Despite getting nerfed, the Jackal PDW still sits comfortably as one of the best SMGs in Black Ops 6, and one of the title’s best overall weapons.
No weapon was used more than the Jackal PDW during Black Ops 6’s first beta weekend, as it outperformed every available SMG and AR in short and medium-range engagements.
Treyarch responded by increasing the Jackal PDW’s damage falloff and adding more recoil to deal with. As a result, the weapon takes seven shots and 6 shots to kill enemies in gunfights between 25 and 30 meters or further.
Previously, it only took five shots from that distance. However, this update only impacts the maximum damage range. None of the Jackal PDW’s near values were touched, meaning this SMG still shreds up close.
Best Black Ops 6 Jackal PDW loadout
- Muzzle: Ported Compensator
- Barrel: Reinforced Barrel
- Underbarrel: Ranger Foregrip
- Rear Grip: Ergonomic Grip
- Stock: Balanced Stock
Our loadout focuses on giving a much-needed helping hand to accuracy while also making this one of the fastest builds in the game.
First, The Ported Compensator reduces the first shot recoil and overall vertical recoil. Similarly, the Ranger Foregrip improves horizontal recoil sprinting and movement speed.
Since the Jackal PDW does less damage at range, the Reinforced Barrel improves damage range and bullet velocity to recoup some losses.
To improve mobility, the Ergonomic Grip improves aim down sight, sprint to fire, and dive to fire speed. Rounding out our loadout, the Balanced Stock provides moderate improvements to aim walking and overall movement speed.
Jackal PDW pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Class-leading mobility and handling | Poor recoil |
| Perfect weapon for aggressive players | C9 has better time-to-kill |
| Works well with omnimovement | No longer as effective at medium-range |
| Fast time-to-kill in first damage range |
Where is the C9 in the Black Ops 6 meta?
The nerf had little impact on overall popularity. Coming in with a 10.35% pick rate, the Jackal PDW is still the third most popular weapon in Black Ops 6, according to WZ Stats.
And it isn’t too far from the top spot, as the Tanto .22 only boasts a 10.97% pick rate. All three beta SMGs are in the top four for popular weapons, so it’s hard to argue against using any of them.
Before and after this update, the C9 performs better than the JAKAL PDW in close-range engagements, but if you are an aggressive player, you will still have more fun using the JAKAL because of better mobility and handling stats.
This is all subject to change when the title officially launches, but this SMG is still in an excellent spot to be a meta weapon.
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Best Jackal PDW Perks, Equipment & Class Specialty
- Perk 1: Ghost
- Perk 2: Gung-Ho
- Perk 3: Double Time
- Perk 4: Dexterity
- Combat Speciality: Recon
- Wildcard: Perk Greed
- Lethal: Thermo Grenade
- Tactical: Concussion
- Field Upgrade: Trophy System
For our Perk selections, we focused on highlighting the Jackal PDW’s exception mobility and handling. This loadout shines brightest while moving and on long flank routes.
Every SMG loadout should have the Enforcer Combat Speciality, activated by equipping three Enforcer Perks. Enforcer grants a temporary buff to movement speed and health regeneration after every kill, which is a massive boost for this mobile build.
Perk Greed also helps make this all possible by granting an extra Perk slot.
Before getting into our red Perks, Ghost also helps improve stealth by taking you off the mini-map for radar pings and UAVs. Meanwhile, Double Time and Gung-Ho provide a phenomenal one-two punch as one increases tactical sprint duration while the other makes it possible to reload during a tactical sprint.
As mentioned, the Ergonomic Grip improves dive-to-fire speed. That works hand-in-hand with Dexterity, which reduces weapon motion while sliding, jumping, and diving, meaning you can shoot while doing these actions more efficiently.
To round out our loadout, Concussion and Semtex grenades are perfect for dealing with enemies that you are flanking. For objective game modes, a Trophy System blocks all incoming grenade spam while holding the point.
How to unlock Jackal PDW in Black Ops 6 beta
To unlock the Jackal PDW in the Black Ops 6 beta, you must hit level 10. This shouldn’t be too difficult to ask, as there is Double XP throughout the beta.
Black Ops 6 Jackal PDW alternatives
If the Jackal PDW doesn’t check every box for you, the C9 and Tanto .22 provide unique pace changes. To start, the C9 is a well-balanced weapon that does just about everything well without necessarily blowing anyone away.
On the other hand, the Tanto .22 is a slow-firing SMG with a devastating damage profile in medium-range engagements.
For more on other possible alternatives, check out our Black Ops 6 weapon tier list.
