All weapon buffs & nerfs in Warzone Season 4 update

Warzone Season 4 is here, and with it has come a massive raft of balance adjustments for Assault Rifles, Shotguns, and more. Here’s everything you need to know about the buffs & nerfs now that Raven Software has unveiled the June 17 patch notes.

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• CR-56 AMAX headlines Assault Rifle nerfs
• Raven Software looking to boost TTK by 60-100 milliseconds
• Infamous DMR 14 getting buffs in Season 4 update

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In this patch, Raven Software is focusing on gun skills.

They explained: “The more time we allot to mechanical and strategic expression within Warzone engagements, the higher the skill ceiling and the longer our journey of mastery.”

To lift the “skill ceiling” in the popular Call of Duty battle royale, weapons from both Modern Warfare and Black Ops Cold War will have their “efficiency decreased.” The plan, Raven Software continued in the June 17 patch notes, is to drop the game’s already rapid time to kill by around 60 to 100 milliseconds.

“These changes will not only increase capacity for skill expression, but should also introduce weapons into viability that have not yet had a chance to shine.”

Assault Rifles

No surprise here ⁠— the meta-warping CR-56 AMAX assault rifle has been nipped in the bud slightly. The weapon evolved into a “must-take” pickup in Season 3, which has forced the Warzone devs to take a swing at its balance again.

“The real strength of the AMAX lay in its long-range viability and TTK consistency,” the devs explained. “We’re hoping that third time is, in fact, the charm.”

The Groza, FN Scar 17, and XM4 also copped changes.

CR-56 AMAX (MW)

• Upper Torso Damage multiplier decreased from 1.2 to 1.1

Groza (BOCW)

• Minimum Damage increased from 18 to 23
• Upper Torso Damage Multiplier increased from 1.1 to 1.2
• Lower Torso Damage Multiplier increased from 1 to 1.1
• Maximum Damage range decreased by 12%

Assault Rifle Golf (MW)

• Neck Damage Multiplier increased from 1 to 1.5
• Upper Torso damage multiplier increased from 1 to 1.2

XM4 (BOCW)

• Neck Damage Multiplier increased from 1 to 1.5

Tactical Rifles

Just one Tactical Rifle is getting changed in this update: the infamous DMR 14. Raven Software believes they may have over-nerfed the Season 2 terror slightly, and are “bumping it back up” so it can hold its own again at long ranges.

DMR 14 (BOCW)

• Recoil magnitude decreased

Shotguns

Black Ops Cold War’s signature shotgun is an absolute beast at short-range, and the Warzone devs want to bring that down a little with several nerfs.

Streetsweeper (BOCW)

• Maximum Damage range decreased by 24%
• Second Damage range decreased by 18%
• Third Damage range decreased by 7%
• Move Speed decreased by 1%

Sniper Rifles

Sniper Rifles copped a massive rework in the Season 3 Reloaded update. Now, Raven is trying to find the sweet spot for some, including the slow-firing M82 Sniper Rifle and the Swiss K31.

Sniper Rifle Charlie (BOCW)

• Bullet Velocity increased by 7.7%
• Upper Torso Damage Multiplier increased from 1.1 to 1.25
• Lower Torso Damage Multiplier increased from 1 to 1.15

Swiss K31 (BOCW) 

• Base Optic functionality improved
• Base Reticle updated

Submachine Guns

Five different SMGs are in line for major Warzone changes in the June 17 update, including the AUG, KSP 45, and Milano 821.

Most of the patch changes are in the shape of nerfs, with powerful picks like the AUG boasting “far too high a time-to-kill” in the battle royale. Others, like the Milano 821 buff, are looking to bring new SMG options into the meta.

