Call of Duty: Warzone offers nearly 200 weapons and the community constantly discusses the latest meta in weapon choice. MeinMMO keeps track of things, showing you the best weapons with setups for your loadouts and what is currently happening in the meta.
To provide you with the best weapons from Call of Duty: Warzone, we have taken a look at the trends of players, analyzing weapons with the best tools from Warzone and seasoning it all with a pinch of our own experience.
We focus on the ease of playability of the weapons and offer alternatives from all CoD games that Warzone has received weapons from.
The article is divided into 4 parts and with one click you can reach your desired section:
- Current changes and information about the weapon meta
- Which weapons are strong in Warzone?
- Best weapons with setups in German and English
- Guides and further information on Warzone
Current changes to the meta – Mid-Season 5 / 2022
Update, October 13: We have updated our list, Mid-Season 5 has made some significant changes:
- Cooper Carbine instead of the Robot in the range assault rifles
- Sten instead of PPSh-41 in the submachine guns
- New setup for UGM-8 added
- Gorenko instead of ZRG in the large sniper weapons
Many strong weapons have been nerfed, but hardly anything is really out of the meta. The meta has become a bit more open again, the weapons are getting closer together. The LMG UGM-8 is no longer dominating at range, assault rifles have become better in gameplay again. Above all the Cooper, but also the StG 44.
Even snipers are out and about more often again. The Gorenko Anti-Tank Rifle makes its first appearance in our list and shines with a high rate of fire. If you want to bring back the old MW assault rifles, the Grau 5.56 or M13 are currently also suitable. Among the assault rifles from Cold War, we recommend the Vargo.
He keeps an eye on every small update of Warzone and constantly works on his favorite article: this list here with the best weapons. If you have questions or comments about the weapons or are looking for a strong setup, feel free to leave him a comment.
What is meta in Warzone? The best weapons for the Battle Royale
Is there currently an overpowered weapon in Warzone? No.
Which are the best Warzone weapons? Assault rifles with low recoil are considered by most players to be the best weapons in Warzone.
You can take out enemies at great distances, but remain mobile enough to also land a kill at close range – if necessary. As a secondary weapon, submachine guns are suitable.
A common playstyle also uses sniper rifles as primary weapons along with a “sniper support” assault rifle or a submachine gun.
List of the best weapons in Warzone
- Assault Rifle for long distances: Cooper Carbine
- Assault Rifle as Sniper Support: Volkssturmgewehr
- Submachine Gun: Sten
- Light Machine Gun: UGM-8
- Shotgun: JAK-12
- All-round weapon with burst or single fire: AUG (CW)
- Sniper Rifle: Gorenko Anti-Tank Rifle
- Aggressive Sniper Rifles: Kar 98k / Swiss K31
- Rocket Launcher: Cigma 2 / PILA
The complete list here also applies to the Warzone mode Plunder. To find out about the state of the meta in Warzone, read this article:
Cooper Carbine – The best Assault Rifle for long distances
CoD Warzone: Cooper Carbine Setup
- Muzzle: MX Silencer
- Barrel: 22″ Cooper Custom
- Optic: G16 2.5X
- Stock: Cooper Custom Padded
- Underbarrel: Carver Foregrip
- Magazine: 9mm 60 Round Drums
- Ammunition: Lengthened
- Rear Grip: Polymer Grip
- Perk 1: Tight Grip
- Perk 2: Fully Loaded
Attachments in English
- Muzzle: MX Silencer
- Barrel: 22″ Cooper Custom
- Optic: G16 2.5X
- Stock: Cooper Custom Padded
- Underbarrel: Carver Foregrip
- Magazine: 9mm 60 Round Drums
- Ammunition: Lengthened
- Rear Grip: Polymer Grip
- Perk 1: Tight Grip
- Perk 2: Fully Loaded
What defines these weapons? An assault rifle for long distances should primarily provide you with secure kills. Damage here is more or less secondary. You can find a TTK comparison of the assault rifles here.
What makes the Cooper Carbine strong? The weapon currently offers you the best mix of key features with controllable recoil and strong TTK values at all distances.
However, the bullet speed is slightly lower, making moving targets at long distances a challenge. As an alternative, choose the StG 44. While the TTK is considerably higher, you get more control and bullet speed.
However, among the important range assault rifles, the meta is generally open and there are plenty of strong options. However, the range assault rifles are currently in strong competition with the LMG UGM-8 – if the slightly sluggish mobility doesn’t bother you, check that out further down as well.
Pros & Cons of the Cooper
Alternative Assault Rifles for Long Distances
- StG 44 from Vanguard – Alternative for better control with less damage
- Vargo 12 from Cold War – Similar recoil, more bullet speed, less damage
- Grau 5.56 from CoD MW – Decent damage, very stable
Volkssturmgewehr – The Best Assault Rifle as Sniper Support
CoD Warzone: Volkssturmgewehr Setup
- Muzzle: Recoil Booster
- Barrel: Krausnick 428mm 05V
- Optic: Slate Reflector
- Stock: Reisdorf 22V Adjustable
- Underbarrel: m1941 Hand Stop
- Magazine: 8mm Kurz 60 Round Drums
- Ammunition: Subsonic
- Rear Grip: Grooved Grip
- Perk 1: Gung-Ho
- Perk 2: On-Hand
Attachments in English
- Muzzle: Recoil Booster
- Barrel: Krausnick 428mm 05V
- Optic: Slate Reflector
- Stock: Reisdorf 22V Adjustable
- Underbarrel: m1941 Hand Stop
- Magazine: 8mm Kurz 60 Round Drums
- Ammunition: Subsonic
- Rear Grip: Grooved Grip
- Perk 1: Gung-Ho
- Perk 2: On-Hand
What defines these weapons? If you play with a sniper rifle, you need a secondary weapon that covers the area that is too close for your sniper.
