A new update has arrived for Call of Duty: Warzone, and foremost amongst its contents is a rebalance for five core weapons; two assault rifles, two submachine guns, and a shotgun. Unusually, the patch notes also go into considerable detail about the developers’ reasoning for the changes.
Call of Duty: Warzone’s Latest Weapon Update
The latest update for Call of Duty: Warzone includes a few loot spawn changes, a few bug fixes, and more besides. Perhaps the most notable change, however, is a weapon rebalance spanning five of the game’s primary firearms. Before detailing these changes, the game’s developers explain why they are being made, as well as an attempt to mitigate player disappointment. “There are millions of you,” they write; “and when we reduce the effectiveness of a weapon, we are bound to make a change to someone’s favourite gun.”
Interestingly, this explanation states that, on the whole, Warzone’s developers are fairly happy with where most guns are. “We feel we are close to a ‘balance homeostasis,'” they explain; “where most options are at the very least viable. Which leaves u to address Time to Kill. The following balance changes are part of our ongoing efforts to raise TTK or at least the individual skill required to reach extreme ones. We ask that you consider these changes not as targeted attacks, but rather as part of a larger initiative to raise the skill ceiling.”
To start with, two assault rifles have both had a reduction in power. The CR-56 AMAX is seeing its damage drop from 32 to 31, in Warzone only, while the FARA 83’s headshot multiplier is going down to 1.35 to 1.5. In addition, its base ADS move speed has gone down by 7%. The Streetsweeper shotgun has also gotten a reduction in power. Both its hip spread and recoil have gone up slightly, while its ADS speed has gone down a small amount. “This change will decrease its lethal range slightly, punish inaccurate sustained fire, and give a little more time to react.”
Fortunately, the news isn’t as bad for SMG fans. To start with, the Bullfrog has gotten a range of tweaks. Maximum damage has gone down from 34 to 32, but its maximum damage range has gone up by 11%. Plus, its base move speed is up 1%, while its sprint out speed is up 13%. While it will no longer be able to achieve such high TTKs, it should still perform well. The PPSh-41, meanwhile, has received a buff. Its maximum damage range has gone up by 4% while its open bolt delay has gone down by 80%.