoint collapsed hard — from 50M down to 38M. That 12-meter swing is significant in typical engagement ranges.
Damage profile adjusted
Old: 46 — 45 — 39 — 34 New: 48 — 44 — 35 — 30
Point-blank damage went up slightly (46 → 48). But every tier from the first breakpoint onward dropped. At the 25–38M range that most AR-to-AR fights happen, the AS VAL now deals 44 instead of 45 — barely noticeable on paper, but paired with the fire rate change, it affects how many shots you need per kill.
Beyond 38M the damage drops to 35 and then 30, down from 39 and 34. That is meaningful for a weapon that previously had passable mid-range capability.
Fire rate reduced
Old: +300% fire rate modifier in burst/auto mode New: +200% fire rate modifier
This is the most impactful change. The fire rate nerf slows the AS VAL's attack cadence enough that the time-to-kill at mid-range gets noticeably longer — you are now dealing less damage per bullet AND shooting less frequently. The combination hits harder than either change would alone.
What this means for emulator play specifically
The AS VAL on GameLoop PC was used for one main thing: controlled burst fire at close-to-mid range, where mouse precision turns the burst pattern into consistent hits and the subsonic damage did enough work to compete.
Close range (0–25M): The weapon is slightly better than before in absolute damage terms (48 vs 46 base). But the fire rate nerf offsets the damage gain — you hit for slightly more per bullet, but you shoot slower, so time-to-kill at close range is roughly flat or marginally worse depending on armor type. Not a dramatic change here.
Mid range (25–38M): This is where the nerf lands hardest. The old AS VAL was competitive in this bracket. The new AS VAL has a lower fire rate and damage drops to 44 immediately at 25M. Emulator players who used the weapon for 30–40M suppressed burst fights will notice the kill time extend by one full burst cycle against armored opponents.
Beyond 38M: The AS VAL was not a long-range weapon before. It is less of one now. The 35 → 30 drop beyond 38M and 75M respectively makes passive mid-map holds less viable.
Burst mode control on mouse: The fire rate reduction slightly changes the rhythm of the burst — each burst cycle takes marginally longer. Players who have timed their burst sequences will need to adjust their expectation of how many bursts it takes per kill. It is not a dramatic retrain but it is noticeable.
The meta context
The S8 balance pass is pushing players away from mobile-movement weapons (FSS Hurricane sprint nerf, Jet Boost BR changes) and from high-fire-rate ARs in burst mode. The direction is toward direct, deliberate gunfights over mobility-based aggression.
On emulator that trend somewhat favors you — PC players were already less reliant on sprint-speed advantages and more reliant on aim. The weapons getting buffed this season (S36 LMG, Cronen Squall AR, Fennec SMG, LAPA SMG) are all weapons with straightforward engagement loops that benefit from stable mouse aim.
The S36 LMG in particular is worth building this season. Its ADS time dropped (420ms → 380ms) and STF time dropped (180ms → 150ms). Those are the two stats that made LMGs feel sluggish on PC. An S36 with an Aim Assist keymapping setup and a stable mouse grip now competes in mid-range in a way it did not in S7.
Should you keep running the AS VAL in S8?
If you used it for close-range suppressed gunfights (0–25M), the weapon is still functional — the slight damage bump at close range partially offsets the fire rate nerf.
If you used it for mid-range burst control (25–50M), the nerf is material. The effective zone tightened and the fire rate is slower. You will need more precision to replicate your S7 performance.
The AS VAL is not dead — it is adjusted. Players who built their aim around its burst rhythm will adapt. Players who used it opportunistically because it was strong should test an S36 or Cronen Squall in S8 before defaulting back to the VAL.
Check the official patch notes on September 9 for confirmed live numbers, then test in a private match before committing to a ranked loadout change.
Keymapping note for GameLoop
If you were running the AS VAL on full-auto mode rather than burst (some players prefer this on PC for spray control), the fire rate nerf hits you harder than burst users, because auto mode was already less efficient per bullet and now each bullet arrives slower. On full-auto, switching to the Cronen Squall or FFAR 1 (both buffed in S8) is likely the cleaner upgrade path.
For burst mode users: keep the weapon if you like the feel. Reduce your target range expectations from 50M to 38M and adjust your burst-count mental model by +1 per mid-range kill.