Call of Duty Update Makes Big Change to Weapons in Warzone and Black Ops 6

Key Takeaways

• Treyarch’s December 10 update for Black Ops 6 and Warzone focuses on weapon balance, aiming stability, and headshot effectiveness.
• Treyarch aims to maintain weapon variety and balance while improving gunplay dynamics.

A new Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 update released by developer Treyarch aims to address outstanding issues with various weapons. The patch affects many weapons in both Black Ops 6 and Call of Duty: Warzone.

As a competitive multiplayer game and one of the best battle royale games around, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Warzone are pulling double duty whenever developers issue a new update. New Call of Duty updates that shake up the balance in multiplayer often also make changes that affect the experience in Warzone. As a result, the community is constantly evaluating changes made to determine the best Black Ops 6 weapons in real-time, as the meta shifts with every new decision.

A new update from Treyarch dated December 10, 2024 promises to make further changes to Black Ops 6 and Warzone weapons, addressing community complaints. The changes mainly center around various Black Ops 6 Assault Rifles, including the popular XM4 and AMES 85. Treyarch also announced some across-the-board changes to improve the consistency of aiming and the effectiveness of headshots in-game. Developers summarized some changes via social media posts on official Call of Duty accounts.

One post from the official Treyarch Twitter account showed off a before-and-after video comparison of changes to weapon motion showing long bursts using various weapons, including Black Ops 6 SMGs and Assault Rifles. According to the post, weapon motion reductions range between 30% and 75%, depending on the class and weapon. Players should expect to see a more stable aiming experience while aiming down sights in most circumstances.

Another post detailed changes to headshot damage in Black Ops 6. Treyarch said that the adjustments to headshot damage should make Black Ops 6 headshots easier when using full-auto primary weapons. Players should require “one fewer headshot” to score a kill at all ranges, except for SMGs at their maximum damage range.

Despite the changes generally increasing the effectiveness of many weapons, Treyarch did acknowledge that it was “wary” of letting Time-To-Kill (TTK) get too fast in Black Ops 6 multiplayer. The game is already one of the fastest multiplayer shooters around, and privileges quick reflexes and “twitch” aiming skills in many players. Making TTKs too fast could prevent players with a different preferred style from enjoying the multiplayer experience.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Warzone December 10, 2024 Patch Notes

Global

Weapons (MP/ZM/WZ)

We have taken a comprehensive pass on weapon motion and applied reductions across the board to improve the combat experience. Depending on the class and weapon, our targets for these reductions range from 30% to 75%. Players will notice far more stability while turning, moving, changing stances, and firing, especially while ADS. We are committed to continually improving Black Ops 6 gunplay with a focus on balanced and rewarding gameplay while maintaining the unique characteristics of each weapon.

Weapon Motion

• Reduced visual recoil on all weapons, especially full-auto weapons.
• Reduced turn sway on all weapons, especially on higher magnification optics.
• Reduced gun kick on higher magnification optics on all weapons except for Sniper Rifles.
• Reduced default idle sway on all weapons except Sniper Rifles.
• Further reduced idle sway while firing on all weapons except Sniper Rifles.
• Reduced weapon motion (bob, translation, and additional idle sway penalties) as a result of walking or changing stances in ADS.
• Removed additional layers of hip fire deviation, which caused crosshair to bounce while firing.

Aiming Idle Sway Delay is a mechanic that scales a weapon’s idle sway when first entering ADS, so the initial point of aim matches the crosshair positioning. These values are now improved and consistent across all weapon classes. Sniper Rifles, which previously only scaled initial idle sway by 50%, now provide a complete reduction. As always we will be keeping a close eye on sniper balance after this change.

• Aiming Idle Sway Delay
• Aiming Idle Sway Delay on all weapons is now 2.2s
• Aiming Idle Sway Delay on Sniper Rifles now fully removes Idle Sway, rather than reducing by 50%
• Target Laser now improves Aiming Idle Sway Delay to 2.9s on all weapons

MultiplayerMaps

Hacienda

Modes

Face Off

• Face Off Domination score limit increased from 100 to 150
• Face Off Kill Order score limit increased from 150 to 200
• Face Off Kill Confirmed score limit increased from 75 to 100
• Face Off Team Deathmatch score limit increased from 125 to 150

10v10 Moshpit

• 10v10 Kill Confirmed score limit increased from 75 to 100
• 10v10 Team Deathmatch score limit increased from 100 to 150

Prop Hunt

• Prop movement speed has been increased on all props except Extra Large props.
• Round Time Limit reduced to 3 minutes from 4 minutes
• Prop Hunt enabled in Private Match

LTM Updates

Nuketown Holiday

• Addressed an issue where players could have green visual FX attached to them during the match.

