Warzone players ditch NZ-41 for old favorites after Season 4 Reloaded changes

Connor Bennett
Modern Warfare character holding assault rifle in rain

With the dominant NZ-41 being nerfed in Warzone, fans of the Call of Duty battle royale have been crowning a new top dog when it comes to assault rifles as a few old favorites are getting some love.

Over the last few months, the Call of Duty: Warzone meta has been firmly taken over by weapons from Call of Duty: Vanguard. This is in part thanks to their capabilities to have 10 attachments, as well as the deadly fire rates across the board.

Prior to its nerf in Season 4 Reloaded, the NZ-41 ticked every box for most players, seeing as it has a fast fire rate, easy to handle recoil, and could win gunfights at pretty much every range.

Despite its nerf, some players are sticking with the Vanguard assault rifle, but there are plenty of others looking to use something else – and that includes a few old favorites that have been on the fringes for quite some time.

Warzone players split on best AR after NZ-41 nerf

Following the NZ-41 nerf, members of the CoDWarzone subreddit have been running a poll to try and figure which weapon will take the spot vacated by the Vanguard weapon as the game’s go-to rifle.

While some players feel strongly about the KG M40, the clubhouse leader is the ‘other’ option, where some players have sprung for the likes of the Cooper Carbine, M13, Kilo, and even the Grau.

“Cooper is fire,” one player said. “Automaton has never let me down,” added another. “M13 is king,” agreed another player.

Some players believe the NZ-41 is still the go-to weapon, and feel that other weapons are still “underpowered” despite recent buffs, but it appears as if many are moving on from the Vanguard AR.

As per WZRanked stats, the NZ’s pick rate has fallen from 17% down to around 9% and it is being caught by the likes of the Marco 5 and Kilo 141. Though, it remains to be seen just how exactly the meta will be shaped by the changes.

About The Author

Based out of Liverpool, Connor is Dexerto's UK News Editor having joined the website in 2018 with a degree in International Journalism. You can find him covering everything from CoD, GTA, FIFA, Apex Legends, and influencer boxing. Need to get in touch? Email Connor at Connor.Bennett@Dexerto.com