Ranking All The SMGs In CoD: BO6

Key Takeaways

• SMGs like KSV dominate short maps with better DPS and range, making them consistent and effective in Black Ops 6.
• PP-919 and Tanto .22 struggle due to slow fire rates and poor time-to-kill, making them less competitive in the game.
• The C9 is just the MP5, which means it’s an excellent weapon.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is one of the most high-octane titles within recent memory of the franchise. Thanks to its fast-paced nature and innovative mechanics like omnidirectional movement, the battlefield has never felt this dynamic since the glory days. These new tools open the door to various strategic play styles, with players quickly discovering creative ways to climb the leaderboards.

Thus, one of the most popular weapons to counter these tactics has been SMGs, which have remained meta-defining for several prior Call of Duty titles. In Black Ops 6, they’re back at it again, and with six of them in total, finding the best one can help you dominate even the fastest of opponents.

6

PP-919

Unlock Requirement: Level 37

The MP5 and PP-19 are some of the most beloved SMGs in Call of Duty history, so seeing the PP-919 perform so poorly in Black Ops 6 is truly a letdown. Almost every SMG in the game has specialties in certain areas while lacking in others to maintain balance. Unfortunately, the PP-919, due to its slow nature, is rendered obsolete in almost every scenario.

On top of having the worst time-to-kill, it has the weakest movement speed, ADS speed, and reloading speed, by a significant margin. The questionable horizontal bullet spread doesn’t do it any favors either, so, at its base, the PP-919 is just too slow and regularly gets outclassed.

5

Tanto .22

Unlock Requirement: Level 16

Had it not been for the Tanto’s design, the weapon might have confused you with an assault rifle. Despite its high single-shot damage, its fire rate is so slow that it barely qualifies as an SMG. It’s actually so bad that it forces the Tanto .22 to have the second-worst average time-to-kill in its class.

The only redeeming factor about this weapon is its rather high magazine size, which is usually enough to eliminate at least two players. Overall, though, it seems like the Tanto suffers from an identity crisis, and even as an assault rifle or semi-automatic, it’s not as consistent.

Using the Rapid Fire attachment can substantially improve this weapon, so be sure to equip it once you unlock it.

4

Kompakt 92

Unlock Requirement: Level 49

If you can keep your crosshairs on the target, the Kompakt 92 is easily the best SMG Black Ops 6 has to offer. Thanks to its unbelievably high fire rate, it has the fastest time-to-kill of any weapon in this class. It’s also fairly lightweight compared to other SMGs, so your movement speed is fast and fluid.

However, despite that bloodthirsty aggression, the Kompakt 92 keeps a modest mag size with a high recoil, meaning you’ll often find yourself reloading before the enemy’s down. As such, when looking for suitable attachments, you should prioritize recoil control and magazine extensions.

3

C9

Unlock Requirement: None

Although the C9 may look like a new weapon on paper, it’s just a carbon copy of the dominant MP5 from previous titles. It’s one of the best early-game weapons you can unlock because of its solid time-to-kill, but the damage output quickly falls off at long distances.

Besides its effective range, the C9 barely has any flaws. It has a good mag size, stability, and DPS, and its familiarity makes it easy to pick up. Additionally, unlocking at the beginning of the game means you can unlock attachments for it far quicker than any SMG.

2

Jackal PDW

Unlock Requirement: Level 43

After dominating the beta, the Jackal PDW remains popular because of its ease of use and well-rounded stats. It offers an exceptional time-to-kill in mid-range firefights and, unlike the Kompakt 92, has enough bullets to finish the job even if you miss a few shots.

SMGs historically dominate mid-range maps, and with the Jackal PDW, you can almost always claim MVP on maps like Vorkuta, Vault, and Protocol. The semi-decent recoil and ADS mean you don’t have to focus purely on making the gun steady, letting you branch off to other builds that are unique and viable.

1

KSV

Unlock Requirement: Level 7

The KSV is similar to the C9 in many ways, but it comes with better DPS, range, and accuracy, with a slight trade-off to its fire rate. This is arguably the most consistent SMG in Black Ops 6, having a time-to-kill that prevails in short maps with an effective range that can handle its own in longer ones.

Maps like Payback and Babylon really highlight how good this weapon can be—whether you’re fighting indoors or in an alley on the map’s edge, the KSV will usually come out on top. Furthermore, like the C9, you can unlock it early on, so there’s ample incentive to get it to max level.