If you’re trying to wrap up camo challenges and you just can’t bring yourself to use battle rifles – or, of course, you just fancy a change of pace when you’re playing Modern Warfare 2 – then Call of Duty has just released the perfect MW2 update for you. In the middle of The Haunting event, a new MW2 update is buffing battle rifles through an update that alters the damage range values of 28 guns – which is over half the primary weapons available in-game.
In an effort to keep everything balanced and cement Modern Warfare 2 as one of the best FPS games out there, ahead of the Modern Warfare 3 release date (of course), Call of Duty is releasing a new update that alters the damage range values of some of the best MW2 guns out there – and some of the worst. Live from October 23, this update – which only affects MW2 itself – affects 28 of the 53 primary weapons currently available. For the most part, these are all buffs – especially when it comes to battle rifles. However, there are some nerfs you should look out for.
As you can see for yourself in the latest set of Modern Warfare 2 patch notes here, Call of Duty is increasing the damage range of four battle rifles among the following weapons:
- Cronen Squall – battle rifle (increased mid)
- SO-14 – battle rifle (increased all)
- Lachmann 762 – battle rifle (increased all)
- FTAC Recon – battle rifle (increased close)
- PDSW 528 – SMG (increased mid)
- Fennec 45 – SMG (increased mid)
- BAS-P – SMG (increased mid)
- Kastov 762 – assault rifle (increased close)
- FR Avancer – assault rifle (increased close)
- M16 – assault rifle (increased mid)
- Tempus Razorback – assault rifle (increased close)
- M4 – assault rifle (increased close)
- Lachmann 556 – assault rifle (increased close, increased mid)
- Expedite 12 – shotgun (increased close, increased mid)
- KV Broadside – shotgun (increased close)
- SPR-208 – marksman rifle (increased mid)
- RAAL MG – LMG (increased mid, increased far)
If you want to use one of the best MW2 SPR-208 loadouts or best MW2 M4 loadouts, now really is the time. The same goes for the best MW2 So-14 loadouts and the best MW2 Lachmann 762 loadouts – both of these guns have had all damage range values increased in the update.
On the flip side, though, these are the guns that have been hit with a damage range nerf:
- Minibak – SMG (reduced close)
- Vaznev-9k – SMG (reduced close)
- Lachmann Shroud – SMG (reduced mid, reduced far)
- ISO 9mm – SMG (reduced far)
- TR-76 Geist – assault rifle (reduced close)
- Kastov 74u – assault rifle (reduced close)
- TAQ 56 – assault rifle (reduced close)
- Lockwood 300 – shotgun (reduced all)
- Bryson 900 – shotgun (reduced all)
- EBR-14 – marksman rifle (reduced all)
- Tempus Torrent – marksman rifle (reduced mid)
One thing that’s worth noting is that the two shotgun damage range nerfs only apply to specific ammunition types. So, in the Lockwood 300’s case, the reduced damage range is only for the 12 Gauge and Dragon’s Breath attachment options. Similarly, the Bryson 900’s 12 Gauge and Dragon’s Breath ammunition options have had their damage ranges nerfed. The standard shells remain the same, for now.
If you’re wondering how all of this will affect the meta, though, in the closing stages of Modern Warfare 2’s life cycle, we think it’s going to open up the selection of weapons you come across – and the ones that are viable for you to use – a little more. However, with popular weapons like the Lachmann Sub and ISO Hemlock untouched, you’re still going to find comfort in those – for now, anyway.
Modern Warfare 3 early access looms and we’re going to find ourselves with a new Call of Duty multiplayer experience to dive into. Is this the last balancing update we’ll see? We really wouldn’t be too surprised if it was, but we’ll have to wait and see. With the chance that we’ll see older Call of Duty games on Xbox Game Pass in the future, maybe they’ll keep updating things a little longer than before.