Call of Duty: Warzone has committed to some massive weapon changes ahead of the release of Black Ops 7 Season 1. The upcoming Call of Duty: Warzone changes are largely focused on game balance going forward, with the aim of keeping things interesting throughout the Black Ops 7 year.
It has always felt as though this year was going to be very important for Call of Duty: Warzone. With COD in general struggling to entice players as it has previously, Warzone would have to offer up something great to retain its spot among the top-tier Battle Royale games. Especially with the likes of Battlefield RedSec releasing this year. And prior to Black Ops 7‘s release, developer Raven Software admitted that Call of Duty: Warzone has become stale for many players, and it is clearly looking for ways to iterate and keep things fresh. It’s going to be a tall order, and one way it has decided to approach this is by addressing weapons.
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In an extensive thread on X, developer Raven Software confirmed that the next year of weapon balance and attachment design will be created around one philosophy: “expanding build diversity and making every decision meaningful.” To do this, it has committed to Call of Duty: Warzone weapon meta changes “upwards of four times per season.” Considering COD seasons usually last approximately two months, this means that the Warzone meta could shift every two weeks in the Black Ops 7 year. While significant changes like this are a big risk, they’re also a way to guarantee the game never feels stale or repetitive. When the Black Ops 7 weapons arrive in the Season 1 Warzone update, Raven’s balancing efforts will be focused on the new additions, although it does reaffirm that “weapons from prior chapters will remain available for players who want to revisit older blueprints or simply enjoy them for nostalgia.”
Beyond this, Raven Software also wants to ensure “that every weapon class feels unique and purposeful,” claiming that they “should each offer something specific to the player who chooses them.” To achieve this, it is capping Call of Duty: Warzone attachments at five per weapon, and removing the Gunfighter Wildcard. Overkill is gone, too, and is now a default feature for every single player. It has gone a little further with attachments, giving them unique stats separate from those in Multiplayer. According to the developer, “thismeans that every tuning decision has been shaped specifically for Warzone pacing, engagement distances, and time-to-kill,” stating that “the difference will be immediately noticeable.”
In terms of weapon identity in Call of Duty: Warzone, there are tons of changes in that department. AR magazines have been capped at 60 rounds “to preserve LMG identity,” while “slug pump shotguns can one-shot headshot within max range,” too. Players should notice that their attachment choices now truly matter for their weapons, making everything feel more rewarding in the long run. For example, changes are being made to the recoil system – “strong recoil control now requires multiple attachments,” and “high-recoil weapons gain more from recoil attachments.” There are even a few important changes to ground loot, which will rotate more often. It won’t feature pistols, though, which should allow for smoother recoveries.
Whether these changes are good for the long-term health of Warzone remains to be seen. Remember – these changes are just the start, with more frequent meta changes to follow in the coming months. It’ll be exciting to see exactly what form that takes as the game evolves. With Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Season 1 releasing on December 4, players don’t have long to wait to see what the next era of Warzone is going to look like.
- Released
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March 10, 2020
- ESRB
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M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Drugs, Violence
