Call of Duty: Warzone is one of the biggest games out right now with millions of concurrent players jumping in to be the last man standing. While Warzone did stem out of the incredibly popular Call of Duty: Modern Warfare reboot released late last year, it has quickly made its own name within the gaming community and has managed to become one of the most played Battle Royale games out there.
However, despite being a standalone thing, Call of Duty: Warzone still borrows most of its gunplay and gameplay mechanics from Modern Warfare with some modifications to make it more suited for the Battle Royale genre. For instance, it takes longer to kill a player in Warzone as compared to Modern Warfare since the stakes of a single life are much higher than a classic Call of Duty deathmatch.
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Warzone’s success cannot be solely credited to the great gameplay mechanics of its parent game, Modern Warfare though since it does a lot of new innovative things that set it apart from the rest of the field within the Battle Royale genre. Firstly, the entire scale of the game is huge with 150 players jumping into the map at the same time as compared to the usual 100 in most other Battle Royale games.
In addition to that, Warzone has also introduced tons of new gameplay mechanics and tropes to spice things up. One of these new features is the Gulag, where eliminated players fight against each other in head-to-head 1v1 matches to determine who is worthy enough for a second chance at attaining glory.
Furthermore, the new cash system keeps the gameplay fresh and exciting with the ability to buy kill-streaks and bring back eliminated teammates from the dead using the new shop. A new game mode called Plunder also mixes things up.
In plunder, all you have to do is collect the highest amount of cash and deposit it. Players have the ability to respawn and by the end of the match, those with the highest amount of cash win the match. Plunder puts an interesting twist on the already intense Battle Royale mode and gives a chance to lesser skilled players to win something as well.
Gameplay alone isn’t enough to make a game like Warzone as massive as it is though. One of the biggest reasons for the success of Call of Duty: Warzone is the fact that it is a free-to-play game and does not require any subscription if you’re on PlayStation 4 or PC. Those on the Xbox One camp are slightly unfortunate though since they’ll still require an Xbox Live Gold subscription to play the game.
Another special thing about Warzone is the fact that you can have custom weapon loadouts in the game, much like those in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare that you can pick up from loadout drops. Better yet, if you already own Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, you can import those loadouts straight to Warzone and pick them up from drops during the match.
Warzone has been out for a month now which means that players and experts have had plenty of time to analyze the game’s weapons and loadouts from the inside out. Many have already chosen their favourite guns and have stuck to what they feel comfortable with the most.
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While the guns in Call of Duty: Warzone are still essentially the same as Modern Warfare, the difference in map size and player health changes everything. So, you have to think differently about what weapons to choose in your loadouts and since there is a pretty massive arsenal to choose from, narrowing things down can prove to be a daunting task.
So, we’ve constructed this very comprehensive weapons and loadouts guide for Call of Duty: Warzone that goes over the best weapons in the game and also the best combinations of weapons and perks for your ultimate Warzone loadouts.
Best weapons in Call of Duty; Warzone
Before we get into custom loadouts, we need to understand the individual weapons in the game first. While there is a high chance that these weapons will be making their way into your eventual loadout as well, we also need to study them individually since you won’t be finding a loadout drop during every match and you need to know which weapons are good on their own as well.
Unlike other Battle Royale games like Fortnite, Call of Duty: Warzone has an extremely large collection of guns that you can choose from. Thankfully though, the stats for those guns have been extracted and based on the numbers, they can be divided into 4 tiers. Tier 1 guns are absolutely incredible for Warzone with those falling within Tier 4 being almost unusable at times.
If you were expecting the best guns from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare to also be good in Warzone, you’re in for a surprise. The increased player health and massive map means that most one-shot kill guns from the main game are of no use here.
For example, the revered 725 Shotgun known for its power and one shot ability is pretty much useless here since it doesn’t kill the enemy player in a single shot and takes ages to reload. So, let’s take a look at what guns do perform well within the savage world of Call of Duty: Warzone.
