Modern Warfare 2 guns meta at last after massive MW3 Season 6 buffs

MW3 Season 6 saw the Modern Warfare 2 guns receive their biggest buff yet, with the majority of weapons from last year’s game being improved one way or another, and some even entering the meta.

As detailed in the update’s buffs and nerfs, Season 6 saw a staggering 24 guns from MW2’s arsenal made better. This included some weapons that are already viable, but many that you wouldn’t have even considered using beforehand.

The majority of these buffs were focused on either improving damage or recoil, with those being key areas where the older guns suffered most. These shortcomings pushed players to demand changes and even raised concerns about how it would affect Black Ops 6, feedback that Sledgehammer Games appears to have listened to.

Following these balance changes, many MW2 weapons will now be viable or even highly competitive in some cases. The likes of the M13C, TR-76 Geist, SO-14, and FTAC Recon all had fast TTKs before this patch, so they are very likely to become meta with these latest changes.

Dexerto

The FTAC Recon is one of MW3’s most powerful weapons after the Season 6 buffs.

Here are all of the MW2 guns that were buffed in Season 6, as well as what changes were implemented for each of them:

Assault Rifles

• M4 (MWII)
  • Increased near-medium damage from 26 to 29 (+12%).
  • Increased minimum damage from 24 to 25 (+4%).
  • Increased head and neck damage multipliers from 1.1x to 1.15x.
• Chimera (MWII)
  • Increased minimum damage from 20 to 23 (+15%).
  • Increased maximum damage range from 16m to 25.4m (+59%).
  • Increased near-medium damage range from 31.8m to 41.9m (+32%).
• Tempus Razorback (MWII)
  • Increased maximum damage from 29 to 30 (+3%).
  • Increased near-medium damage from 26 to 27 (+4%).
  • Increased minimum damage from 20 to 23 (+15%).
  • Increased near-medium damage range from 32.2m to 39.4m (+22%).
• M13C (MWII)
  • Decreased sprint to fire time from 210ms to 189ms (-10%).
  • Decreased recoil gun kick from 35.6deg/s to 28.7deg/s (-19%).
  • Increased maximum damage range from 25.4m to 36.8m (+45%).
  • Increased near-medium damage range from 39.4m to 47m (+19%).
  • Increased medium damage range from 49.8m to 57.4m (+15%).
• TR-76 Geist (MWII)
  • Decreased aim down sight time from 280ms to 240ms (-14%).
  • Increased maximum damage range from 24.1m to 33m (+37%).
  • Increased near-medium damage range from 36.8m to 44.5m (+21%).
  • Increased medium damage range from 48.3m to 55.9m (+16%).

Battle Rifles

• Lachmann-762 (MWII)
  • Decreased horizontal recoil from 10.8deg/s to 9.6deg/s (-11%).
  • Decreased vertical recoil from 53.6deg/s to 48.2deg/s (-10%).
  • Increased firing aim stability.
• Cronen Squall (MWII)
  • Decreased horizontal recoil from 6.9deg/s to 6deg/s (-13%).
  • Decreased vertical recoil from 52deg/s to 47.7deg/s (-8%).
  • Increased firing aim stability.
• FTAC Recon (MWII)
  • Decreased horizontal recoil from 5.8deg/s to 4.7deg/s (-19%).
  • Decreased vertical recoil from 63.9deg/s to 53.5deg/s (-16%).
• TAQ-V (MWII)
  • Decreased aim down sight time from 290ms to 260ms (-10%).
  • Increased firing aim stability.
• SO-14 (MWII)
  • Increased maximum damage range from 19.3m to 22.3m (+16%).
  • Increased near-medium damage range from 31.8m to 34.9m (+10%).
  • Increased medium damage range from 39.6m to 45.7m (+15%).

SMGs

• ISO 45 (MWII)
  • Increased near-medium damage from 27 to 29 (+7%).
  • Increased minimum damage from 22 to 24 (+9%).
  • Increased maximum damage range from 9.1m to 11.7m (+28%).
  • Increased arm, hand, leg, and foot damage multipliers from 0.95x to 1x.
• ISO 9mm (MWII)
  • Increased maximum damage from 24 to 25 (+4%).
  • Increased near-medium damage from 22 to 23 (+5%).
  • Increased medium damage from 20 to 22 (+10%).
  • Increased minimum damage from 17 to 20 (+18%).
• PDSW 528 (MWII)
  • Increased maximum damage from 30 to 33 (+10%).
  • Increased near-medium damage from 25 to 30 (+20%).
  • Increased medium damage from 24 to 25 (+4%).
  • Increased minimum damage from 20 to 22 (+10%).
  • Decreased near-medium damage range from 20.6m to 12.7m (-40%).
  • Removed far-medium damage range.
  • Increased headshot damage multiplier from 1.2x to 1.3x.
• Fennec 45 (MWII)
  • Increased maximum damage from 25 to 27 (+8%).
  • Increased near-medium damage from 20 to 26 (+30%).
  • Increased medium damage from 18 to 23 (+28%).
  • Increased minimum damage from 17 to 20 (+18).
  • Decreased maximum damage range from 12.7m to 5.1m (-60%).
  • Decreased near-medium damage range from 17.3m to 12.7m (-26%).
  • Decreased medium damage range from 22.6m to 20.3m (-10%).
• BAS-P (MWII)
  • Increased near-medium damage from 27 to 28 (+4%).
  • Increased neck and upper torso damage multipliers from 1x to 1.1x.
• Vaznev-9K (MWII)
  • Increased maximum damage from 31 to 33 (+6%).
  • Increased medium damage from 25 to 28 (+12%).
  • Increased far-medium damage from 23 to 24 (+4%).

LMGs

• 556 Icarus (MWII)
  • Increased near-medium damage from 27 to 28 (+4%).
  • Increased maximum damage range from 24.1m to 33m (+37%).
  • Increased near-medium damage range from 40.6m to 45.7m (+13%).
  • Increased neck and upper torso damage multipliers from 1x to 1.1x.
  • Increased leg and foot damage multipliers from 0.9x to 1x.

Marksman Rifles

• EBR-14 (MWII)
  • Increased neck and upper torso damage multipliers from 1.27x to 1.35x.
  • Increased lower torso damage multiplier from 1x to 1.27x.
• SP-R 208 (MWII)
  • Increased maximum damage range from 13m to 20.3m (+57%).
  • Increased lower torso damage multiplier from 1x to 1.5x.
• Tempus Torrent (MWII)
  • Increased minimum damage from 37 to 43 (+16%).
  • Increased neck, upper torso, and upper arm damage multipliers from 1.1x to 1.2x.
• LM-S (MWII)
  • Increased neck and upper torso damage multipliers from 1.25x to 1.35x.
• SA-B 50 (MWII)
  • Increased maximum damage range from 10.4m to 17.8m (+71%).

Sniper Rifles

• Carrack .300 (MWII)
  • Increased maximum damage from 128 to 140 (+9%).
  • Increased near-medium damage from 95 to 128 (+35%).
  • Increased medium damage from 90 to 95 (+6%).
  • Increased minimum damage from 70 to 73 (+4%).
  • Decreased near-medium damage range from 30.7m to 25.4m (-17%).

Pistols

• Basilisk (MWII)
  • Increased maximum damage range from 8.4m to 11.4m (+36%).
  • Increased near-medium damage range from 22.9m to 30.5m (+33%).

Check out the Warzone patch notes to see how the MW2 guns are holding up in Call of Duty’s battle royale.