Summary

  • The latest Call of Duty: Warzone update includes nerfs to the Cronen Squall Battle Rifle and RPK LMG, changing the meta and prompting players to try out new weapons.
  • The Cronen Squall received substantial nerfs to its damage and multipliers, but it still sees high usage in standard battle royale matches.
  • The RPK LMG, on the other hand, has been heavily nerfed and is no longer a top pick, making players consider alternative LMG options like the Rapp H or HCR 56.

The latest Call of Duty: Warzone update brings notable nerfs to the game's most popular Battle Rifle and LMG weapons, so players may need to rethink their loadouts going forward. Call of Duty: Warzone receives balance updates nearly every Wednesday, and some of the most meta-defining changes tend to arrive alongside or shortly after the launch of new season and mid-season updates, including Season 5 Reloaded.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3's release may be approaching in just a couple of months, but Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone are still active and receiving plenty of new content. In fact, the Carry-Forward system will ensure that progress, weapons, operators, and other aspects of Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone are ready and compatible with Modern Warfare 3. Shortly after the reveal of Modern Warfare 3, Activision and Infinity Ward confirmed the Season 5 Reloaded update would release on August 30 for both of its current Call of Duty titles. The mid-season update brought new weapons, more DMZ and Resurgence content, and balance adjustments to Warzone. Another balance patch arrived in the week following Season 5 Reloaded's launch to address and adjust some of the game's most popular weapons.

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A new Call of Duty: Warzone update directly targets the Cronen Squall Battle Rifle and RPK LMG with heavy nerfs across all the game's modes, including DMZ. The Cronen Squall's close range damage, neck damage multiplier, and upper torso damage multiplier were decreased, and the M13B received a notable damage buff. As a result, usage of the M13B increased to roughly 17.5%, making it one of the most popular weapons in Warzone and replacing the Cronen Squall as the top pick for many players. Although Cronen Squall received substantial damage nerfs, the weapon continues to see high usage in standard battle royale matches. The RPK LMG appears to be less fortunate since the weapon's damage and multipliers have been reduced drastically, however.

image showing cronen squall in warzone 2.

RPK users will notice a decrease in close damage while firing at opponents in Warzone Season 5 Reloaded. The weapon's close damage range and head damage multiplier were increased, but the multipliers for neck, torso, and limb damage were decreased. This means that the RPK is less forgiving in close-to-mid range gunfights due to the decreased body damage, so players may want to use a Rapp H or HCR 56 LMG instead.

Warzone's new update may upset players who have used the Cronen Squall since its introduction in Season 3, but the weapon should still be viable in skilled hands. The RPK's unfortunate nerf means that it will mostly not be a top pick anymore, putting an end to its resurgence in recent months. At the very least, the latest Warzone update helps shake up the meta and encourages players to try out new weapons for the first time. Balance updates may prove to be more vital than ever before leading into Modern Warfare 3, which is expected to release with a new Warzone map according to leaks.

Warzone 2 September 6 Update

GLOBAL

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed an issue preventing the 9mm Daemon Akimbo attachment from being unlocked. This fix will address the issue for Players who have not yet hit the unlock requirement. We are still in progress on fixing Players who should have earned Akimbo but didn't unlock it
  • Fixed an issue where the amount of Operators shown is inconsistent between Users and Platforms
  • Fixed an issue that required the Player to right-click the Play Again button for it to function correctly on PC
  • Fixed an issue where the Operator Graves Skin “Shadow 0-1” and “Shadow 0-1 BlackCell” appear identical
  • Fixed an issue allowing the 9mm Daemon to be unlocked with all headshots, rather than just headshots from pistols

WARZONE

WEAPONS

Adjustments

The following Weapon changes are reflected across all of Warzone including DMZ.

Battle Rifles

  • Cronen Squall
    • Close Damage decreased
    • Neck Damage Multiplier decreased
    • Upper Torso Multiplier decreased

Light Machine Guns

  • RPK
    • Close Damage decreased
    • Close Damage Range increased
    • Head Damage Multiplier increased
    • Neck Damage Multiplier decreased
    • Torso Damage Multipliers decreased
    • Limb Damage Multipliers decreased

GAMEPLAY

Adjustments

  • Decreased Precision Airstrike damage to MRAPs, preventing them from being destroyed in one shot in Armored Royale

BUG FIXES

General

  • Fixed various issues causing information to be incorrect or missing while using COD Caster
  • Fixed an issue that could cause packet bursts and decrease game performance on Vondel
  • Fixed an issue where multiple objects could float in the air at Zaya Observatory
  • Fixed an issue that could cause missing collision on a building at Zaya Observatory, leading to an exploit

Battle Royale

  • Fixed an issue where a “Vehicle Under Attack” warning appears when the squad’s MRAP takes fall damage in Armored Royale
  • Fixed an issue that could prevent respawn UI from appearing correctly in Armored Royale
  • Fixed an issue where a teammate leaving in Armored Royale Quads would not lower the Resurgence respawn timer for the rest of the team
  • Fixed an issue where Armor Plates would not reset from the Pre-Game Lobby once the match had started in Armored Royale
  • Fixed an issue where the Player could be kicked back to the main menu after trying to enter the Calling Card or Emblem sections in the Customize tab
  • Fixed an issue that could cause Safecracker Contract safes to spawn inside of objects at Zaya Observatory in Battle Royale
  • Fixed an issue that could allow Players to enter the Sarrif Bay Black Site without a key in Battle Royale
  • Fixed an issue where the MRAP’s “Use Turret” prompt has extended range, interfering with or preventing interactions with Buy Stations and repairing of the rear tires in Armored Royale
  • Fixed an issue where the “Rotation Battle Royale” Quads Playlist shows a placeholder game mode
  • Fixed an issue where Operators could clip into each other after entering and exiting the MRAP turret in Armored Royale

DMZ

  • Fixed an issue where a SAM site at Zaya Observatory could spawn clipping into a nearby bus in DMZ
  • Fixed an issue where a gas canister in the bunker under Zaya Observatory could not be looted in DMZ
  • Fixed an issue where viewing a weapon’s progression through the insured weapon slot then selecting “View Weapon” could kick the Player back to the DMZ main menu
  • Fixed an issue where the Faction Mission “Bounty” does not track correctly when a Player executes the Player with the Bounty in DMZ
  • Fixed an issue where Players could delete Backpack slots using the stow functionality when looting a cache in DMZ
  • Fixed an issue in DMZ where the Player was able to have both Tier 3 & 4 of the Upgrades active simultaneously, while the Tier 4 Upgrades were unable to be completed

Call of Duty: Warzone is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.

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