Weapons

Headshot damage has been a big source of discussion in the community, and we are making adjustments that will increase the effectiveness of headshots on full-auto primary weapons. Our philosophy on hit location modifiers in Black Ops 6 has been to limit sources of inconsistency, especially when players are engaging in so many forms of movement. That said, we understand that players have muscle memory and expectations built around headshots, and we want our gunplay to support that.

In most cases, weapons will require one fewer headshot at all ranges to improve time to kill. The major exception is SMGs in the Max Damage Range, as we are wary of letting these TTKs get too fast. To compensate we are increasing SMG ranges to help them keep that consistent edge at short ranges. The CHF Barrel attachments have also been adjusted on all updated weapons to maintain a step up on the new default values.

We expect this change to greatly impact the weapon meta, especially in conjunction with our weapon motion changes. We will be monitoring closely as that new meta settles to make sure individual weapon and weapon class variety continues to be strong in Black Ops 6.

Assault Rifles

XM4

• Maximum Damage reduced from 23 to 22
• Maximum Damage Range increased from 16.5m to 40.6m
• Medium Damage Range: This weapon will now only have Maximum and Minimum Damage Ranges.
• Headshot multiplier increased from 1.15 to 1.25.
• CHF Barrel Attachment
  • Headshot multiplier increased from 1.25 to 1.3.

AMES 85

• Maximum Damage reduced from 50.8m to 15.2m.
• Medium Damage Range: This weapon will now only have Maximum and Minimum Damage Ranges.
• Headshot multiplier increased from 1.12 to 1.2.
• CHF Barrel Attachment
  • Headshot Multiplier increased from 1.25 to 1.3.
  • Vertical View Kick and Gun Kick penalty improved from 50% to 45%.

GPR 91

• Maximum Damage Range reduced from 19.1m to 17.8m.
• Headshot multiplier increased from 1.15 to 1.25.
• CHF Barrel Attachment
  • Headshot Multiplier increased from 1.2 to 1.35.
  • Vertical View Kick and Gun Kick penalty increased from 50% to 55%.
  • Horizontal View Kick and Gun Kick penalty increased from 20% to 25%.

Goblin Mk2

• Maximum Damage increased from 39 to 40.
• Maximum Damage Range reduced from 39.4m to 16.5m.
• Headshot multiplier increased from 1.15 to 1.25.
• CHF Barrel Attachment
  • Headshot Multiplier increased from 1.4 to 1.5.
  • Horizontal View Kick and Gun Kick penalty increased from 20% to 25%.

Model L

• Maximum Damage increased from 27 to 28.
• Headshot multiplier increased from 1.15 to 1.25.
• CHF Barrel Attachment
  • Vertical View Kick and Gun Kick penalty increased from 50% to 55%.
  • Horizontal View Kick and Gun Kick penalty increased from 20% to 25%.

AK-74

• Headshot multiplier increased from 1.15 to 1.27.

AS VAL

• Maximum Damage increased from 20 to 22.
• Maximum Damage Range reduced from 21.6m to 12.7m.
• Medium Damage increased from 17 to 18.
• Minimum Damage increased from 15 to 16.
• Headshot multiplier decreased from 1.3 to 1.24.

Krig C

• Headshot multiplier increased from 1.15 to 1.25.
• Sprint to Fire Time increased from 0.2s to 0.21s.
• Tactical Sprint to Fire Time increased from 0.3s to 0.31s.
• View Kick Strength, Direction, and Deviation slightly increased.
• View Kick now progresses through its pattern in a shorter number of bullets.

SMGs

C9

• Maximum Damage reduced from 29 to 26.
• Maximum Damage Range increased from 13.3m to 15.2m.
• Medium Damage 1 reduced from 23 to 22.
• Medium Damage Range 1 increased from 13.3–16.5m to 15.3–20.3m.
• Medium Damage reduced from 19 to 18.
• Medium Damage Range 2 increased from 16.6–30.5m to 20.4m–33m.
• Minimum Damage reduced from 16 to 15.
• Headshot multiplier increased from 1.1 to 1.27.
• CHF Barrel Attachment
  • Headshot Multiplier increased from 1.2 to 1.35.

KSV

• Maximum Damage Range increased from 10.8m to 12.7m.
• Medium Damage Range 1 increased from 10.9–15.9m to 12.8–19.7m.
• Medium Damage Range 2 increased from 16–29.2m to 19.8–31.8m.
• Headshot multiplier increased from 1.1 to 1.25.
• CHF Barrel Attachment
  • Headshot Multiplier increased from 1.3 to 1.38.

