If you follow me on My BlueSky then you likely remember how gung-ho I was about "Big ass mechs with big ass cannons". Well, I loved that, but tonally it kind of ruined the whole hardcore tactics wartime vibe having that as the de-facto weapon type and only working up from there.

Basically, Guns on the Mecha size went from 2800mm to 800mm (don't worry you can unlock 2800mm cannons, field'em wisely though they can't carry much ammo). This creating more "Will I or wont I?" moments during gunfights and also allowed allied Mechs/Infantry to pull in clutch and save your ass. Flanking now serves more of a purpose and setting an ambush in Overwatch Mode now requires more tactful thinking.

This also affects your Secondaries; Offensive gear can now stand out against primary weaponry while Defensive gear can be more versatile.

So far, no affect  on your Support equipment - they still serve their very distinct purpose, whereas your Secondary equipment serves to compliment (if you choose, there's a variety of equipment and the mission load out is always up to you).

You may think "But Chris, 1-Hit KO's with 2800mm cannons sounds pretty hardcore and unforgiving". 

Yeah. Look, I agree but I think you missed my whole ramble though. Anywho that's all byyyyeeee