CoD Vanguard bloom explained: weapon stats, how to minimize & more

For the first time in a mainstream Call of Duty title, Vanguard’s weapons now operate with a ‘bloom’ mechanic. It has featured in a host of other games, including CoD: Mobile, but how does it work and how can players reduce it? Here’s everything you need to know about weapon bloom in CoD: Vanguard. 

To some FPS fans, the introduction of bloom in Call of Duty: Vanguard will warrant a nonchalant shrug of the shoulders. To long-time CoD fans though, it may be something of a mystery.

It is the first time in the series’ history that an annual release has incorporated the mechanic.

What is ‘bloom’ in Call of Duty: Vanguard?

To put it simply, ‘bloom’ (sometimes referred to as ‘weapon bloom’) refers to how accurately your bullets will fire. In past CoD titles, bullets fired when ADS would always match where a player’s reticle was aiming.

Bloom incorporates an element of unpredictability into firing, with bullets firing imperfectly within a small zone around your reticle.

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Certain factors can affect bloom, like strafing and weapon choice. According to CoD stats YouTuber TrueGameData, this mechanic operates like hipfire. That is to say that aim is still important, and will increase the likelihood of your bullets connecting.

However, different guns will have different levels of bloom, meaning some will be marginally more accurate than others. We do not expect this to be a major factor in every gunfight, but it could be used as a balancing factor by Sledgehammer.

Which weapons have bloom in Vanguard?

Early signs suggest that the vast majority of weapons in the game have some form of bloom, but certain categories are more susceptible than others.

TrueGameData, the YouTuber who first uncovered bloom in Vanguard, broke down the stats and confirmed that the game’s SMGs in particular experience noticeable bloom.

The levels of bloom in ARs, LMGs and Marksman Rifles are significantly lower, while sniper rifles do not appear to have bloom.

How to minimize weapon bloom in CoD: Vanguard

Although it is a new mechanic for the CoD series, players will be reassured that there are guaranteed ways to improve bloom on any weapon, and naturally increase your accuracy.

The best way to do this is to essentially select attachments that boost your accuracy while in Vanguard’s Gunsmith. Unfortunately, bloom is not specifically referenced in the game’s Gunsmith – only accuracy.

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However, employing these attachments will noticeably reduce bloom. TGD showed that on the M1928, when using all the accuracy attachments possible, that bloom was reduced by roughly 95%.

He theorized that 1 point of accuracy equates to a roughly 25% decrease in bloom. It does not appear possible to eliminate bloom on weapons that have it, merely to reduce it.

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That’s all we know about weapon bloom in Vanguard at the moment. We’ll be sure to update this page if Sledgehammer release more information on the mechanic.

It also remains to be seen whether it will feature in professional Call of Duty, with some pros already sharing their concerns over the new mechanic.

As always, stay tuned to Dexerto for the latest.