How the CoD: Warzone meta changed over its first year

Liam Mackay
Warzone DMR 14

Many weapons have come and gone from Warzone’s meta over the course of its first year, so we’re taking a look at how the meta shifted over Year 1 of Call of Duty’s battle royale.

Warzone has reached its first year anniversary, and the meta has shifted several times over the course of the year. Warzone veterans will remember the beaming potential of the Grau 5.56, and it’s unlikely anyone will forget how powerful the DMR 14 was in Cold War Season 1.

We’re taking a look at how the weapon meta shifted over Warzone’s first year.

Biggest Warzone meta changes in Year 1

Thanks to a chart created by website WZRanked.com, we can see how the meta has shifted over Warzone’s first year, and we can see just how popular these weapons were on what dates.

The higher the spike, the bigger the inequality between the top weapon and the rest. Where you see the spike in January 2021, this is when the overpowered DMR 14 reigned supreme.

Warzone M4A1 meta

When Warzone was first released in March 2020, it’s of no surprise that the M4A1 was king. Arguably the best Assault Rifle in Modern Warfare’s multiplayer, it seemed the logical choice to drop into Verdansk with. WZRanked’s chart reveals that this meta was extremely balanced, but as the Grau rose in popularity, that soon changed.

Warzone Grau 5.56 meta

Grau Warzone

After content creators discovered how powerful and accurate the Grau 5.56 was, it quickly dominated Warzone’s meta. Whether at long-range with a VLK 3.0x Optic, or using the versatility of its clean iron sights, the Grau 5.56 was the top choice all the way from May until its nerf in July.

When the Grau was the most popular, this was one of the most unbalanced metas Warzone saw over the course of the whole year.

Warzone MP5 meta

Interestingly, even though many players remember the Bruen Mk9 replacing the Grau 5.56 after its nerf in July, it was actually Modern Warfare’s MP5 that became the go-to weapon. The Bruen came in at 2nd place for a while in August, but no matter the primary weapon, the MP5 was the most popular choice.

Warzone Kilo 141 meta

Kilo 141 Warzone

Somewhat undervalued until its discovery in Season 5, the Kilo 141 quickly became the weapon of choice for players of all skill levels. With impressive damage and almost no recoil, there was no better primary weapon than the Kilo 141.

Although the Kilo was the most popular gun during that time, WZRanked’s data reveals that this was one of the most balanced metas in Warzone Year 1.

Warzone DMR 14 meta

Warzone DMR 14

When Black Ops Cold War integrated with Warzone in December, players expected a meta change – and they were right. The DMR came crashing into the game, rendering every other weapon useless. With minimal recoil and an insanely fast time-to-kill, almost a quarter of players were using it in January.

It took two nerfs to take down this beast, but on January 13, it was finally tamed.

Warzone MAC-10 meta

After a long, DMR-filled month, the MAC-10 became the top dog. No matter how you built the MAC-10, it had almost no recoil and shredded through enemies’ armor, even at range.

Similar to the MP5, the MAC-10 was popular because it was a great choice no matter your primary weapon.

Kar98k / FFAR 1 meta

Warzone FFAR 1

With Warzone Season 2 well underway, the Kar98k and FFAR 1 have become the most popular weapons. The Kar98k is by far the easiest sniper to use, and the FFAR 1 is unstoppable at close-range. Although, the AUG’s popularity has spiked significantly since its bullet velocity buff at the beginning of Season 2. It’s possible we’ll have a new meta on our hands with this weapon.


Image Credit: Activision

About The Author

Liam is CharlieIntel's Editor who focuses on Call of Duty but also plays lots of fantasy RPGs or anything else in his massive gaming backlog. After graduating in Journalism from Edinburgh Napier University, Liam freelanced in games journalism before joining CharlieIntel in November 2020. You can contact Liam at [email protected].