Tanto .22

• Maximum Damage Range increased from 6.4m to 8.9m.
• Medium Damage Range 1 increased from 6.4–16.5m to 9.0–20.3m.
• Medium Damage increased from 28 to 29.
• Medium Damage Range 2 increased from 16.6–27.9m to 20.4–30.5m.

PP-919

• Maximum Damage Range increased from 16.5m to 18.4m.
• Medium Damage 1 increased from 20 to 21.
• Medium Damage Range 1 increased from 16.6–20.3m to 18.5–24.1m.
• Medium Damage 2 increased from 17 to 18.
• Medium Damage Range 2 increased from 20.4–31.8m to 24.2–34.3m.

Jackal PDW

• Maximum Damage reduced from 27 to 26.
• Maximum Damage Range increased from 15.2m to 17.1m.
• Medium Damage Range 1 increased from 15.3–18.4m to 17.2–22.2m.
• Medium Damage Range 2 increased from 18.5–29.8m to 22.3–32.4m.
• Headshot multiplier increased from 1.2 to 1.27.
• CHF Barrel Attachment
  • Headshot Multiplier increased from 1.28 to 1.35.

Kompakt 92

• Maximum Damage Range increased from 11.4m to 13.3m.
• Medium Damage Range 1 increased from 11.4–15.2m to 13.4–19.1m.
• Medium Damage Range 2 increased from 15.3–26.7m to 19.2–27.9m.
• Minimum Damage increased from 10 to 11.
• Headshot multiplier increased from 1.1 to 1.24.
• CHF Barrel Attachment
  • Headshot Multiplier increased from 1.3 to 1.4.

Saug

It’s good having the Saug back and we are happy with where the balance is sitting generally. However, dual wield is terrorizing close quarters combat more than we’d like, so we’re making targeted adjustments to the Akimbo and Rapid Fire attachments to keep that specific build in check

.

• Maximum Damage Range increased from 11.4m to 13.3m.
• Medium Damage Range 1 increased from 11.4–19.1m to 13.4–22.9m.
• Medium Damage Range 2 increased from 19.2–27.3m to 23–29.8m.
• Headshot multiplier increased from 1.16 to 1.25.
• CHF Barrel Attachment
  • Headshot Multiplier increased from 1.24 to 1.3.
• Akimbo Stock
  • Damage Range penalty increased from 17% to 25%.
  • Hip Spread penalty increased from 12% to 70%.
  • View Kick penalty increased from 15% to 20%.
• Rapid Fire
  • Damage Range penalty increased from 10% to 15%.
  • Fire Rate improvement decreased from 10% to 7%.

LMGs

XMG

• CHF Barrel Attachment
  • Vertical View Kick and Gun Kick penalty increased from 45% to 50%.
  • Horizontal View Kick and Gun Kick penalty increased from 20% to 25%.

PU-21

• Maximum Damage increased from 26 to 27.
• CHF Barrel Attachment
  • Headshot Multiplier increased from 1.35 to 1.4.

GPMG-7

• Maximum Damage increased from 22 to 23.
• Minimum Damage increased from 18 to 19.
• Headshot multiplier reduced from 1.2 to 1.15.
• CHF Barrel Attachment
  • Headshot Multiplier reduced from 1.3 to 1.25.
  • Horizontal View Kick and Gun Kick penalty increased from 20% to 25%.

Melee

We are improving melee weapon attack speeds, especially on the two-hit kill weapons. Our goal is for all melee weapons to feel unique and satisfying to run, and we will continue to find ways to hit that target while ensuring that melee is not frustrating to play against.

Knife

• Time between melee swings improved by 7.5%.

Baseball Bat

• Time between melee swings improved by 14%.

Power Drill

• Time between melee swings improved by 9.5%.

Equipment

• Reduced Frag Grenade inner radius damage to allow survival with Flak Jacket equipped.

UI

• Addressed an issue that prevented teammates outside of a maximum range from displaying on the perimeter of the minimap.
• Addressed an issue where previewing the “Gentleman’s Handshake” Finishing Move in the Bad Manners store bundle would show the wrong animation.

Graphics

• Addressed an issue where the player’s weapon is missing during a benchmark test.

Stability

• Various stability improvements.

Zombies

Maps

Citadelle des Morts

• Addressed an issue where players could get an AFK warning while actively running around the map.
• Addressed an issue where loading a save after obtaining the four incantations would prevent players from entering the Final Encounter.
• Addressed an issue where the light beams for obtaining the amulet would not be visible if a player disconnected and rejoined a match while in a squad.

Weapons

• Addressed an issue where changing default attachments on a Blueprint Weapon would not apply in a match.

Stability

• Various stability improvements.