1. MP7/MP5
Despite being a very common drop within the game, the MP7 performs surprisingly well in most scenarios. Being an SMG, the gun has a very fast rate of fire and does not have much recoil either which makes it a really easy gun to use for beginners.
In addition to that, the MP7 remains fairly stable at range as well and while you obviously can’t snipe people with it, you won’t regret trusting it during close or mid-range combat.
Another gun which is extremely similar to the MP7 is the MP5. The only difference is that the MP5 deals a higher amount of damage in exchange for greater recoil. If you’re a much more seasoned player, you might actually end up being better off with the MP5 than MP7 but overall, you really can’t go wrong with either of these.
2. M4A1
You probably saw this coming from a million miles away. There is no doubt that the M4A1 has always been at the forefront of first person shooter games ranging from Counter Strike to Call of Duty and the story is no different here. In Modern Warfare, the M4A1 is a powerful Assault Rifle with a consistent rate of fire and high damage while also keeping the recoil in check.
Likewise, all of these traits of the M4A1 translate to the Battle Royale genre as well making the M4A1 and extremely effective gun in Call of Duty: Warzone. This gun is an all-round champ and it’s almost impossible to find any flaws in it.
Need something for a long range fight? You can depend on the M4A1 without hesitation. What about short range combat though? Well, with a very high damage, you’ll find it easy to eliminate your opponents even in close quarters. Overall, the M4A1 is the trusty ol’ reliable and is, without any doubt, one of the best guns in the Call of Duty: Warzone.
3. R9-0 Shotgun
So far, we’ve only looked at machine guns because of their versatile nature and their ability to adapt to the situation. However, while not being as versatile as an Assault Rifle, Shotguns offer an insanely high burst of damage that can prove to be absolutely devastating in close quarters.
Sadly, with the increased player health in Warzone, most shotguns are pretty useless since they can’t fire rapidly and take a very long time to reload. However, the R9-0 Shotgun manages to stand out despite being, well, a shotgun. The gun is much faster to use than the likes of 725 and you can actually kill fully armoured enemies with just two shots.
In addition to that, the R9-0 is not only limited to close combat as most shotguns are. Some drops of the map come equipped with attachments like the Choke that narrow down the spray of the gun resulting in a much more accurate yet destructive shot. So, the R9-0 is fairly versatile while also being an absolute delight to use.
4. AK-47
Much like the M4A1, the AK-47 has also been a staple for most of the first person shooter history. With its insanely high damage and a consistent rate of fire, the AK-47 provides a level of power that is rivaled by no other gun.
Within Call of Duty: Warzone, you can easily obliterate an enemy’s entire shield and health bar with just a few accurate shots using the AK even before they have a chance to react.
However, unlike the M4A1, the AK-47 is not free from flaws and comes with a major caveat, the recoil. The AK-47 is notorious for its high spray and incredibly high recoil which offsets the damage it causes. If you’re good at controlling the recoil and staggering your bullets though then the AK-47 is the perfect fit for you.
5. HDR
Sniper Rifles are the most effective way of winning at Battle Royale games without ever letting your enemy know your location. There is no better feeling than sitting 300 meters away tucked into a hiding spot and pulling off an incredible headshot with a sniper rifle. With the increased health bars, some sniper rifles like the Dragunov have been nerfed and cannot kill an enemy with one shot.
The HDR sniper rifle though is still extremely powerful and can indeed finish off an opponent with a single bullet if you manage to pull off a headshot. The best place to use the HDR is still from a long-range vantage point though. The bullet drop on the gun is almost non-existent so you won’t have to second guess your aim.
In addition to that, even if you miss the head, the initial shot will still stagger your opponent and destroy their armor so you can finish them off with a second shot. One area where the HDR does fall apart though is the recoil but since it is a powerful sniper rifle, high recoil is a given.
Best Weapon Loadouts in Call of Duty: Warzone
Now that we’ve come to grips with what weapons work best on their own in Call of Duty: Warzone, it is time to look at complete loadouts that you’ll be carrying around the map. One of the best things about Warzone is the fact that you don’t have to rely on random loot throughout the match and can actually use your preferred custom loadouts within the game.
