All weapon buffs and nerfs in Black Ops 4 v1.04 game update

The latest game update in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 has introduced some major changes to certain weapons and weapon classes.

With update v1.04, which went live on October 30, Treyarch have buffed or nerfed weapons based on the feedback received from players about how well each performed.

As expected, the Assault Rifle class of weapons have been nerfed and the SMGs buffed, in order to balance out the two classes after the Multiplayer had become very AR-heavy. 

“We’re dialing back some previous buffs to Assault Rifles to help close the gap in effectiveness between ARs and SMGs,” Treyarch wrote. “This allows SMGs to be more effective at firing on the move.”

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The ICR-7 and VAPR-XKG, which most consider to be the two best ARs, have been nerfed in several ways, as well as the Grip II attachment, which now has reduced ADS flinch mitigation. 

For the SMGs, the MX9 and Cordite received major buffs in the shape of all of their damages ranges being extended.

As for the Tactical Rifles class, the only weapon to receive major changes is the ABR 223, which has been buffed “to be more competitive with other Tactical Rifles.”

The ABR now has extended maximum damage range and improved hip-fire accuracy with the Laser Sight I and II attachments.

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All of the Sniper Rifles except for the Paladin HB50 (Outlaw, SDM, Koshka) have been buffed in order to compete with the other snipers. The Paladin itself has also been slightly nerfed in terms of its 1-hit kill ability on the lower torso of enemies.

In order to make sure that LMGs do not become overly powerful, Titan, VKM 750, and Hades have all seen their effectiveness reduced in several ways and across several attachments.

All of the weapon changes implemented via the v1.04 update in Black Ops 4 can be seen below in full detail. An in-depth look at the entire patch notes for this update can be seen HERE.

• Assault Rifles
  • We’re dialing back some previous buffs to Assault Rifles to help close the gap in effectiveness between ARs and SMGs, allowing SMGs to be more effective at firing on the move.
  • Slight reduction to ADS move speed for all Assault Rifles.
  • Slight reduction to ADS-in transition speed for all Assault Rifles.
  • ICR-7
    • Reduced headshot damage.
    • Slight reduction to reload speed.
  • VAPR-XKG
    • Reduced close-range headshot damage.
    • Damage now falls off sooner.
    • High Caliber: Reduced headshot multiplier, eliminating the possibility of a 3-hit kill.
• Submachine Guns
  • Mobility is the primary strength of SMGs, speeding across the map to engage or disengage quickly. Some of the close-range SMGs were performing quite well, while others struggled to compete with the rest of the category. This week’s balancing pass levels the playing field between SMGs.
  • MX9
    • Extended all damage ranges.
    • High Caliber: Reduced headshot multiplier, eliminating the possibility of a 4-hit kill.
  • Cordite
    • Extended all damage ranges.
    • Belt-Feed Operator Mod: Increased overheat rate.
  • GKS
    • Quad Shot Operator Mod: Slight time increase in between bursts.
  • Saug 9mm
    • Dual Wield Operator Mod: Reduced hip-fire accuracy.
• Tactical Rifles
  • We’ve buffed the ABR to be more competitive with the other Tactical Rifles, while stepping down its Operator Mod to keep it from becoming a crutch Attachment. The Swordfish received some Attachment adjustments, as well.
  • ABR 223
    • Extended maximum damage range.
    • Repeater Operator Mod: Now takes longer to accelerate fire rate.
    • Stock: Slight reduction in movement speed bonus.
    • Laser Sight & Laser Sight II: Improved hip-fire accuracy.
  • Swordfish
    • High Caliber: Reduced headshot multiplier, eliminating the possibility of a 3-hit kill.
    • Penta Burst Operator Mod: Reduced extra granted clip-size.
• Sniper Rifles
  • The other Sniper Rifles needed help to fight King Paladin. We’re giving these rifles reduced idle sway and upping their damage to help finish off wounded targets more consistently.
  • Removed turn sway when aiming down sights on all Sniper Rifles to better ensure the weapon reticle stays centered when turning.
  • Paladin HB50
    • High Caliber II: Hitting the lower torso on a full Tak-5-boosted enemy will no longer be a 1-hit kill.
    • FMJ II: Improved damage against Scorestreaks.
    • Stabilizer II: Player can now hold breath sooner after the previous hold breath.
  • Outlaw
    • Improved base damage from 110 to 130.
    • Reduced idle sway.
    • Increased base movement speed.
    • Stock: Slight increase in ADS movement speed bonus.
  • SDM
    • Increased clip size from 10 to 12.
    • Reduced idle sway.
  • Koshka
    • Improved Damage from 120 to 140.
    • Stock: Slight increase in ADS movement speed bonus.
• Light Machine Guns
  • Some in the community have discovered that the Titan and VKM 750 are extremely effective weapons! We’re toning them down before everyone jumps on the bandwagon. While they’ll still be scary to face off against, players will now have a more reasonable chance to defend themselves against these LMGs.
  • Titan
    • Reduced headshot damage.
    • Reduced hip-fire accuracy.
    • Stock: Reduced ADS movement speed bonus.
  • VKM 750
    • Reduced movement speed while firing.
    • Reduced damage slightly.
    • Fat Barrel Operator Mod: Reduced bullet tracer size.
  • Hades
    • Cross Bar Operator Mod: Reduced movement speed and accuracy.
    • Steady Grip: Improved recoil mitigation.
• Pistols
  • Slight reduction to ADS-in transition speed for all Pistols.
  • RK 7 Garrison
    • Slight increase to the time between bursts.
    • Slight reduction to reload speed.
• Shotguns
  • This weapon class is close to where we want it, with only a couple of specific Attachments performing better than intended. Shotguns in Black Ops 4 play a different role than in past Call of Duty titles, and those who have practiced cat-and-mouse gameplay can be highly effective with them.
  • MOG 12
    • Choked Barrel: 1-hit-kill range reduced.
    • Dragon’s Breath Operator Mod: Resolved an issue where the Dragon’s Breath occasionally triggered incorrect visual and sound FX on targets.
  • SG12
    • Strobe Light Operator Mod: Addressed an issue with the Strobe Light where it would remain on after death.
    • Live update coming soon to reduce the range at which the Strobe Light interferes with enemy aim.
• Attachments (All Weapons)
  • Grip II
    • Reduced ADS flinch mitigation.
  • Suppressor
    • Reduced damage falloff ranges.
  • Holographic Sight Optic
    • Reduced ADS recoil.
  • Dual Zoom Optic
    • Reduced ADS recoil.
  • Recon Optic
    • Reduced ADS recoil.
  • ELO Optic
    • Slightly increased ADS recoil.