Submachine Gun Alpha (MW)

• Upper Torso Damage Multiplier increased from 1 to 1.1
• Maximum Damage range increased by 10%

Bullfrog (BOCW)

• Ironsights ADS position adjusted

KSP 45 (BOCW)

• Maximum damage range increased by 16.6%
• Extremities multipliers increased from .9 to 1

Milano 821 (BOCW)

• Maximum Damage increased from 34 to 36
• Minimum Damage increased from 25 to 30
• Maximum Damage range increased by 23%
• Upper Torso Damage Multiplier increased from 1 to 1.2
• Lower Torso Damage Multiplier increased from 1 to 1.1
• Extremities Damage Multipliers increased from .9 to 1

Submachine Gun Echo (MW)

• Maximum Damage increased from 34 to 35
• Extremities Damage Multipliers increased from .9 to 1

Handguns

AMP63 (BOCW)

• Maximum Damage increased from 30 to 33
• Second Damage range increased by 14.3%
• Upper Torso Damage Multiplier increased from 1 to 1.1
• Extremities Damage Multipliers increased from .9 to 1
• Head Damage Multiplier decreased from 1.4 to 1.3

Melee

Ballistic Knife (BOCW)

• Projectile Velocity increased by 25%
• Neck Damage Multiplier increased from 1 to 1.3
• Upper Torso Damage Multiplier increased from 1 to 1.23
• Move Speed increased by 1.3%

Attachments

Raven Software has two major aims in the Season 4 patch when it comes to attachment changes: boost the Black Ops Cold War sniper selections so they are “much closer to parity” with their Modern Warfare counterparts, and fix overall Black Ops Cold War gun recoil.

To do this, they’re focusing on five Sniper Rifle attachments, including the Combat Recon option on the Pelington 703, the LW3, ZRG 20mm, and more.

The recoil change should help Warzone’s meta expand out beyond Modern Warfare guns: “These buffs & nerfs will help alleviate problems with long-range viability of Black Ops Cold War weapons, for a more diverse section overall.”

Barrels

• Combat Recon (Snipers)
  • Pellington 703 (BOCW)
    • Bullet Velocity increased from 42.5% to 47.5%
  • Sniper Rifle Charlie (BOCW)
    • Bullet Velocity increased from 42.5% to 50%
  • Swiss K31 (BOCW)
    • Bullet Velocity increased from 43% to 50%
  • LW3 – Tundra (BOCW)
    • Bullet Velocity increased from 42.5% to 44%
  • ZRG 20mm (BOCW)
    • Bullet Velocity increased from 42.5% to 43%
• Ranger (Assault Rifles)
  • Now increases Bullet Velocity by 50%
  • Now increases Vertical Recoil Control by 15%
  • Now increases Hip Spread by 20%
• Takedown (Assault Rifles)
  • Now increases Effective Damage Range by 35%
  • Now increases Horizontal Recoil Control by 15%
  • Now increases Hip Spread by 20%
• Reinforced Heavy/Match Grade (Assault Rifles, Light Machine Guns)
  • Now increases Bullet Velocity by 25%
  • Now increases Effective Damage Range by 17.5%
  • Now increases Horizontal Recoil Control by 7.5%
  • Now increases Vertical Recoil Control by 7.5%
  • Now decreases ADS Move Speed by 10%
  • Now decreases Sprint Speed by 2.5%
  • Now decreases ADS Speed by 3%
  • Now increases Hip Spread by 25%
• Task Force/Spetsnaz RPK/CMV Mil-Spec (Assault Rifle, Light Machine Guns)
  • Now increases Bullet Velocity by 50%
  • Now increases Effective Damage Range by 35%
  • Now increases Horizontal Recoil Control by 15%
  • Now increases Vertical Recoil Control by 15%
  • Now decreases ADS Move Speed by 20%
  • Now decreases Sprint Speed by 5%
  • Now decreases ADS Speed by 6%
  • Now increases Hip Spread by 30% 

Optics

• Most BOCW Reticles have been updated.
• Axial Arms 3x
  • Optic position shifted
• Royal & Kross 4x
  • Optic position shifted

Underbarrels

• Bruiser Grip (Snipers)
  • Aiming Stability increased from 10% to 19%