Choosing a good loadout in Warzone is not rocket science and you’ll be fine with the classic combination of a long ranged weapon and a short ranged weapon. While the perks are also incredibly important and choosing three can prove to be tricky, they usually are pretty self-explanatory and make sense with what you’re trying to achieve.
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However, getting to the complete package that fits your individual playing style is still not easy. Therefore, we have a collection of loadouts for a wide range of playing styles. So, whether you’re an aggressive player that breaches rooms and rushes the enemies or you’re a ghost that perches at a vantage point waiting to pounce on your prey, we’ve got the perfect loadout for you.
1. Long ranged AR/Sniper Overkill loadout:
Overkill is quite possibly the most useful perk in Call of Duty: Warzone since it allows you to carry two primary weapons which can prove to be absolutely crucial in situations where you need to adapt. Furthermore, the secondary weapons just don’t cut it when it comes to eliminating enemies in Warzone simply because they have more health.
There are tons of different combinations that you can have with overkill. However, the one we’ve found to be the most versatile and useful is the Assault Rifle and Sniper combo. As we’ve seen before, the best Assault Rifle in the game is the M4A1 and the best Sniper Rifle is the HDR so naturally combining those two together in a loadout would make sense.
However, since the game also allows individual customization of the guns via gunsmith, you can improve these guns to fit your playing style even better. For this loadout though, here are the gunsmith attachments that we’ll be using:
M4A1:
- Monolithic Suppressor
- Corvus Custom Marksman
- Stippled Grip Tape
- 60 round magazines
- Forge FTAC CQS
The monolithic suppressor will help with maximising your range and damage making the gun excellent at mid to long range combat while also not compromising too much on the mobility.
HDR:
- Monolithic Suppressor
- 9” HDR Pro
- Thermal Sniper Scope
- FTAC Champion
- 7 Round Magazines
While this does mean that you lose a lot of mobility from the HDR in this setup, you get tons of damage and range in return. In addition to that, the thermal scope can really help with spotting hidden enemies in the wild from long range.
For perks, there are tons of options to choose from but since this build focuses more on damage and power and less on mobility, we need to select the perks and equipment that helps you stay grounded at a good vantage point so that you can pick off your opponents in peace.
The first perk is obviously Overkill which will give you the ability to carry two primary weapons, the HDR and M4A1. For the second perk though, we’re going with Amped since it allows you to switch through your weapons much faster. This can prove to be crucial when you get ambushed and need to switch to your Assault Rifle quickly.
The third perk for this build will be Cold Blooded which is quite possibly the most important perk in Warzone next to Overkill. It allows you to stay hidden from thermal scopes and recon drones. So, this is a perfect perk if you wish to stay low and hidden at your location.
As far as the equipment is concerned, we’ll be using a Semtex to clear areas and Smoke Grenade for the ability to quickly hide your approach. While many players do prefer a heartbeat sensor, you don’t need that here since you’ll spend most of your time being stationary.
2. Aggressive SMG/AR breach Overkill loadout:
If you’re a classic Call of Duty player, then you probably don’t like waiting around for your opponents and like being the aggressor yourself. This loadout is for those who like to gather loot and rush to the next point without ever stopping to catch a breath.
With overkill, you get the choice of two primary weapons and since we’re going for a fast-paced loadout, having an SMG is a must. As we’ve seen earlier, the best SMG in the game Is the MP5 so we’ll be choosing that for our first pick. As far as the second weapon is concerned, there is a tossup between an AR and a Shotgun and you could choose whichever you feel more comfortable with.
However, the AR will give you more versatility at long range which can come in handy even if you’re trying to ambush your opponents. So, the AR we’ll be using is, naturally, the M4A1. Here are the gunsmith attachments for both weapons:
MP5:
- Monolithic Suppressor
- FSS Mini
- FSS Close Quarters Stock
- Tactical Foregrip
- 30-Round Auto 10mm Magazines
This combination of attachments for the MP5 makes it prime for shooting enemies in close quarters. With this, you can expect to reign supreme in almost every one on one fight in small spaces.
