The second beta weekend of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is coming to an end and the players are drawing their first conclusions. A particular weapon has dominated the weekend, although the developers have already nerfed it.
Which weapon is it? The Jackal PDW is a submachine gun that was considered “OP” (overpowered) during the first beta weekend. The weapon topped our tier list for the first beta weekend.
The Jackal PDW has a very good “Time To Kill”, or TTK, at medium distances, and its low recoil also set it apart. At close range, it was far superior to assault rifles.
It quickly became THE meta weapon of the first beta weekend. Therefore, the developers announced nerfs for the second weekend.
Here you can see the new multiplayer of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 in the trailer:
The nerfs probably don’t matter
What kind of nerfs did the weapon receive? The Jackal PDW received a number of nerfs that were supposed to ensure the weapon was no longer OP. These included damage reductions, shorter range before damage drop-off, and more visual kick.
The nerfs made it seem to players as though the weapon was weakened to such an extent that they were already planning to switch to the Tanto .22 for the second beta weekend. The PDW was initially a bit weaker than the Jackal, but it was expected to be a good alternative after the nerfs of the OP weapon.
How did reality look like? What seemed like the end of the “Jackal PDW” meta on paper did not resonate with the community. Even during the second test weekend, the majority of players continued to use the Jackal PDW. The weapon was so dominant that in some rounds, the kill feed consisted entirely of kills with the Jackal PDW.
On Reddit, various users complain that the nerf didn’t change the Jackal at all and that everyone would continue to use the weapon. On Reddit, agent_of_cheshire writes, “Oh yes, they definitely nerfed the Jackal. It’s literally the only weapon I’ve seen here beside a stray sniper here and there.”
Bobsyourbuilder finds the situation on Reddit ridiculous: “Does anyone actually use non-meta weapons? It seems like no one does.” In his post, he shows a picture where the whole kill feed consists only of kills with the Jackal PDW.
Was the nerf too little? No, according to No-Praline2958 on Reddit. He writes: “3/4 of the current weapons are almost as deadly and effective as the Jackal. Some even more so. It’s just a perception that Jackal or any other weapon is the best and only weapon to use. It definitely isn’t.”
OhhShxde- shares this opinion on Reddit: “That’s true, after playing on both weekends, I can confidently say that the weapon balancing is quite solid. The Jackal was the king on the first weekend, but after the nerfs, I feel that all weapons perform equally well.”
Although the weapon has been nerfed and others now seem to catch up to it or even surpass it on paper, the majority of players still stick with the submachine gun. Whether the developers will further weaken the weapon for the game’s release is currently unknown. However, you can find out what can help you against the weapon here: A small option gives you a huge advantage in CoD Black Ops 6 – makes it harder for others to hit you
