Hated Warzone fire Shotgun returns to ruin lobbies in Season 3 Reloaded

Warzone has seen plenty of different metas over the years, but one of the game’s most hated and controversial is rearing its head again in Season 3 Reloaded.

Plenty of different weapons have dominated Warzone at various points in its history, from the MTZ Interceptor that took over the early days of Urzikstan to the infamous Kar98k. One of the most hated was the fire R9-0 Shotgun, labeled “duff duff” by much of the community.

Now, in Warzone Season 3 Reloaded, the notorious meta appears to be coming back, as lobbies are starting to fill up with players using the Riveter Shotgun equipped with .410 Gauge Incendiary ammo.

This ammo type sacrifices some of the weapon’s range but allows it to inflict burning damage for a brief time. The result is a Shotgun that can melt enemies at short range in just a handful of shots.

When you throw in the fact that the Riveter is fully automatic and the fire ammo fills the screen with an orange cloud, the combination is incredibly effective if you’re using it but can be a frustrating way to be sent to the Gulag.

If you suddenly find yourself in a tight space with an enemy running it, the sheer power and chaos it brings to the fight make it very difficult to escape, even if you’re armed with a meta SMG. It’s so effective, in fact, that it ended three consecutive matches for my squad during a recent session.

I’m not the only player noticing an uptick in the number of Warzone players running the fire Shotgun either. CoD YouTuber Sally Is a Dog uploaded a video on it after being “completely obliterated” by the Riveter during a match.

He tried the setup out for himself and found it was “very good” in close-quarters fights, and acted as the perfect partner to his long-range SVA 545.

The Riveter was handed a slight buff to its spread in the Warzone Season 3 Reloaded update, which could be one reason why the fire Shotgun has returned. Hackers have also found a way to use it with “rocket bullets,” so maybe players are just looking to level the playing field.