M4A1:
- Monolithic Suppressor
- Stock M16 Grenadier
- 60 Round Magazines
- Stippled Grip Tape
- Forge FTAC CQS
The suppressor provides that certain level of damage and range that you just cannot have with the MP5 so when you get into slightly longer ranged fights, the M4A1 will have your back.
As far as the perks other than overkill are concerned, we’ll be using Cold Blooded yet again since it would allow us to cover our tracks and remain hidden during the match. Cold Blooded will also keep you off the thermal scopes and will prevent the high alert alarm as well.
In addition to Cold Blooded, we’ll be using the Tracker perk which will allow you to triangulate your opponents and know where they are so you can ambush them at the right moment and catch them off guard. The Tracker is extremely crucial with this setup since it allows you to quickly move from room to room and not get surprised by a hidden enemy there.
For the equipment, we’ll be using a Semtex for lethal (you can choose a grenade if you prefer that) and a Heartbeat Sensor for the tactical slot. The Heartbeat Sensor is extremely important for this build since it can tell you about your enemy’s location before you breach into a room. Furthermore, it has unlimited uses and can prove to be a game winner during the final stages of a match.
3. Balanced LMG/Shotgun Overkill loadout
This is quite possibly the most balanced build out of all in Call of Duty: Warzone. However, that does not necessarily mean that it is the easiest to play since playing with an LMG requires a certain playing style and not everyone is comfortable with big heavy guns with a relatively lower damage per shot.
Obviously, we’ll be using the Overkill perk here yet again to equip two primary weapons. However, instead of an Assault Rifle, we’re going with an LMG here since you really don’t need any additional short range assistance if you have a Shotgun and if you’re only worried about medium to long range fights, then you can’t go wrong with an LMG.
Light Machine Guns also provide very good stability and rate of fire over longer distances. The only thing that would be out of your reach is a sniper-level range but that’s not something that you should worry about.
So, for the LMG, we’re going with the PKM which is quite possibly the best LMG in Call of Duty Warzone due to its high damage and range while also keeping the stability in check. As far as the Shotgun is concerned though, we’ve already discussed above that the R9-0 is the best Shotgun in the game so we’ll be choosing that here. Here are the attachments for both weapons:
PKM:
- Monolithic Suppressor
- 9” Extended Barrel
- Integral Hybrid
- FORGE Tac Stalker
- Tactical Foregrip
With the monolithic suppressor and the extended barrel, the range of PKM increases which means that you’ll have no problem with killing off enemies from longer distances.
R9-0:
- Monolithic Suppressor
- FORGE TAC Sentry
- 5mW Laser
- Tube Extensions
- Frangible-Disabling
The R9-0 is already a very powerful Shotgun, especially in close quarters with the ability to two shot an enemy in a burst of quick shots. These attachments only compliment the gun’s ability to deal massive amounts of damage at once and whoever comes up against you in close combat doesn’t stand a chance.
Since this is a relatively balanced build, we’ll be going with Cold Blooded for out 2nd perk since having it is absolutely essential in Warzone, especially when you’re trying to not get caught off guard by an enemy. In addition to that, we’ll be using the Amped perk to fill up our 3rd slot. The Amped perk will allow you to quickly adapt to every situation and swap between weapons at a much faster rate.
Finally, for the equipment, we’ll be choosing a Semtex for Lethal and a Heartbeat Sensor for our Tactical slot to complete this balanced loadout for Call of Duty: Warzone.
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While experimenting with different loadouts does help, they aren’t magic switches that turn you into Shroud. Adjusting your playing style, adapting to the conditions and coming to terms with the weapons and tools that you have at your disposal is extremely important when it comes to Battle Royale games like Call of Duty: Warzone.
So, keep practicing and you’ll eventually get there. Good luck!