Call of Duty: Warzone may well be the best battle royale game currently on the market, at least for the time being. In both normal BR and Plunder mode, there are many systems in place that encourage players to constantly move and take fights, making the game much more dynamic and exciting than its forefathers.
Call of Duty: Warzone is not free from issues, from very little variety in loot locations to a meta that centers on killstreaks and custom loadouts. Those issues also make the game more interesting for now though, and will soon enough be patched into a more balanced state.
A Different Meta for Warzone
With enough money, players can easily drop in various killstreaks and even a custom loadout. Loot drops are typically not much better than a custom loadout, and there is typically very little reason to go after loot once a player has their favorite weapons.
Because it's relatively easy to get enough money to drop in a custom loadout in normal battle royale, and players can simply bring their custom loadout from the start in Plunder, it makes a lot of sense to have weapons prepared. However, the best guns in normal Modern Warfare will not be the best guns in Warzone.
There are a few things that make Warzone very different than the usual Modern Warfare gameplay. Those who picked up Warzone for free and haven't played Modern Warfare won't notice a big difference, but veterans from the base game may be surprised by the differences. The map is huge, so fights take place at very long ranges just like in Ground War. However, with the prevalence of body armor, time to kill is also extremely high, changing the types of weapons and strategies that perform best.
D-Tier Warzone Weapons
The worst Warzone weapons are those with limited range or small ammo capacity. Shotguns have a great DPS potential, but with the ranges that exist in Warzone, they just don't make much sense. With the overkill perk, it might make sense to have shotgun as a backup for taking on enemies indoors, but they are much better suited to Call of Duty's small maps.
DMRs once again lose out in Call of Duty. They have ideal range and accuracy, but their major flaw is DPS. In Warzone, most everyone will be wearing body armor, making grinding their defenses down with a barrage of bullets a necessity. In the right hands, DMRs can do good work, but they just can't compete with guns that offer steady damage. DMRs are much more viable in Hardcore, but there is no Hardcore mode in Warzone yet.
C-Tier Warzone Weapons
Most of the SMGs in Call of Duty are unexceptionally below average for Warzone. The one exception is the MP5 because it is one of the best all-around SMGs with respectable range and controllability. As a close range option for face-to-face encounters, other SMGs like the MP7 are great to have, but like shotguns they should be kept as a second option to a long-range primary. At lease SMGs can be upgraded to have enough ammo capacity to shred through armor.
B-Tier Warzone Weapons
These mid-tier weapons serve a clear purpose in Warzone. They may not be good all-rounders, but they do their job well. In a strong Warzone squad, it makes a lot of sense to have at least one sniper rifle, and maybe even an MP5. Snipers still may not warrant being a primary weapon, but they are incredibly useful, and their absence from a well-balanced squad is very noticeable. The best option is the AX-50, but anything with extreme range and damage will do the trick.
A-Tier Warzone Weapons
ARs, LMGs, and launchers all make it into the "good" tier for Warzone. LMGs have the major benefits of damage range and ammo capacity. They can easily shred through full body armor and keep on shooting long before they even get close to running out of ammo. Since people will always be in a squad in Warzone, being able to take one down and keep shooting without pause is extremely important. Picking up any LMG through looting is a godsend, and dropping in a PKM can easily carry a good player into the final circle.
ARs are just as good. They don't suffer from the reduced mobility and slow reloads of LMGs, and plenty of them have great range and accuracy. If a quick round of looting in Warzone turns up an AR with an extended magazine, it will be a very powerful boon. The FAMAS is a great choice because of its range and consistent damage, with the drawback of only having burst fire. Even with just a 30-round magazine, most ARs can take down a fully armored opponent if the player using it is accurate enough.
Lastly, launchers don't make sense as a primary weapon, but they have so much utility that they are hard to go without. A well-placed shot from an RPG-7 can easily shred through armor or wipe out several closely-packed players at once. Much like a good sniper, having a launcher in the squad is a real necessity.
S-Tier Warzone Weapons
The very best Warzone weapons are mobile LMGs and ARs with high ammo capacity and good range. Currently the very best weapons for Warzone are the Holger and M4A1. The Holger has been one of the best weapons in Modern Warfare since Season 1, and it truly shines in Warzone. It has the damage, range, and ammo capacity of an LMG, with far fewer drawbacks. Quick reloads and slightly better mobility make the Holger a perfect all-rounder for any situation.
The M4A1 is still arguably the best weapon in Modern Warfare, and it doesn't lose anything in Warzone. With immense DPS and great controllability, there is little reason not to use an M4A1 if it pops out of a crate, and there is plenty of reason to drop one in with a nice kit of attachments. Perhaps with changes to the loot system or some weapon balancing these tiers will shift, but for now dropping in a custom loadout with weapons that the player is comfortably with will always be the best option.
Call of Duty: Warzone is out now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
