Call of Duty

All weapon buffs and nerfs in Warzone & MW3 Season 5 Reloaded

Nathan Warby
MW3 Operators firing gunsActivision

The Warzone and Modern Warfare 3 Season 5 Reloaded update has arrived, and it’s brought plenty of major buffs and nerfs to the huge arsenal of guns.

Fans can now unlock new weapons like the Torque 35 and Spear, but the devs have also introduced a number of balancing changes to keep the meta fresh. This includes a substantial nerf to the STG44, which has dominated long-range fights since arriving.

Here’s a breakdown of all the buffs and nerfs in Warzone and MW3 Season 5 Reloaded.

Every buff & nerf in MW3 and Warzone Season 5 Reloaded

MW3

Assault Rifles

  • DG-56
    • Increased lower torso damage multiplier from 1x to 1.1x (+10%).
  • M4 (MWII)
    • Removed duplicate VX Pineapple and FSS Sharkfin 90 Underbarrel Attachments.

Battle Rifles

  • BAS-B
    • Increased upper leg, lower leg, and foot damage multipliers from 1x to 1.1x (+10%).

With the BAS-B, shots that land below the waist now deal damage equal to those that hit the torso.

  • MTZ-762
    • Increased maximum damage range from 29.2m to 33m (+13%).
  • FTAC Recon (MWII)
    • Increased near-medium damage from 43 to 50 (+16%).
    • Increased medium damage from 41 to 50 (+22%).
    • Increased far-medium damage from 38 to 45 (+18%).
    • Increased minimum damage from 38 to 40 (+5%).

Submachine Guns

  • Rival-9
    • JAK Headhunter Carbine Conversion Kit
      • Fixed an issue preventing the Quartermaster Suppressor Muzzle Attachment from properly equipping.

Light Machine Guns

  • Pulemyot 762
    • Decreased sprint to fire time from 285ms to 262ms (-8%).
    • Decreased aim down sight time from 450ms to 420ms (-7%).
    • Increased rate of fire from 492rpm to 545rpm (+11%).
    • Increased neck damage multiplier from 1.1x to 1.2x (+10%).
    • Increased lower torso and hand damage multipliers from 1x to 1.1x (+10%).
  • RPK (MWII)
    • JAK Cataclysm Conversion Kit
      • Increased incoming flinch from 0.17n to 0.68n (+300%).
      • Increased hipfire spread minimum from 3.6deg/s to 10deg/s (+178%).
      • Increased hipfire spread maximum from 9deg/s to 14deg/s (+56%).
      • Increased recoil gun kick from 23.16deg/s to 38.60deg/s (+67%).
      • Increased horizontal recoil from 18.63deg/s to 23.29deg/s (+25%).
      • Increased vertical recoil from 56.45deg/s to 94.08deg/s (+67%).

Marksman Rifles

  • MCW 6.8
    • Increase rate of fire from 316rpm to 353rpm (+12%).
    • Increased lower torso damage multiplier from 1x to 1.2x (+20%).
  • SP-R 208 (MWII)
    • Removed incompatible Paracord Grip Underbarrel Attachment.

Handguns

  • P890 (MWII)
    • Akimbo P890 Rear Grip
      • Decrease hipfire spread by 20%.
      • Decrease damage range penalty by 20%.
  • .50 GS (MWII)
    • Akimbo .50 GS Rear Grip
      • Decreased hipfire spread by 10%.
      • Decreased damage penalty by 10%.
  • X12 (MWII)
    • Akimbo X12 Rear Grip
      • Removed hipfire spread penalty.
      • Removed damage range penalty.
  • Basilisk (MWII)
    • Akimbo Basilisk Rear Grip
      • Decreased hipfire spread by 10%.
      • Decreased damage penalty by 10%.
  • FTAC Siege (MWII)
    • Akimbo FTAC Siege Rear Grip
      • Decreased hipfire spread by 20%.
      • Decreased damage range penalty by 20%.
  • GS Magna (MWII)
    • GS Magna Akimbo Rear Grip
      • Decreased hipfire spread by 10%.
      • Decreased damage penalty by 10%.
  • 9mm Daemon (MWII)
    • Akimbo 9mm Daemon Rear Grip
      • Decreased hipfire spread by 10%.
      • Decreased damage penalty by 10%.
  • X13 Auto (MWII)
    • Akimbo X13 Rear Grip
      • Decreased hipfire spread by 40%.
      • Decreased damage range penalty by 20%.

With these changes, the average time-to-kill of MWII Akimbo Handguns is now competitive with MWIII Akimbo Handguns. Thus, we’ve opted to improve the usability of these weapons rather than outright removing the inherited damage penalty.

mw3 operator on cel-shaded map ink houseActivision
Season 5 Reloaded also brings more cel-shaded map variants.

