Black Ops 6 and Warzone best guns to use in the Season 1 meta
The best weaponry that's dominating the meta in the first season.
Figuring out the best guns in Black Ops 6 and Warzone is a core part of the experience if you want to become among the best of the best.
Whilst there’s no doubt a lot of skill required in your moment-to-moment usage of the new Omnimovement system, combining that with the best weapons Black Ops 6 has to offer is what’ll lead to even higher levels of success.
In this guide, we’ll run through the current meta, as well the best guns in Black Ops 6, discussing other alternatives and more.
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Current meta and what’s new in Black Ops 6 and Warzone Season 1
Alongside its entire launch offerings, Season 1 has introduced a couple of extra guns with the promise of more to come.
These weapons are available to use not just in the core Black Ops 6 game, but inside of Warzone as well, on top of its already existing MW2 and MW3 weapons.
While the assault rifle and SMG spaces are already quite competitive, Season 1 introduces both the Krig C assault rifle and Saug SMG.
Stat-wise, the Krig C has more firepower and slightly more mobility than the ever-reliable XM4, though its overall accuracy stat is the same, with a bit of a hit to handling. It actually seems to be relatively comparable, outside of its 20-per-cent lower fire rate, so this might be a great alternative to keep an eye on.
As for the Saug, it has some of the best-in-class stats including mobilty and handling, and looks to be one suited for players on the hunt for a run-and-gun playstyle.
Much like it was at launch, the current meta continues to be dominated by a mix of weapons, including some that were popular in the beta - such as the XM4, Jackal PDW, and Tanto .22, along with some guns new to the full game too like the LW3A1 Frostline sniper rifle. You can see the full list of new weapons here.
With the addition of two new weapons, the meta might see some shift though it's hard to tell right now. There's also the consideration of a new shotgun and sniper rifle that will be making their way into the game sometime during this first season, and so it's entirely possible these too will have meaningful shifts within their respective weapon classes.
Best Assault Rifle in Black Ops 6 recommendation
Best weapon recommendation: XM4
How to unlock: Player Level 4
Unsurprisingly - as has been the case with each COD title for the last few years - one of the most favoured Assault Rifles in Black Ops 6 right now is the ever-faithful XM4.
Not only is it available to equip to custom loadouts as soon as you reach Level 4, it’s also just a solid all-round gun in general, with a high fire rate, great accuracy, and an ease of use that makes it viable in many of the games maps, especially the smaller, more compact 'Strike' maps. Plus, it just received a damage buff within the Season 1 patch, meaning it deals slightly more damage overall now, albeit a reduced headshot multiplier.
There is some competition the rifle has with other ARs such as the Model L and AMES 85 - I've even seen the AK-47 getting quite a bit of usage too - but by and large the XM4 has been the best of the best for assault rifles so far.
The AS VAL is probably another contender here, improved by its built-in suppressor, and the Krig C added in Season 1 might end up gaining traction what with it having comparable stats to the XM4.
It's worth calling out that - at the time of writing - there is a bug whereby assault rifles aren't performing as intended with a lower effective range causing them to deal less damage. We'd imagine it won't take long to be fixed, but it's worth making a note of it just in case.
Overall, it's a busy category and one that'll no doubt only continue to be shaken up a lot as balance changes and new weapons roll out in the coming weeks and months.
Best Submachine Gun in Black Ops 6 recommendation
Best weapon recommendation: Jackal PDW, Tanto .22
How to unlock: Player Level 43 (Jackal PDW), Player Level 16 (Tanto 22)
Continuing the trend of beta weapons topping the meta, the best SMGs in Black Ops 6 right now are the Jackal PDW and Tanto .22.
Even after receiving a nerf in power, the Jackal PDW has continued its reign in the full game.
Unlike the beta though, it's a bit more out of reach in terms of its unlock requirements, requiring you to play and earn enough XP that'll almost have you reach the first Prestige to use it. That said, if you own the Vault Edition, you’ll have access to it and its 'Scourge' Blueprint variant right from the getgo, so there is a way to bypass this higher unlock requirement.
Whilst the Jackal is most definitely a strong pick though, the Tanto .22 isn’t far behind, and I've had a lot of success with the KSV.
The Tanto .22 features a slower rate of fire, and is a different-feeling SMG to what COD typically has on offer, but one that's strong nonetheless. Not just that, but it’s also unlockable at just Level 16, making it pretty easy to unlock.
As for the KSV, I spent time trying out this weapon with a stealth-focused and mobile playstyle and found it to be perhaps one of my favourites in the game. It felt familiar, and reminded me of in previous titles when I'd usually play with a more close-range, silenced-weapon build. In that sense, it felt like a blast from the past, and one I'd easily recommend.
New to Season 1, there's the new Saug SMG to look out for, unlocked via the season's Battle Pass. It's another mobile weapon that has great handling too, and with its resemblance to the Uzi, it wouldn't surprise me to see a lot of die-hard SMG fans lean into this one, whether just for camo unlocks or as a new favourite in the category. Only time will tell how this one fares against the rest.
