Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6 & Warzone

Every season or mid-season update in Call of Duty introduces a range of weapon adjustments, and Black Ops 6 and Warzone Season 1 Reloaded are no exception. These changes aim to balance the meta, creating opportunities for a wider variety of weapon choices.

With each title featuring its own unique weapon roster — and Warzone offering nearly 200 weapons across multiple games — it’s essential to stay informed about these adjustments to optimize your loadouts. That said, here are all the weapon buffs and nerfs introduced in BO6 and Warzone Season 1 Reloaded.

The first season of Black Ops 6 and Warzone acts as a testing phase for new content and weaponry, during which developers typically implement major weapon buffs and nerfs. These updates are designed to create opportunities for underused weapons while rebalancing those that are overpowered or overly dominant, promoting a more varied and dynamic selection.

Planned Weapon Buffs & Nerfs In Season 1 Reloaded (Black Ops 6)

Black Ops 6 is set to receive a “large weapon balancing” update for its arsenal, but Activision has confirmed this will be released separately from the Season 1 Reloaded update. Instead, it will arrive “shortly after launch” to address key pieces of community feedback. In the meantime, they’ve shared some “high-level changes” coming to the game:

• Headshot damage improvements on full-auto weapons
• Full removal of idle sway at the start of ADS on Sniper Rifles
• Reductions to visual recoil, sway, and bob

All Weapon Buffs & Nerfs In Season 1 Reloaded (Warzone)

In Warzone, several significant changes have been introduced to shake up the meta and provide players with new weapon options. With the game’s arsenal including weapons from previous titles like MW2 and MW3, the developers have made adjustments across all titles to create a more diverse and balanced selection. Check out all the buffs and nerfs in the game below:

Changes To Black Ops 6 Weapons In Warzone

• Full removal of idle sway at the start of ADS on Sniper Rifles
• Reductions to visual recoil, sway, and bob

Originally introduced with Modern Warfare 2 and still available up to now, these small tweaks have been highly requested by the community to improve the Sniper Rifle quickscoping experience and make their overall handling feel smoother and less clunky. However, these adjustments will only apply to Black Ops 6 weapons. As a result, players may shift away from weapons from other titles if they notice a significant performance difference after the update.

Assault Rifle Balance Changes In Warzone

AK-74

• Maximum Damage Range (36) increased from 45.72m to 53.34m
• Medium Damage Range (33) increased from 45.72 – 66m to 53.34 – 71m
• Minimum Damage Range (28) increased from >66m to >71m
• Bullet Velocity increased from 760m/s to 830m/s

AMES 85

• Bullet Velocity increased from 760m/s to 810m/s

AS VAL

• Maximum Damage Range (27) increased from 40.6m to 48.26m
• Medium Damage Range (24) increased from 40.6 – 53.34m to 48.26 – 66m
• Minimum Damage Range (22) increased from >53.34m to >66m
• Bullet Velocity increased from 725m/s to 790m/s
• Aim Down Sight Speed improved from 230ms to 220ms

Goblin Mk2

• Bullet Velocity increased from 740m/s to 800m/s

GPR 91

• Bullet Velocity increased from 730m/s to 780m/s

Krig C

• Maximum Damage Range (35) increased from 43.18m to 47m
• Medium Damage Range (32) increased from 43.18 – 55.8m to 47 – 63.1m
• Minimum Damage Range (29) increased from >55.8m to >63.1m
• Bullet Velocity increased from 750m/s to 815m/s

Model L

• Bullet Velocity increased from 770m/s to 820m/s

XM4

• Bullet Velocity increased from 750m/s to 800m/s

STG44 (MW3)

• Lower Torso modifier decreased from 1.3x to 1.15x

BP50 (MW3)

• JAK Revenger Kit
  • Maximum Damage Range decreased from 12.1m to 10.1m
  • Medium Damage Range damage decreased from 21 to 20
  • Medium Damage Range decreased from 19.9m to 17.8m
  • Lower Torso and Leg modifiers decreased from 1x to 0.96x
  • Bullet Velocity decreased from 500m/s to 470m/s

Assault Rifles remain the most user-friendly and effective choice for controlling long-range engagements, as demonstrated by popular choices like the XM4 and Model L, both of which offer low recoil for better accuracy. To enhance their performance, bullet velocity has been increased — improving hit registration — a critical factor in Warzone’s long-range combat scenarios.

Additionally, the damage ranges of several underperforming weapons have been individually adjusted to bring them closer in line with the current meta. The BP50, a popular choice for close-range combat and often used as sniper support since MW3‘s era, has been nerfed, creating a space for other weapons options like SMGs to join the rotation.

Battle Rifle Balance Changes In Warzone

DTIR 30-06 (MW3)

• Bullet Velocity decreased from 800m/s to 730 m/s
• Upper Torso modifier decreased from 1.3x to 1.2x
• Arm modifiers decreased from 1.3x to 1x
• Leg modifiers decreased from 1x to 0.9x

SMG Balance Changes In Warzone

All Black Ops 6 SMGs

• Reload speeds increased by 10%

C9

• Medium Damage Range 2 (28) increased from 22.3 – 29.7m to 22.3 – 31m
• Minimum Damage Range (26) increased from >29.7m to >31m
• Headshot modifier increased from 1.07x to 1.1x
• Leg modifiers increased from 0.77x to 0.9x

