MW2 & Warzone 2 Season 3 Weapon Balancing: All Buffs & Nerfs

MW2 & Warzone 2 Season 3 is here, and the patch notes for weapon balancing have also been released.

The major updates to weapons come for heavy sniper rifles in Warzone 2, while the STB 556 has received the most significant buffs in this latest update.

One-Shot Snipers Added to Warzone 2

Snipers in Warzone 2 can one-shot down enemies with full health. Now, one bullet can down enemies using heavy bolt action snipers equipped with explosive rounds.

• Explosive ammunition equipped on bolt action weapons will now fully down full-health enemies – Warzone 2 only.
• Explosive ammunition was added to the MCPR-300 weapon tree.

All Weapon Buffs & Nerfs in MW2 & Warzone 2 Season 3

Assault Rifles

• ISO Hemlock
  • All damage ranges and lower torso damage reduced.
• M13B
  • Slight reduction to headshot damage.
  • Damage to lower torso increased.
  • Increase to mid-range damage.
  • Upper torso damage has been reduced slightly.
• STB 556
  • Increase to headshot damage
  • Damage to leg has been increased.
  • Lower torso damage has increased.
  • Increase to the mid-range damage distance.
• TAQ-56
  • Increase to headshot damage

With the ISO Hemlock receiving some minor nerfs, make sure to check out the best loadout for this assault rifle in Warzone 2!

Battle Rifles

• FTAC Recon
  • Increased movement speed.
  • Leg damage increased while in Semi-Auto mode.
  • Minimum armor damage increased while in Semi-Auto mode. (Warzone 2 only)
  • Upper Torso damage increased while in Semi-Auto mode.
• Lachmann 762
  • Increased movement speed.
• SO-14
  • Increased movement speed.
  • Minimum armor damage increased while in Semi-Auto mode. (Warzone 2 only)
• TAQ-V
  • Increased movement speed.
  • Lower leg damage increased while in Semi-Auto mode.
  • Minimum armor damage increase (Warzone 2 only).

Handguns

• Basilisk
  • Minimum armor damage reduced (Warzone 2 only)

LMGs

• RAAL MG
  • Reduction to headshot damage.
  • Minimum armor damage was added while in Semi-Auto mode. (Warzone 2 only)
  • Headshot damage while in Semi-Auto mode increased.
  • Upper torso damage while in Semi-Auto mode increased.
  • Lower torso damage while in Semi-Auto mode increased.
• RPK
  • Close-mid damage has been reduced slightly.

Marksman Rifles

• Tempus Torrent
  • All damage ranges have been reduced slightly.
  • Close-mid damage has been reduced slightly.
  • Reduction to headshot damage.

SMGs

• All SMGS
  • Hip spread accuracy has been increased.
• BAS-P
  • Aim down sight movement speed has been increased.
  • All damage ranges increased.
  • Minimum armor damage was added while in Semi-Auto mode. (Warzone 2 only)
• Lachmann Sub
  • Decrease to headshot damage.
  • Increase to leg damage when in burst fire mode.
  • The time between burst fire shots decreased.
  • Increase to torso damage when in burst fire mode.
• MX9
  • Sprint to fire speed increased.
• Vaznev-9k
  • Decrease to headshot damage.
• VEL-46
  • Decrease to headshot damage.

Considering all the weapon balancing in MW2 & Warzone 2, check out which SMGs are meta in Season 3!

Attachments

There have also been some updates to attachments in Warzone 2 & MW2. Here are all the changes:

• .500 Snakeshot
  • Maximum armor damage added (Warzone 2 only)
• ISO Hemlock – .300 Blackout (All Types)
  • Increase to headshot damage.
  • Increase to hip spread accuracy while prone.
  • Slight increase to the initial recoil.
  • Decrease to long-range damage.
  • Increase to mid-range damage.
  • Increase to recoil violence.
  • Minimum armor damage added to Semi-Auto mode (Warzone 2 only)
  • Heavy Barrels
    • Slight reduction ADS speed penalty.
  • Light Barrels
    • Reduction to muzzle velocity penalty.
  • Short Barrels
    • Increase to ADS speed benefit.
    • Reduction to Damage Range penalty.
    • Increase to hip spread accuracy benefit while moving and firing
    • Decrease to hip spread accuracy penalty for Shotguns while moving and firing
  • Bipod
    • Reduction to ADS speed penalty
  • Laser
    • Laser brightness increased 
  • Magazine
    • Large Magazines
      • Light Machine Guns (Global)
        • Reduction to handling and movement penalties.
      • Kastov 545
        • 60 Round Magazine
          • Reduction to handling penalty.
      • Kastov 762
        • 40 Round Magazine
          • Reduction to handling penalty.
      • Lachmann Sub
        • 50 Round Drum
          • Reduction to handling penalty.
      • M13B
        • 60 Round Magazine
          • Reduction to handling penalty.
      • M16
        • 60 Round Magazine
          • Reduction to handling penalty.
      • Vaznev-9K
        • 45 Round Magazine
          • Reduction to handling penalty.
      • VEL 46
        • 50 Round Magazine
          • Reduction to handling penalty.
        • 60 Round Magazine
          • Reduction to handling penalty.

• Small Magazines
  • Increase to movement speed.
  • Increase to sprint to fire speed.
• Fennec 45
  • Fennec Double Tap Mod (Benefits from Small Magazine buffs)
    • Increase to damage.
    • Reduction to damage ranges
    • Minimum armor damage added (Warzone 2 only)
    • Reduction to time between bursts.
• STB 556
  • Single Tap Mod (Benefits from Small Magazine buffs)
    • Increase to damage.
    • Increase to mid-range damage distances.
    • Minimum armor damage added (Warzone 2 only).
    • The time between shots increased.
• Rear Grip
  • Basilisk
    • Akimbo Basilisk
      • Maximum armor damage added (Warzone 2 only).
• Stock
  • Heavy Stocks
    • Reduction to ADS move speed penalty
    • Increase to aiming stability benefit.
    • Increase to aim walking steadiness benefit.

It is not only weapon balancing coming in Season 3; make sure you know everything that is landing in this update.