As a final note on this category, there's also the C9 - or MP5 as many might recognise it - which has similarly been a bit of a favourite, both in the beta and full game. Whilst perhaps not quite as meta in terms of power, it's honestly not far off and another one worth considering, especially taking into account it's usable as soon as you reach Level 4 and unlock custom loadouts, making it the most accessible SMG in the game.
Best Shotgun in Black Ops 6 recommendation
Best weapon recommendation: ASG-89
How to unlock: Reach player Level 31
As of right now, there are only two shotguns in Black Ops 6, but there is another one coming later in Season 1. So whilst it’s easy to suggest this category purely for personal preference as of right now, what with each shotgun sort of falling into their own lane, this category might see some changes by the end of the season.
One of the two on offer is the Marine SP, unlocked right away at Level 4, and has a Vault Edition Blueprint. It's a pump-action shotty that’ll pack more of a punch at close range, dealing solid damage to the upper body.
The other option in this category is the ASG-89, a semi-automatic shotgun with a mag three times as large as the alternative, making it perfect for spraying-and-praying in close quarters combat. Of course, in doing so, this will make it less effective at longer distances, but you'll have great stopping power, handy for clearing rooms.
Ultimately, this category will no doubt evolve as more shotguns are added, but generally speaking, you can kind of go whichever way you prefer with this category.
Best Light Machine Gun in Black Ops 6 recommendation
Best weapon recommendation: XMG or GPMG-7
How to unlock: Player Level 13 (XMG), player Level 52 (GPMG-7)
For our LMG recommendation, we’re leaning towards two options to provide a couple of solid picks that might appeal to different players.
On one hand, we have the XMG which has the slowest fire rate of the game’s LMG selection, whilst also holding the most ammo per mag - this all makes it a great pick for more objective-based modes where you can really hunker down and battle enemies over highly-contested zones.
If run-and-gunning is more your thing though, the GPMG-7 has the highest fire rate of the bunch, and has much better mobility and handling alongside it. It does only have a mag size of 50, but if you’re able to increase that whilst still keeping movement speed up, you could put together some pretty solid builds that’ll help you take on a great mobile-support role for your team.
Similarly to shotguns though, you might find the PU-21 works for you, and with only three to pick from, they each are likely to fit in their own niche within the LMG world.
Best Marksman Rifle in Black Ops 6 recommendation
Best weapon recommendation: AEK-973 or DM-10
How to unlock: Player Level 34 (AEK-973), player Level 43 (DM-10)
For perhaps one of the first times in the game’s history, there are no burst-fire assault rifles with the only Black Ops 6 specific burst-fire rifles being found within the Marksman Rifle category. Inherently, this makes them no doubt appealing to many, and that’s why we’re recommending the AEK-973.
Whilst there’s also the SWAT 5.56 that similarly is a burst-fire rifle, taken just for their base stats, the AEK-973 beats it in all but accuracy, which you can make up with a few of the right attachment picks. It might not be the best gun in the game, but it’s a solid option for burst-fire fans, even if it did recently receive a bit of a nerf to its fire rate.
On the flipside to this, there’s the DM-10, a semi-automatic rifle that comes with pretty much best-in-class stability, and will no doubt be a popular pick for many. Though it still has competition with the Tsarkov 7.62 which holds the crown for highest firepower, and the strongest hit multiplier for upper body shots of any rifle in this class.
Best Sniper Rifle in Black Ops 6 recommendation
Best weapon recommendation: SVD or LR 7.62
How to unlock: Player Level 4 (SVD), player Level 49 (LR 7.62)
Back in the beta, the LR 7.62 was a pretty popular pick, but here in Season 1, things have shifted a little.
Whilst the LW3A1 Frontline is the first sniper available - one that’s reminiscent of the L96A1 from the original Black Ops - the LR 7.62 has managed to hold a pretty high position in the rankings. Comparing these two bolt-action rifles in their stats, even if the LR 7.62 has slightly lower mobility and handling, it’s got higher bullet velocity and recoil control leading to better firepower and accuracy ratings.
Beyond this though, whilst bolt-action snipers are usually the favoured pick, it seems the semi-automatic SVD has been taking a bit of a lead for some. Though with a whole weapon class of Marksman Rifles - that act more as an in-between of sorts for ARs and Snipers - you might find you’d prefer to go with a bolt-action pick for your preferred sniper since Marksmans are as similar to the SVD, functionally at least anyway. Either way though, the sniper class has some solid competition right now, so you probably can't go wrong whichever one you pick.
Later on in Season 1, there will be a new addition to this category in the form of the AMR Mod 4, another semi-automatic sniper that the COD Blog states will be a one-shot to the torso and more, with high recoil and 'the hardest hitting weapon in its class'. It's got a bit of a Barrett .50cal look about it too, another favourite from past games. That all sounds like it makes this a sniper to look out for when it releases.
For more on the best weapons in Black Ops 6 right now, be sure to check out our various loadout pages covering weapons such as the XM4, Jackal PDW, and C9, as well as our write-up on the full list of weapons you can get right now.