Every weapon buff & nerf in Black Ops Cold War Season 3 Reloaded

❘ Published: 2021-05-19T10:57:51

As part of Black Ops Cold War’s massive Season 3 Reloaded update, Treyarch has given significant buffs and nerfs to weapons, including adding much-requested flinch to Sniper Rifles.

Cold War, Warzone, and CoD Mobile’s 80s Action Heroes event is due to kick off on May 20, but that’s not all that’s in store for Black Ops Cold War players. The fan-favorite Black Ops 2 map, Standoff, will be arriving, alongside the AMP 63 Pistol and the Multi-Team Elimination battle royale mode.

As well as these new features, Treyarch have made welcome changes to Cold War’s weapons. Sniper Rifles have been significantly nerfed, and Assault Rifles, including the already dominant Krig 6, have been buffed.

Here’s every weapon buff and nerf from the Cold War Season 3 Reloaded update.

Sniper Rifles nerfed, added flinch

Black Ops Cold War players have long been complaining about Sniper Rifles having no flinch. It was almost impossible to outgun a Sniper at range, so Treyarch have given a massive tuning pass to Sniper Rifles in the Season 3 Reloaded update.

Read more: How to unlock Rambo and John McClane skins in Cold War

They explained that the reasons for these changes are:

To create more meaningful gameplay between Sniper Rifles and other weapon classes.
To better define the role of each Sniper Rifle to give them more individuality and specialization.

The most impactful change is the addition of custom flinch. Devs have added a “sniper-specific flinch” that will move the weapon while you’re being hit. This effect is amplified when aiming down sight, and flinch-reducing attachments “have been factored into this feature update.”

ADS (Aim Down Sight) Momentum has also been added to Sniper Rifles. Treyarch described ADS Momentum as “that feeling of weightiness as the weapon exits and re-enters ADS.”

What this means is that your ADS speed will be slower when rapidly aiming in and out, so if you don’t fully leave ADS before aiming in again, your aiming speed will be significantly slower. Each weapon will have a separate ADS Momentum value, with the ZRG 20mm now being much slower than the Pelington 703.

Assault Rifles buffed

SMGs have been incredibly dominant in Cold War since launch, and Treyarch has been adjusting Assault Rifles to provide a greater distinction between the two weapon classes.

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In the Season 3 Reloaded update, with the exception of the FFAR 1, they have increased Assault Rifle bullet velocity across the board. They did this to “allow Assault Rifles more innate long-distance advantage over Submachine Guns.”

They have also standardized the headshot modifiers on all ARs. Assault Rifles that use 5.56 rounds will have a 1.4x headshot multiplier, while weapons using 7.62 will have a 1.25x multiplier. This is to account for 7.62 weapons (AK-47, Groza) doing, in general, more damage than those using 5.56.

Treyarch assured fans that “The number of hits required to kill remain the same, except for the FFAR 1, which requires fewer hits to kill if the player scores a headshot.”

All Cold War Season 3 Reloaded weapon changes

Alongside these significant changes to Sniper Rifles and Assault Rifles, Treyarch has also made adjustments to LMG barrels and buffed Pistols.

Read more: How to get the Baseball Bat in Black Ops Cold War Season 3

Here’s the full list of weapon buffs and nerfs for Black Ops Cold War Season 3 Reloaded.

Sniper Rifles

LW3 – Tundra

This is the baseline of our sniper rifles. It is lenient enough in its one-hit kill capacity while being fast enough to scan the horizon and find new targets quickly. This weapon is meant to be geared for most players to play with and have fun experiencing what it’s like to be a sniper in Black Ops Cold War. The following changes better define the weapon’s role, providing more long-range accuracy and focusing less on short-range combat viability.

LW3 – Tundra
- Increased Bullet Velocity from 550 to 580.
- Reduced ADS-In Momentum from 0.2 to 0.233.
Attachments
- Reduced Bullet Velocity bonus from 28.2” Extended Barrel attachment from 25% to 18%.
- Reduced Bullet Velocity bonus from 29.1” Combat Recon Barrel attachment from 75% to 36%.
- Reduced Bullet Velocity bonus from 28.2” Tiger Team Barrel attachment from 50% to 27%.
- Reduced Flinch Resistance bonus from Dropshot Wrap Handle attachment from 50% to 33%.
- Reduced Flinch Resistance bonus from Field Tape Handle attachment from 90% to 50%.
- Reduced Flinch Resistance bonus from SASR Jungle Grip Handle attachment from 80% to 67%.
- Increased Sprint to Fire Time penalty from SASR Jungle Grip Handle attachment from 12% to 15%.
- Reduced Flinch Resistance Bonus from Airborne Elastic Wrap Handle attachment from 90% to 25%.
- Increased Sprint to Fire Time penalty from Airborne Elastic Wrap Handle attachment from 15% to 18%.
- Reduced Aim Down Sight Time bonus from Airborne Elastic Wrap Handle attachment from 12% to 5%.

