Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II has been shaping up to be one of the biggest games since it was released at the tail end of October 2022. It owes much of its success to Call of Duty: Warzone 2, the free-to-play battle royale which saw it host as many as 25 million players in the first 5 days it went live. It has understandably registered a fall in active player counts since, falling from an average monthly peak of 223.8k active Steam players (this does not include players on Activision’s first-party launcher, which would also be substantial) to a much lower average of 86.2k. This would understandably include players who have already completed the Season 1 battle pass and those who have completed their DMZ missions.
With Warzone 2’s season 2 upon us, we expect a significant shift in the meta that has recently seen games dominated by the LMG and SMG segment. This has led to multiple users specifically grinding out publicly available suggested load-outs for COD. As the season resets, here are some of the weapons that are currently top tier or expected to perform well for Season 2 for players starting anew in Season 2, or simply looking to change stuff up as 3-plate vests become standard in addition to Resurgence finally making an appearance as part of the free content update.
7 M4
One of the most flexible and customizable weapons in the game, the M4, is an OG weapon and a mainstay of the COD franchise, and with good reason; it is a solid weapon that one should maximize early to take advantage of a reliable, low recoil weapon that has one of the lowest time to kill (TTK), something that will become an increasingly crucial factor as players compensate for having to deal with 3-plate enemies.
The number of attachment-based optimizations that allowed players to build a more ‘meta’ version of the M4 should translate in the next season. All in all, the M4 remains the trustiest middle-of-the-road assault rifle available in COD and should see operators through the next season with ease.
6 Fennec 45
The Fennec happens to be one of the fastest weapons in the game while also featuring as one of its most lethal short-range damage dealers. If players have been caught in either a 1 versus 1 or 2 versus 1 situation, they can vouch first-hand about how potent this can be in terms of wiping out multiple enemies at short range within a few moments of spotting them even with maxed-out armor.
Primarily, the extremely high rate of fire makes the Fennec a rewarding SMG to master while being a quick-switch weapon for close-range encounters, making it an ideal weapon for players that like to push for objectives.
5 Signal 50
Given the soon-to-be-defunct meta, it is incredibly hard to recommend a sniper. Only the Signal 50 rifle comes close. A sniper requires at least 2 shots to take out a 3-plate armor player. So far, only the Signal 50 gets close due to its ability to fire rapidly to take out a fully armored player from a distance while doing acceptable damage in medium-range engagements.
It is expected that snipers as well as shotguns are due a buff, which could make the signal a far more viable choice going forward. For now, however, the inability of any sniper to take out a triple plate target with a single shot already pushes them out of the meta-game and even the Signal is a conditional recommendation from our side.
4 RPK
The RPK is considered overwhelming as one of the most broken LMGs currently in the meta. With the patch already favoring LMGs as the de facto weapons for long-range engagements due to the current limitations of Sniper rifles, the RPK is a highly versatile weapons platform that has been tweaked inside-out by multiple COD players and professionals as they try to find their fit.
The reason the RPK ranks here despite an anticipated further nerf is that it is the prime LMG in play right now and unless LMGs are nerfed into the ground, it will remain an extremely viable choice for all players simply because of how customizable RPKs currently are to overcome their weaknesses or maximize their already-strong stats.
3 Kastov 762
The Kastov makes it on the list as the second AR which is excellent for medium to long-range combat. It is an interesting and understandable choice for players who want a faster aim-down sight (ADS) option for quicker medium-range engagements than an LMG like the RPK can afford with more rapid movement speed and sprint-to-fire timings.
This advantage makes it a somewhat convincing replacement for those who attempt to find the middle ground between an SMG and an LMG. With a damage profile that slightly exceeds LMGs for headshots, it can double as a marksman rifle for some players with the right attachments.
2 X13 Auto Pistols
The X13 Auto Pistols in dual mode are an interesting addition to the list but given that these are broken when tweaked with the right attachments and the 33-round mags making them a significantly faster and higher damage-dealing option than essentially any SMG at short range.
These are ideal for clearing out small houses and rooms and even pushing close quarters versus multiple enemies at times. Some players use them as a crucial second-slot alternative to SMGs until shotguns become viable again. The X13 pistols are exactly where they should be, and our team does not expect a significant buff or nerf to these in the coming days.
1 TAQ V
The damage-centric battle rifle is the only one of its kind that comes out as an instant recommendation from us. The TAQ V has multiple redeeming qualities that tend to cover its shortfalls. It offers superb damage and excellent mid-range combat credentials.
It can be customized to outpace even the most heavily modified RPKs to be just a better, more lethal version of itself, sans the recoil. We expect to see more of the TAQ V as we expect the bulk of Activision Blizzard’s attention to center around the LMG and SMG segments in the coming days.
Season 2 is currently live and brings a host of announced changes including a new map (Ashika Island) in play to facilitate the Resurgence player base even as Activision is expected to revamp things at least once this season post-patch in a bid to introduce more diverse gameplay in a meta that the RPK and Fennec dominate to the point that one in every 7 players is likely to use the former while nearly one in 10 will be using the latter.
Call of Duty: Warzone 2 is available for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and on PC