Black Ops 6 Update Nerfs Assault Rifles, Buffs SMGs

Key Takeaways

• The new Black Ops 6 update improves stability, fixes bugs, and balances gameplay.
• The update nerfs Recon Combat Specialty, tweaks weapon balance, and improves spawns.
• More adjustments to spawns, weapons, and more are expected in future updates.

Treyarch has issued a brand-new update for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 that users can download right now. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 launched at the end of October to mostly positive reviews, but there’s always room for improvement. To that end, Treyarch has released multiple updates for Black Ops 6 post-launch.

Multiple Black Ops 6 updates have been released to address bugs and balance problems in the popular FPS. One of the more notable updates came at the start of November, when Treyarch launched the game’s first Double XP weekend and added Nuketown. Now yet another Black Ops 6 update is available to download, with this one making wide-ranging balance adjustments and other changes.

The new Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 update improves the game’s stability and fixes a variety of bugs. It has made it possible for Nuketown to be used in Private Matches, and it has also tackled one of the game’s most controversial Combat Specialties head-on. The Black Ops 6 Recon Combat Specialty has been heavily criticized for essentially being “wallhacks,” and so Treyarch has dialed back its effectiveness. As of the latest update, Recon duration has been reduced to 1.5 seconds with an additional reduction coming in a future update. A bug that allowed Black Ops 6 players to activate Recon by changing their loadouts has also been squashed by the new update.

Black Ops 6 Update AR and SMG Balance Changes

Assault Rifle Adjustments

SMG Adjustments

Among the many other changes made in the new update, spawning has gotten a shake-up, which will be good news for fans that have found Black Ops 6 spawns lacking. Treyarch noted that there will be more changes to how spawning works in Black Ops 6 as more data is collected, so fans should keep that in mind.

As mentioned previously, the latest update for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has also tweaked many of the game’s guns, nerfing and buffing them as Treyarch has seen fit. After downloading the new update, Black Ops 6 players will notice that guns like the XM4 have been nerfed, while SMGs have been buffed. Just as Black Ops 6 multiplayer spawns will continue to be adjusted in future updates, so too will weapon balance, and so fans can expect many more changes in the months ahead.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 November 4 Update Patch Notes

GLOBAL

Stability

• Improved stability when interacting with the Message of the Day.
• Improved stability when sending voice communications.

Progression

• Completion display will now properly appear when completing Prestige Challenges in both Multiplayer and Zombies.

Operators

• Addressed an issue where Bailey wasn’t holding an intended Pistol in the Operator selection menu.

MULTIPLAYER

Maps

• Nuketown
  • Nuketown is now available in Private Matches.

Modes

• Addressed an issue where players were spawned in when joining a session in progress instead of spectating before selecting a Loadout. Yes, we saw ourselves in a Killcam before selecting a Loadout too.
• Improved stability in Infected game mode.

Spawns

• General spawn logic tuning across several maps for improved spawning.

Spawn tuning will be an ongoing process of taking in data, reviewing gameplay and making measured adjustments in the live environment. Our number one goal is to always provide the safest spawn that we can across all maps and game modes.

Loadouts

• Addressed an issue where players would automatically equip their previously used Loadout when joining matches already in progress.
• Addressed an issue where Players would die at initial spawn when selecting their Loadout.

Shotguns

Last week, we fixed an issue with shotgun Slugs, but we are still working on an additional issue causing this attachment to perform better in hip fire than intended. Slugs are meant to offer an alternate playstyle for shotguns that trades close quarters effectiveness for improved range and precision. We are removing the ability for Slugs to one-hit kill to the body for now and will be revisiting the overall tuning of this attachment in an upcoming update.

• Marine SP
  • Slug attachment Max Damage reduced from 106 to 92.
• ASG-89
  • Slug attachment Max Damage reduced from 106 to 92.

Perks

• Recon Combat Specialty
  • Reduced duration that enemies are highlighted after respawning to 1.5 seconds from 2 seconds. An additional reduction will be coming before Season 01.
  • Resolved an issue that allowed players to activate Recon Combat Specialty by changing Loadouts.
• Dispatcher
  • Increased Dispatcher Perk score cost for UAV from 500 to 550.
  • Increased Dispatcher Perk score cost for Counter UAV from 550 to 600.

As we head into Season 1, we are continuing to observe data and feedback for Perks and Combat Specialties in Multiplayer. Currently, Enforcer is the most popular Combat Specialty with Recon in second place. It’s not just about the data though, as your feedback is a critical part of how we approach tuning of the live game. With that said, we are making some spot adjustments today as we as we continue to take a holistic look at our Perks and Combat Specialties moving forward.

Equipment

• Flashbang
  • Reduced Flashbang Tactical screen effect duration by 20%.

Scorestreaks

• Increased health of UAV and Counter UAV (rockets to destroy remain unchanged).
• Increased initial explosion radius of Napalm Strike.
• Reduced the initial entry delay of the LDBR.
• Increased the fly-in speed of the Strategic Bomber.
• Reduced score cost for Interceptors from 1250 to 1150.

Movement Updates

• Adjusted stance change cooldowns to reduce effectiveness of repeated prone to stand movement (enough snaking).

XP Earn Rates

• Adjusted Player XP and Weapon XP earn rates for most modes to ensure that players are being rewarded for their match performance as expected wherever they play. These changes include:
  • Increased Weapon XP earn rates for most modes
  • Increased Player XP earn rates for the following modes:
    • Team Deathmatch
    • Control
    • Search & Destroy
    • Gunfight
  • Slight decrease to Player XP and Weapon XP earned in Face Off modes

Challenges

• Addressed an issue where players were able to complete the Nuke Challenge while dying.

UI

• Appropriate Perks will now display when viewing the featured player during Best Play.

Known Issues

• Gunsmith
  • We are investigating an issue where any equipped Optic attachment is removed when when entering the Gunsmith in Main Menus.
    • Players will not notice this issue if entering Gunsmith during a match.
    • Players can equip Optic attachments, but will need to re-equip them anytime they enter Gunsmith in a Main Menu to adjust attachments or customizations.
      • In cases where an Optic is locked and equipped via a Blueprint, players will need to reapply the Blueprint to obtain the Optic.

ZOMBIES

• UI
  • GobbleGum names will now properly update when switching between tier tabs.