Kompakt 92

• Maximum Damage Range (25) increased from 10.2m to 10.5m
• Medium Damage Range (22) increased from 10.2 – 20.32m to 10.5 – 20.32m
• Headshot modifier increased from 1.07x to 1.15x
• Upper Torso and Arm modifiers increased from 1x to 1.07x
• Lower Torso and Leg modifiers increased from 0.9x to 0.95x

Striker 9 (MW3)

• Headshot modifier decreased from 1.25x to 1.22x
• Upper Torso modifier decreased from 1.15x to 1.1x
• Lower Torso modifier decreased from 1.1x to 1x
• Bullet Velocity decreased from 500m/s to 470m/s

Static-HV (MW3)

• Headshot modifier decreased from 1.2x to 1.15x
• Upper Torso, Lower Torso, and Arm modifiers decreased from 1.1x to 1x

SMGs excel in close-quarters combat, where mobility and speed are essential for success. While most perform well in these areas, they have struggled with range and body extremities damage modifiers, often feeling underpowered compared to other options like Shotguns, particularly in mid to close-range fights. However, other strong options, like the Static-HV and Striker from MW3, were slightly nerfed, requiring players to land more headshots or upper torso shots for optimal effectiveness.

LMG Balance Changes In Warzone

GPMG-7

• Maximum Damage Range (27) increased from 35.56m to 40.64m
• Medium Damage Range (22) increased from 35.56 – 48.26m to 40.64 – 55.88m
• Minimum Damage Range (20) increased from >48.26m to >55.88m
• Upper Torso and Arm modifiers increased from 0.94x to 1x
• Bullet Velocity increased from 690m/s to 750m/s
• Aim Down Sight Speed improved from 460ms to 410ms

PU-21

• Medium Damage Range (25) increased from 40.64 – 52.07m to 40.64 – 58.42m
• Minimum Damage decreased from 24 to 23
• Minimum Damage Range increased from >52.07m to >58.42m
• Headshot modifier increased from 1.1x to 1.12x
• Upper Torso and Arm modifiers increased from 1x to 1.07x
• Bullet Velocity increased from 700m/s to 760m/s
• Aim Down Sight Speed improved from 435ms to 400ms

XMG

• Upper Torso and Arm modifiers increased from 1x to 1.04x
• Bullet Velocity increased from 710m/s to 770m/s
• Aim Down Sight Speed improved from 450ms to 420m

RAAL MG (MW2)

• Maximum Damage decreased from 45 to 25
• Maximum Damage Range increased from 30m to 40m
• Minimum Damage decreased from 30 to 20
• Minimum Damage Range increased from >30m to >40m

Dominating Season 1 with their high damage output and large magazines, popular choices like the RAAL MG (MW2) have seen significant damage nerfs, despite their versatility across various ranges. To compensate for the inherent heaviness and slower handling of LMGs compared to other weapon classes, their ADS speed has been improved. Additionally, extremity damage modifiers have been adjusted to make engagements feel more consistent.

Marksman Rifle Balance Changes In Warzone

All Black Ops 6 Marksman Rifles

• Reload speeds increased by 12%

AEK-973

• Bullet Velocity increased from 860m/s to 900m/s

DM-10

• Bullet Velocity increased from 850m/s to 890m/s

SWAT 5.56

• Maximum Damage Range (50) increased from 33.02m to 40.64m
• Minimum Damage Range (40) increased from >33.02m to >40.64m
• Arm modifiers increased from 0.82x to 1x
• Bullet Velocity increased from 830m/s to 870m/s

Tsarkov 7.62

• Bullet Velocity increased from 875m/s to 915m/s

Much like Assault Rifles, Marksman Rifles are intended to be strong contenders for long-range engagements. While some, like the AEK-973, have carved out a spot in the meta, issues with hit registration at long distances have persisted. The buff to bullet velocity should significantly improve their performance in these scenarios, making them more reliable for precise, long-range combat.

Shotgun Balance Changes In Warzone

Lockwood 300 (MW3)

• Maximum Damage decreased from 50 to 28
• Maelstrom Dual Trigger
  • Maximum Damage decreased from 100 to 50
  • Maximum Damage Range increased from 2m to 7.62m
  • Minimum Damage decreased from 32 to 25

Sniper Rifle Balance Changes In Warzone

SP-X 80 (MW3)

• Fixed incorrect damage value; it will now 1-shot headshot within its maximum damage range.

Keep in mind that all of these changes to
Black Ops 6
and
Warzone
’s weapons are
based on their default values
. This means they can be further adjusted and enhanced with the
best loadouts for each weapon
. So, when creating your setup, consider experimenting with options that may not have been as powerful or popular in the past.

• 

  Released

  October 25, 2024

  Multiplayer

  Online Multiplayer , Online Co-Op

  Engine

  IW 9.0

  ESRB

  Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Suggestive Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs

  How Long To Beat

  8 Hours

  Steam Deck Compatibility

  Unknown

  X|S Optimized

  Yes

  PS Plus Availability

  N/A

  OpenCritic Rating

  Strong

  Cross Save

  Yes – PlayStation, Xbox, PC

  Cross-Platform Play

  Yes – PlayStation, Xbox, PC

  Expand

• 

  First-Person Shooter

  Battle Royale

  Released

  March 10, 2020

  Multiplayer

  Online Multiplayer

  Engine

  IW 8.0

  ESRB

  M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Drugs, Violence

  How Long To Beat

  30-36 hours

  Steam Deck Compatibility

  no

  X|S Optimized

  YES

  PS Plus Availability

  N/A

  OpenCritic Rating

  Strong

  Cross Save

  YES

  Cross-Platform Play

  PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S

  Expand