Since the Reloaded update of Season 5, a crazy attachment has been causing havoc in Call of Duty: Warzone – Dragon’s Breath ammo for the R9-0 shotgun. Now the first are calling for a hefty nerf of the barbecue setup and even a pro is getting involved.
Which attachment are we talking about? Shotguns in Call of Duty: Warzone had comfortably settled into a small niche over the last few months. The R9-0 and the Origin did good, honest work at short ranges up to nearly 5 meters. But with the Reloaded update of Season 5, the R9-0 was tired of constantly being compared to the Origin and got an attachment that could pack up the competing shotgun.
Because the pump now carries Dragon’s Breath ammo. With this, you exchange the usual buckshot for hellfire bullets: 1,600 °C hot and burning magnesium shards. It’s as nasty as it sounds. This thing takes down enemies faster than the Origin and has about double the range of the previous shotgun king. Here you can find the fire setup for the R9-0.
It’s no wonder that some players and pros are already calling for a nerf. MeinMMO looks at whether the fire ammo can really expect to be weakened.
Dragon’s Breath ammo for the R9-0 is incredibly strong…
Is the attachment really that broken? Pro Warzone player Nick “Nickmercs” Kolcheff showcased the new fire shotgun setup in a video.
He actually wanted to start a shotgun challenge with another streamer in a duo match and cause chaos with the Origin. But then someone came at him with the new fire setup of the R9-0 and he didn’t even know what hit him. After he quickly unlocked the fire ammo, he went back in with a four-man team and tested the monster:
Nickmercs clearly states: “Play the shotgun now and have fun with it. Because I can guarantee you, it won’t be possible to have fun with it for long.” He definitely expects a nerf. In fact, he goes even further and points out on his thumbnail – “This breaks Warzone!”
The stats back this up. Although the R9-0 has always been a bit stronger than the Origin, many preferred the Origin in Warzone because it comes with an automatic fire mode and thus allows for more mistakes. The R9-0, on the other hand, has a “Double Tap” fire mode that lets you fire the first two shots “hellishly” fast but then has a dangerously long pause before the next bullets fly.
Even with the Dragon bonus, this problem remains – if you don’t take down your enemies with the first two shots, they can blow you away. However, the new Dragon’s Breath R9-0 comes with a significant range boost and takes down enemies up to 8.5 meters in 200 milliseconds – the Origin can only do this up to 4.5 meters and in 220 milliseconds.
- Range comparison: From 4.5 to 8.5 meters = +88%
- TTK comparison: From 220 to 200 milliseconds = -9.1%
On paper, all of this seems broken at first glance, and it really is strong. However, in practice, things look a bit different. Because you first have to get so close to the enemy, and then still somewhat hit your two shots. As soon as one of the “fire shots” doesn’t hit properly and you have to wait for the next shots after the built-in shot delay, your time-to-kill rises to 700 milliseconds and your enemies take you out.
So yes – the new fiery pump attachment of the R9-0 is indeed damn strong. But handling the device doesn’t make it easy to take advantage of this power.
… but also not easy to play
Will a nerf come? Currently, the attachment is on everyone’s lips and many CoD soldiers are trying out the hardcore fire setup. However, the weapon is prone to errors and requires you to act thoughtfully and precisely to succeed.
Ultimately, it depends on the players. If the part continues to make a mark and remains in many loadouts in one to two weeks, a nerf is quite likely. The increase in range by nearly 90% in the shotgun niche seems exaggerated, and it’s quite possible that these stats might go a bit too far for the developers. If usage rates drop because many fire shotgun testers find the downsides too significant, it could also be that the Dragon’s Breath bullets will keep their niche.
So far, there has been no official statement regarding planned weapon adjustments for the R9-0 shotgun. Currently, it is the strongest shotgun in the game and belongs to the best weapons in Warzone.
The Hall of Shame of OP weapons: So far, it’s not even certain whether the R9-0 gets to join the ranks of broken guns and makes Warzone history. On this list so far:
- Grau 5.56 – It was never easier to snipe with an assault rifle – Nerf
- Bruen Mk9 – Brought incredible stability and a lot of damage – Nerf
- FR 5.56 shotgun underbarrel: Broken one-shot attachment that cleared everything instantly up to 14 meters – Definitely a nerf!
The weapons of the battle royals are continuing to converge and personal playstyle is becoming increasingly important in selection. If you’re still looking for an all-around weapon, also check out the LMGs – 3 light machine guns are now among the best weapons.