Pelington 703

The Pelington 703 is designed to be a quick-handling sniper rifle for players who enjoy constant movement and repositioning, trading off some one-hit kill potential for more speed. This weapon is geared for the kind of player who enjoys running into the middle of gun battles and advancing on important positions. The following changes reinforce the weapon’s role, shifting some ADS speed into a Sprint to Fire benefit, and using a slightly slower Bullet Velocity to keep gameplay at closer ranges.

Pelington 703
- Increased Sprint to Fire speed from 0.45 to 0.433.
- Reduced Bullet Velocity from 500 to 478.
- Increased Aim Down Sight Time from 0.55 to 0.583.
Attachments
- Reduced Bullet Velocity bonus from 25” Extended Barrel attachment from 25% to 17%.
- Reduced Bullet Velocity bonus from 27.2” Combat Recon Barrel attachment from 75% to 43%.
- Reduced Bullet Velocity bonus from 26.5” Tiger Team Barrel attachment from 50% to 30%.
- Reduced Flinch Resistance bonus from Field Tape Handle attachment from 90% to 50%.
- Reduced Flinch Resistance bonus from SASR Jungle Grip Handle attachment from 80% to 67%.
- Reduced Flinch Resistance Bonus from Airborne Elastic Wrap Handle attachment from 90% to 25%.
- Reduced Aim Down Sight Time bonus from Airborne Elastic Wrap Handle attachment from 12% to 5%.

M82 (Semi-Auto)

With the recent release of the ZRG 20mm and the popularity of the LW3 – Tundra, there existed an untapped space between those two weapons. To fill that position, our semi-auto sniper rifle has been given some new upgrades. Leaning into the lethality of a .50 Cal round, the weapon is now much more powerful, with the trade-off of being slower to fire successive shots. As a semi-automatic weapon without any rechamber, it is still quite fast and works well for holding down a position.

M82 (Sniper Rifle Charlie)
- Increased one-hit kill potential to include the mid-torso.
- Increased Aim Down Sight speed from 0.7 to 0.666.
- Increased ADS-Out Momentum from 0.2 to 0.183.
- Reduced ADS-In Momentum from 0.2 to 0.25.
- Reduced firing speed from 0.333 to 0.833.
Attachments
- Reduced Bullet Velocity bonus from 22.2” Extended Barrel attachment from 25% to 13%.
- Increased Fire Rate bonus from 20.6” Rapid Fire Barrel attachment from 11% to 12%.
- Reduced Bullet Velocity bonus from 22.6” Combat Recon Barrel attachment from 75% to 26%.
- Reduced Bullet Velocity bonus from 22.6” Tiger Team Barrel attachment from 50% to 20%.
- Increased Fire Rate bonus from 22.6” Tiger Team Barrel attachment from 18% to 24%.
- Reduced Flinch Resistance bonus from Field Tape Handle attachment from 90% to 50%.
- Reduced Flinch Resistance bonus from SASR Jungle Grip Handle attachment from 80% to 67%.
- Increased Sprint to Fire penalty from SASR Jungle Grip Handle attachment from 12% to 15%.
- Reduced Flinch Resistance Bonus from Airborne Elastic Wrap Handle attachment from 90% to 25%.
- Increased Sprint to Fire penalty from Airborne Elastic Wrap Handle attachment from 15% to 18%.
- Reduced Aim Down Sight Time bonus from Airborne Elastic Wrap Handle attachment from 12% to 5%.

ZRG 20mm

This is the most lethal sniper rifle in Black Ops Cold War, and it ravages vehicles and Scorestreaks. This power comes at a price, as this weapon is slower with less available ammo. Players who prioritize map knowledge, common enemy movements, and destroying enemy Scorestreaks will excel with the ZRG 20mm. Strategy over tactics. To that end, this weapon must be slower to wield compared to the rest of the sniper rifle class.