Warzone

Assault Rifles

  • BAL-27
    • Max Damage Range increased to 31.75 meters, up from 26.67.
  • DG-56
    • Lower Torso Modifier increased to 1.1x, up from 1x.
  • FR 5.56 
    • Max Damage Range increased to 43.18 meters, up from 38.1.
  • Lower Arm and Hand Modifiers increased to 1.1x, up from 1x.
  • Holger 556
    • Max Damage Range increased to 41.91 meters, up from 36.83.
  • MCW
    • Max Damage Range increased to 36.83 meters, up from 30.48.
    • Near-Mid Damage Range increased to 44.45 meters, up from 38.1.
    • Mid Damage Range increased to 53.34 meters, up from 48.26.
  • STG44
    • Max Damage decreased to 32, down from 36.
  • M16 (MWII)
    • JAK Patriot Conversion Kit
      • Max Damage Range increased to 30.48 meters, up from 24.9.

Battle Rifles

  • BAS-B
    • Leg and Foot Modifiers increased to 1.1x, up from 1x.
  • MTZ-762
    • JAK Heretic Carbine Kit
      • Max Damage Range increased to 33.02 meters, up from 27.94.
  • SOA Subverter 
    • Max Damage Range increased to 25.4 meters, up from 20.57.

Submachine Guns

  • Rival-9
    • Max Damage Range increased to 15.24 meters, up from 12.7.
  • Static-HV
    • Mid Damage decreased to 24, down from 25.
    • Max Damage Range decreased to 13.97 meters, down from 16.0.
    • Near-Mid Damage Range decreased to 25.4 meters, down from 30.48.
    • Mid Damage Range decreased to 35.56 meters, down from 40.64. 
    • Headshot Modifier decreased to 1.2x, down from 1.4x.
    • Leg and Foot Modifiers decreased to .95x, down from 1x.
  • Striker
    • Max Damage Range increased to 14.48 meters, up from 12.7.
    • Near-Mid Damage Range increased to 26.67 meters, up from 24.13.
  • Lachmann Shroud (MWII)
    • JAK Decimator Conversion Kit
      • Max Damage Range increased to 13.46 meters, up from 12.44.

Light Machine Guns

  • Pulemyot 762
    • Neck Modifier increased to 1.2x, up from 1.1x.
    • Lower Torso and Hand Modifiers increased to 1.1x, up from 1x.
    • Decreased sprint to fire time to 262ms, down from 285ms .
    • Decreased aim down sight time to 420ms, down from 450ms.
    • Increased rate of fire to 545rpm, up from 492rpm.
  • RPK (MWII)
    • JAK Cataclysm Conversion Kit
      • Increased incoming flinch to 0.68n, up from 0.17n.
      • Increased hipfire spread minimum to 10deg/s, up from 3.6deg/s.
      • Increased hipfire spread maximum to 14deg/s, up from 9deg/s.
      • Increased recoil gun kick to 38.60deg/s, up from 23.16deg/s.
      • Increased horizontal recoil to 23.29deg/s, up from 18.63deg/s.
      • Increased vertical recoil to 94.08deg/s, up from 56.45deg/s.

Marksman Rifles

  • DM56
    • Max Damage Range increased to 43.18 meters, up from 36.83.
  • MCW 6.8
    • Increased rate of fire to 353rpm, up from 316rpm.
    • Lower Torso Modifier increased to 1.2x, up from 1x.

Handguns

  • P890 (MWII)
    • Akimbo P890 Rear Grip
      • Decrease hipfire spread by 20%.
      • Decrease damage range penalty by 20%.
  • .50 GS (MWII)
    • Akimbo .50 GS Rear Grip
      • Decreased hipfire spread by 10%.
      • Decreased damage penalty by 10%.
  • X12 (MWII)
    • Akimbo X12 Rear Grip
      • Removed hipfire spread penalty.
      • Removed damage range penalty.
  • Basilisk (MWII)
    • Akimbo Basilisk Rear Grip
      • Decreased hipfire spread by 10%.
      • Decreased damage penalty by 10%.
  • FTAC Siege (MWII)
    • Akimbo FTAC Siege Rear Grip
      • Decreased hipfire spread by 20%.
      • Decreased damage range penalty by 20%.
  • GS Magna (MWII)
    • GS Magna Akimbo Rear Grip
      • Decreased hipfire spread by 10%.
      • Decreased damage penalty by 10%.
  • 9mm Daemon (MWII)
    • Akimbo 9mm Daemon Rear Grip
      • Decreased hipfire spread by 10%.
      • Decreased damage penalty by 10%.
  • X13 Auto (MWII)
    • Akimbo X13 Rear Grip
      • Decreased hipfire spread by 40%.
      • Decreased damage range penalty by 20%

Season 5 Reloaded also introduces the new Paintball mode and a crossover with The Crow coming on August 22. So, there’s plenty to keep you occupied while you wait for MW3 and Warzone Season 6.

Source: Call of Duty

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