New Warzone Gallo loadout is so good it’s banned from pro tournaments

Call of Duty: Warzone’s shotguns have a colorful history, with some of the game’s most controversial metas defined by the weapon. Now, a new Gallo SA12 loadout is so gnarly that pros are banning it from tournaments.

Warzone veterans will remember the infamous “doof doof” R9-0 fire shotgun meta and the days of the Origin 12’s domination as well. But submachine guns have largely taken the place of shotgun shells in recent months… until now.

In custom lobby tournaments, top players compete against one another and often ban items they find unfair. In Brazil, they’ve banned Stun Grenades and, in the past, OP weapons like the DMR. In North America, people are now banning shotguns and launchers.

The latest shotgun ban, which will take effect for Tommey and ZLaner’s tournaments, is most closely linked to the Gallo — which made its presence felt (and despised) during the $75,000 Twitch Rivals Customs. 

The banned Warzone Gallo SA12 shotgun loadout

As Frozone posted to Twitter after claiming second in the tournament, this Gallo class is a force to be reckoned with. 

• Muzzle: Agency Choke
• Barrel: 21.4” Reinforced Heavy
• Laser: SWAT 5mw Laser Sight
• Stock: Wire Stock
• Ammunition: STANAG 12 Rnd Tube

The setup is quite similar to most Gallo loadouts of old, but with a few minor tweaks to adjust mobility. Unlike typical builds, which prefer the SOF Target Designator and No Stock, the pro build opts for the SWAT 5m2 Laser Sight and Wire Stock.

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This Gallo maintains the damage and ammunition capacity of most builds, while offering an added layer of handling comfort — critical for winning engagements against the world’s best players.

The Rivals tournament had no restricted items, but pro players have since pushed against that. With top players like Newbz calling Fro “shameless” for running his Gallo, it’s obvious that the gun was the main culprit behind the new shotgun bans.

The argument for and against the Gallo in tournaments largely boils down to mouse and keyboard vs controller, as MKB players claim they need shotguns to counter controller players’ SMGs (which are aided by aim assist).

• Read more: HusKerrs threatens to quit Warzone due to ‘unfair’ controller aim assist

For the vast majority of players, that argument isn’t important. What is important is that there’s a Gallo loadout floating around that is so frustrating to play against that pro players are banning it. If it’s too good for them, it might just be good enough for us.