ZRG 20mm
- Reduced Aim Down Sight speed from 0.65 to 0.683.
- Reduced Bullet Velocity from 925 to 923.
- Increased ADS-Out Momentum from 0.2 to 0.183.
- Reduced ADS-In Momentum from 0.2 to 0.283.
- Custom Vehicle Damage: The “anti-material” property of this weapon deals extra damage to every vehicle and Scorestreak. Due to the sheer number of vehicles and Scorestreaks to choose from in Black Ops Cold War, this damage is displayed in-game as a range (i.e. 1100 – 2200). Generally speaking, the larger a vehicle or Scorestreak is, the more damage this weapon will deal to it.
Attachments
- Reduced Bullet Velocity bonus from 41.9” Extended Barrel attachment from 25% to 10%.
- Reduced Bullet Velocity bonus from 43.9” Combat Recon Barrel attachment from 75% to 20%.
- Reduced Bullet Velocity bonus from 42.7” Sigma Special Barrel attachment from 67% to 16%.
- Reduced Flinch Resistance bonus from Field Tape Handle attachment from 90% to 50%.
- Reduced Flinch Resistance bonus from SASR Jungle Grip Handle attachment from 80% to 67%.
- Increased Sprint to Fire penalty from SASR Jungle Grip Handle attachment from 12% to 18%.
- Reduced Flinch Resistance Bonus from Airborne Elastic Wrap Handle attachment from 90% to 25%.
- Increased Sprint to Fire penalty from Airborne Elastic Wrap Handle attachment from 15% to 20%.
- Reduced Aim Down Sight Time bonus from Airborne Elastic Wrap Handle attachment from 12% to 5%.

Swiss K31

With its low recoil, fast rechamber, and speedy handling, this weapon is ideal for quickly eliminating multiple enemy targets. Players with an eagle eye and nerves of steel will be able to down more enemies with this weapon than with any other sniper rifle. For those who aren’t as skilled at nailing their headshots every time, the Swiss K31 can perform much like a tactical rifle. The changes made here further index on this skill aspect, with the benefit of less sniper flinch.

Swiss K31
- 25% less Flinch than other sniper rifles.
- Reduced Bullet Velocity from 700 to 684.
Attachments
- Reduced Bullet Velocity bonus from 24.9” Extended Barrel attachment from 25% to 16%.
- Reduced Bullet Velocity bonus from 24.9” Combat Recon Barrel attachment from 75% to 31%.
- Reduced Bullet Velocity bonus from 24.9” Tiger Team Barrel attachment from 50% to 23%.
- Reduced Flinch Resistance bonus from Field Tape Handle attachment from 90% to 50%.
- Reduced Flinch Resistance bonus from SASR Jungle Grip Handle attachment from 80% to 67%.
- Reduced Sprint to Fire penalty from SASR Jungle Grip handle attachment from 12% to 11%.
- Reduced Aim Down Sight Time bonus from Airborne Elastic Wrap Handle attachment from 12% to 5%.

Assault Rifles

Krig 6
- Increased Bullet Velocity from 625 to 686.
- Increased Bullet Velocity bonus from 19.7” Ranger Barrel attachment from 100% to 126%.
- Reduced Bullet Velocity penalty from 15.5” Contour Barrel attachment from 25% to 12%.
AK-47
- Increased Bullet Velocity from 490 to 702.
FFAR 1
- Increased maximum damage from 27 to 28.
- Reduced Bullet Velocity from 705 to 629.
Groza
- Reduced headshot multiplier from 1.4x to 1.25x.
- Increased Bullet Velocity from 650 to 660.
QBZ-83
- Increased Bullet Velocity from 625 to 671.
FARA 83
- Increased headshot multiplier from 1.25x to 1.4x.
- Increased Bullet Velocity from 675 to 729.
- Reduced maximum damage from 31 to 30.
- Reduced minimum damage from 28 to 27.
- Reduced Bullet Velocity penalty from 17.5” Contour Barrel attachment from 25% to 18%.
XM4
- Increased Bullet Velocity from 550 to 657.

All Light Machine Guns

We’ve refactored Bullet Velocity to give LMGs more inherent power with less reliance on the Task Force Barrel attachment. These changes provide more value to the rest of the Barrel attachments, while the Task Force Barrel remains a solid choice for boosting Bullet Velocity.

Light Machine Gun Alpha
- Increased Bullet Velocity from 675 to 714.
- Reduced Bullet Velocity bonus from 21.8” Task Force Barrel attachment from 100% to 41%.
RPD
- Increased Bullet Velocity from 475 to 684.
- Reduced Bullet Velocity bonus from 20.3” Task Force Barrel attachment from 100% to 44%.
M60
- Increased Bullet Velocity from 600 to 791.
- Reduced Bullet Velocity bonus from 22.8” Task Force Barrel attachment from 100% to 39%.

All Pistols

Pistols have received minor adjustments to Bullet Velocity. These changes better fit each pistol by pushing their “hitscan” range to the edge of their most-used engagement distances.