Every weapon buff and nerf in Warzone 2 & Modern Warfare 2 Season 3

❘ Updated: 2023-04-12T18:18:23

Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2 Season 3 has brought a whole host of weapon buffs and nerfs, shaking up the meta across both titles. Here’s every weapon balancing change in Warzone 2 and Modern Warfare 2 Season 3.

Warzone 2 and Modern Warfare 2 Season 3 has finally arrived, bringing a ton of new content to both games. Players have got fresh weapons like the Intervention Sniper Rifle, an overhauled Gulag, and even the new BlackCell Battle Pass to get stuck into.

As you’d expect, Season 3 also comes with plenty of weapon balancing changes, designed to create a totally different meta in multiplayer and battle royale. Sniper Rifles have been the main talking point in the lead-up to the update, but other guns have been on the receiving end of buffs and nerfs too.

Here’s every weapon buff and nerf included in Warzone 2 and Modern Warfare 2 Season 3.

Sniper Rifles buffed to one-shot kill in Warzone 2

While Sniper Rifles have remained powerful in Modern Warfare 2, the Warzone 2 Season 3 update finally brings back one-shot Sniper Rifles by equipping certain weapons in this category with deadly Explosive Ammunition and buffing the ammo’s damage.

This buff allows bolt-action Snipers like the MCPR-300 or Victus XMR to down a fully-plated enemy with just one headshot, as long as players are running the right ammo type.

The Intervention Sniper Rifle in Warzone 2 and Modern Warfare 2.

The Intervention will also be a one-shot kill in Warzone 2 Season 3.

ISO Hemlock nerfed in Warzone 2 & Modern Warfare 2 Season 3

The popular ISO Hemlock has been nerfed in the Warzone 2 and Modern Warfare 2 Season 3 update, after dominating multiplayer and battle royale since arriving in Season 2.

Going forward, the Hemlock will have reduced range across the board, as well as less damage output with torso shots. Only time will tell how this nerf impacts its place in the Season 3 meta.

All weapon buffs & nerfs in Warzone 2 & MW2 Season 3

Here’s every weapon buff and nerf in Warzone 2 and Modern Warfare 2 Season 3, as detailed in the official patch notes:

» Assault Rifles «

ISO Hemlock
- All Damage Ranges reduced
- Lower Torso Damage reduced

M13B
- Headshot Damage slightly reduced
- Lower Torso Damage increased
- Mid-range Damage distance increased
- Upper Torso Damage slightly reduced

STB 556
- Headshot Damage increased
- Leg Damage increased
- Lower Torso Damage increased
- Mid-range Damage distance increased
- Mid-range Damage reduced

TAQ-56
- Headshot Damage decreased

» Battle Rifles «

FTAC Recon
- Movement Speed increased
- Semi-Auto Leg Damage increased
- Semi-Auto Minimum Armor Damage increased | Warzone 2.0 Only
- Semi-Auto Upper Torso Damage increased

Lachmann 762
- Movement Speed increased

SO-14
- Movement Speed increased
- Semi-Auto Minimum Armor Damage increased | Warzone 2.0 Only

TAQ-V
- Minimum Armor Damage increased | Warzone 2.0 Only
- Movement Speed increased
- Semi-Auto Lower Leg Damage increased

» Handguns «

Basilisk
- Minimum Armor Damage reduced | Warzone 2.0 Only

» Light Machine Guns «

RAAL MG
- Headshot Damage reduced
- Minimum Armor Damage added to Semi-Auto Firing Mode | Warzone 2.0 Only
- Semi-Auto Headshot Damage increased
- Semi-Auto Upper Torso Damage increased
- Semi-Auto Lower Torso Damage increased

RPK
- Close-mid Damage slightly reduced

» Marksman Rifles «

Tempus Torrent
- All Damage Ranges reduced slightly
- Close-mid Damage reduced slightly
- Headshot Damage reduced

» Submachine Guns «

Submachine Gun Hip Spread accuracy increased

BAS-P
- ADS Move Speed increased
- All Damage Ranges increased
- Minimum Armor Damage added to Semi-Auto Firing Mode | Warzone 2.0 Only

Lachmann Sub
- Headshot Damage decreased
- Burst-Fire Leg Damage increased
- Burst-Fire time between shots decreased
- Burt-Fire Torso Damage increased

MX9
- Sprint to Fire Speed increased

Vaznev-9K
- Headshot Damage decreased

VEL 46
- Headshot Damage decreased

Attachments

Ammunition

Basilisk
- .500 Snakeshot
  - Maximum Armor Damage added | Warzone 2.0 Only
Explosive
- Bolt-Action Weapons equipped with Explosive Ammunition are now able to down fully armored Players in one shot | Warzone 2.0 Only
- Explosive Ammunition has been added to the MCPR-300 progression tree
ISO Hemlock
- .300 Blackout (All Types)
  - Headshot Damage increased
  - Hip Spread accuracy while prone increased
  - Initial Recoil increased slightly
  - Long-range Damage decreased
  - Mid-range Damage increased
  - Minimum Armor Damage added to Semi-Auto Firing Mode | Warzone 2.0 Only
  - Recoil violence increased

Barrel, Stock, and Magazine Attachment stats are affected according to how ‘Large’, ‘Small’, ‘Heavy’, ‘Light’, ‘Long’, or ‘Short’ they are relative to other Attachments. In essence, the below changes increase the upsides of most Attachments stats while decreasing their downsides—resulting in an overall increase to Attachment power level.

Barrel

Heavy Barrels
- ADS Speed penalty slightly reduced
Light Barrels
- Muzzle Velocity penalty reduced
Short Barrels
- ADS Speed benefit increased
- Damage Range penalty reduced
- Hip Spread accuracy benefit increased while moving and firing
- Hip Spread accuracy penalty for Shotguns decreased while moving and firing

Bipod

ADS Speed penalty reduced

Laser

Laser brightness increased

Magazine

Large Magazines
- Light Machine Guns (Global)
  - Handling and Movement penalties reduced
- Kastov 545
  - 60 Round Magazine
    - Handling penalty reduced
- Kastov 762
  - 40 Round Magazine
    - Handling penalty reduced
- Lachmann Sub
  - 50 Round Drum
    - Handling penalty reduced
- M13B
  - 60 Round Magazine
    - Handling penalty reduced
- M16
  - 60 Round Magazine
    - Handling penalty reduced
- Vaznev-9K
  - 45 Round Magazine
    - Handling penalty reduced
- VEL 46
  - 50 Round Magazine
    - Handling penalty reduced
  - 60 Round Magazine
    - Handling penalty reduced

Small Magazines

Movement Speed increased

Sprint to Fire Speed increased

Fennec 45
- Fennec Double Tap Mod (Benefits from Small Magazine buffs)
  - Damage increased
  - Damage Ranges reduced
  - Minimum Armor Damage added | Warzone 2.0 Only
  - Time between bursts reduced
STB 556
- Single Tap Mod (Benefits from Small Magazine buffs)
  - Damage increased
  - Mid-range Damage distances increased
  - Minimum Armor Damage added | Warzone 2.0 Only
  - Time between shots increased