Far Far West Update 644 Explained — Overblast Nerf Math & Prestige Order
Update 644 went live on May 14, 2026. Three changes actually move the meta:
- ①Overblast nerf — extra pellet now triggers every 4 missing shots instead of every 1, dropping it from S-tier broken to roughly +22-38% magazine damage (still strong, no longer mandatory).
- ②Prestige overhaul — grind halved, cap raised from 10 → 15, bonus upgrade slots go 5 → 6.
- ③Instanced Joker drops — drops are now per-player, ending the host-hoarding problem in co-op.
Everything else (Wishing Well Joker drops, Cryptic Deadeye lock-on cap, carrying pigs and chickens, piano emote) is quality-of-life polish.
Is Overblast still worth using after the May 14 nerf?
Short answer: Yes, but it's no longer auto-pick.Overblast went from a Joker that trivialized higher difficulties to one that sits next to Lucky Strikes and Consumer in the "good but specific" tier.
What changed about Overblast in Update 644
| Rule | Before May 14 | After May 14 |
|---|---|---|
| Trigger | +1 pellet per 1 missing shot | +1 pellet per 4 missing shots |
| Last-shot bonus (10-round mag) | up to +9 extra pellets | up to +2 extra pellets |
| Last-shot bonus (20-round mag) | up to +19 extra pellets | up to +4 extra pellets |
Overblast magazine damage math (post-nerf)
The pre-nerf curve compounded fast — the last few shots of a magazine were doing absurd damage, which is why Evil Raptor called it out as a Joker that "initially slipped under the radar, trivializing higher difficulties" (patch notes, 2026-05-14).
Post-nerf, Overblast still adds roughly +22% magazine damage with no clip-size investment, and scales up to about +38% when stacked with magazine-size upgrades — comparable to running two Lucky Strikes or one Consumer.
Overblast verdict by build archetype
| Build | Pre-nerf | Post-nerf | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shotgun + magazine-size stack | S | A | Still scales, just no longer broken |
| Long Ranger / sniper | C | C | Single-shot weapons barely interact with missing shots |
| Quad Cylinder burst | A | B | Loses peak burst potential, still solid |
| Minigun spray | B | B | Largely unaffected (high mag count = always shallow curve) |
What changed in Far Far West Early Access Update 1 (v644)?
The full official changelog is auto-mirrored at /patch-notes/v644. Below is the high-signal version with our read on each item:
| Category | Change | Quantified impact | Build implication |
|---|---|---|---|
| Balance | Overblast: pellet trigger 1 → 4 missing shots | −78% bonus pellets on last shot of a 10-mag | See section above |
| Prestige | Grind cost halved | 2× faster to max | Re-evaluate Prestige order — see below |
| Prestige | Cap 10 → 15 | +5 levels per hero / weapon | Late-game ceiling raised |
| Prestige | Bonus upgrade slot 5 → 6 | +1 slot at max Prestige | One more upgrade slot to plan for |
| XP | Primary weapon XP ×1.5 | 33% faster weapon mastery | Speedrun primary mastery |
| XP | Secondary weapon XP ×2 | 50% faster secondary mastery | Secondary builds finally viable to grind |
| Drops | Jokers drop per-player (instanced) | Host-only hoarding ends | Co-op fairness fix; nothing to do |
| Drops | Wishing Well can roll Jokers | New Joker source | Visit the Well every run |
| Enemies | Cryptic Deadeye lock-on cap: ∞ → 2 players | Lock-on capped at 2 players; stagger slightly longer | 4-player runs hugely easier |
| Enemies | Cryptic Deathrattle glows + attack cooldown | More telegraph, lower attack rate | Less random one-shotting in late waves |
| QoL | Carry pigs and chickens in the Saloon | Cosmetic / chill | — |
| QoL | Piano emote added | Cosmetic | — |
What's the best Prestige order after Update 644?
With cap raised to 15 and grind halved, the optimal route shifts. Our recommendation, in order:
- Prestige your main weapon first, not your hero. Primary weapon XP is now ×1.5 and Prestige unlocks a bonus upgrade slot — fastest path to a usable build.
- Push to Prestige 6 on weapon, then switch to hero.Diminishing returns kick in around P6-P8 on weapon; hero Prestige unlocks character-slot upgrades that benefit every weapon you'll run after.
- Don't dump XP into secondaries until your primary is P5+. Secondary XP at ×2 means you can backfill secondary mastery in a few runs once primary is set up.
- Save the 6th bonus upgrade slot for endgame Jokers, not flat stats. Mythic / Legendary Jokers scale better in the new bonus slot than +5% damage trinkets.
Far Far West build tier shifts after Update 644
Cross-check this section against /best-builds — the build tier list has been updated with Update 644 notes.
Builds still A-tier after Update 644
- ▸Pistolero + Wallo cactus build (unchanged; cactus still strong vs Cryptic Necromancer)
- ▸Long Ranger sniper (single-shot, Overblast nerf doesn't touch it; still top boss-killer)
- ▸Minigun spray (Overblast was never dominant here; build profile unchanged)
Builds demoted by the Overblast nerf
- ▸Shotgun Overblast OTK — was the de-facto highest-difficulty solo build; S → A
- ▸Empty-mag fishing playstyle (deliberately holding the last shot) — significantly less rewarding
Builds (relatively) buffed by Update 644
- ▸Quad Cylinder + Lucky Strikes (relative buff: S-tier alternative got cut)
- ▸Co-op 4-stack vs Cryptic Deadeye (Deadeye nerf makes 4-player trivially safer than solo)
- ▸Secondary-focused hybrids (secondary XP ×2 makes dual-weapon builds efficient to grind)
Far Far West Update 644 FAQ
Q.Is Overblast nerfed in Update 644?
Q.How much was Prestige grind reduced?
Q.What is the new Prestige cap in Far Far West?
Q.Can I still hoard Jokers from other players in co-op?
Q.When was Far Far West Update 644 released?
Q.Do I need to re-roll my Prestige progress after the cap raise?
Q.Is Far Far West still being actively patched?
Sources
- ▸Official Steam News — Far Far West Update 644 (auto-mirrored)
- ▸Far Far West Early Access Update 1 patch notes — Dot Esports
- ▸Far Far West Early Access Version 644 Patch Notes — FandomWire
- ▸A new Far Far West update slices its grind in half — PCGamesN
- ▸Top Jokers To Pick In Far Far West — The Gamer (pre-patch tier reference)
- ▸KeenGamer — quoted for the +22-38% magazine damage range
All sources accessed May 19, 2026. This page synthesizes the official patch notes (mirrored from Steam News API), three independent press write-ups, and community discussion from the 48-72 hours following release. Numbers should be treated as approximate until community consensus settles.
More Far Far West patch coverage
Unofficial guide. Not affiliated with Evil Raptor or Fireshine Games. We do not playtest patches in-game; this analysis synthesizes public sources listed above.