Mobile assault rifles are more suitable for some players than submachine guns for sniper support because assault rifles generally provide a higher range and bullet speed.
What makes the Volkssturmgewehr so strong? Good mobility and high damage. However, the Volkssturmgewehr loses a lot of damage at distance.
In the second damage range, the time-to-kill increases by more than 30%. This makes the rifle highly specialized but can keep up with submachine guns in damage.
Currently, sniper support assault rifles are not considered meta – submachine guns are currently very strong and also offer a lot of variety.
Pros and Cons of Volkssturmgewehr
Alternative Assault Rifles for Close Combat
- AK-47 from Cold War – A bit jittery but strong damage and range
- Cooper Carbine from Vanguard – Better control with less damage
- AUG (5.56-Magazine) from CoD MW – Good control, poor mobility, uses SMG ammunition
Sten – The Best Submachine Gun
CoD Warzone: Sten Setup
- Muzzle: Recoil Booster
- Barrel: SA 65mm Rapid
- Optic: Slate Reflector
- Stock: Gawain Custom
- Underbarrel: Mark VI Skeletal
- Magazine: 9mm 50 Round Drums
- Ammunition: Subsonic
- Rear Grip: Taped Grip
- Perk 1: Steady
- Perk 2: Quick
Attachments in English
- Muzzle: Recoil Booster
- Barrel: SA 65mm Rapid
- Optic: Slate Reflector
- Stock: Gawain Custom
- Underbarrel: Mark VI Skeletal
- Magazine: 9mm 50 Round Drums
- Ammunition: Subsonic
- Rear Grip: Taped Grip
- Perk 1: Steady
- Perk 2: Quick
What defines these weapons? Submachine guns are mobile, offer high damage and lose effectiveness quickly at range.
SMGs are primarily suitable for close combat and therefore need to be quick on target, but also stable enough to still hit enemies at medium distances when the situation requires.
What makes the Sten so strong? This submachine gun currently gives you strong all-round abilities paired with easy control. If you want to specialize more on certain situations, you will find many strong options in the Warzone arsenal.
If you are into hip fire, the PPSh-41 (Vanguard) will take out your enemies in direct close combat. If you need more range and don’t mind some recoil, the Type 100 is ready.
Pros & Cons of the Sten
Alternative Submachine Guns
- CX-9 – High range and rate of fire, mediocre damage, weak MW mobility
- MAC-10 – Decent alternative from Cold War with high rate of fire
- PPSh-41 (Vanguard) – Has very strong hip fire setups
- Type 100 – High range and strong damage but noticeable recoil
UGM-8 – The Best Light Machine Gun
UGM-8 Warzone Setup:
- Muzzle: MX Silencer
- Barrel: Bernard XL214 736MM
- Optic: 1229/Slate 3.25x Custom
- Stock: Mercier WT Ancre
- Underbarrel: m1930 Strife Angled
- Magazine: 6.5mm Sakura 100 Round Box
- Ammunition: Lengthened
- Rear Grip: Polymer Grip
- Perk 1: Tight Grip
- Perk 2: On-Hand
Attachments in English
- Muzzle: MX Silencer
- Barrel: Bernard XL214 736MM
- Optic: 1229/Slate 3.25x Custom
- Stock: Mercier WT Ancre
- Underbarrel: m1930 Strife Angled
- Magazine: 6.5mm Sakura 100 Round Box
- Ammunition: Lengthened
- Rear Grip: Polymer Grip
- Perk 1: Tight Grip
- Perk 2: On-Hand
What defines these weapons? Light machine guns are stable, powerful, and slow. As with the distance assault rifles, you can make safe hits with our alternatives and get massive magazines and better TTK as a bonus.
However, LMGs are cumbersome, slow to aim, and some have an open-bolt delay – a slight delay when firing.
What makes the UGM-8 strong? The LMG came in Season 4, is stable and rains painful bursts of fire down on your enemies. Here you get a lot of damage at close and long distances. The mobility is pretty decent for an LMG.
Upon release, a burst setup for the UGM rocked, now it’s an automatic setup. The initial shots are a bit difficult to control, but after that, you get strong control.
Besides that, with 100 bullets in the magazine, you are superbly equipped but have to deal with a corresponding reload time. If you’re looking for something stable, with a lot of damage and even more bullets in the magazine – grab the UGM now.
Pros and Cons of the UGM-8
Alternative Light Machine Guns
- Bruen Mk9 from CoD MW – Consistent damage at all distances
- RPD from Cold War – Very easy control for long distances
- MG42 from Vanguard – Also very stable and reliable
- DP27 from Vanguard – A nasty LMG with decent damage and high stability
AUG (CW) – Best All-round Weapon with Burst or Single Fire
Warzone: AUG Setup
- Muzzle: Agency Silencer
- Barrel: 19.8″ Task Force
- Optic: Axial Arms 3x
- Underbarrel: Field Agent Grip
- Magazine: 45 Round Drum
Attachments in English
- Muzzle: Agency Silencer
- Barrel: 19.8″ Task Force
- Optic: Axial Arms 3x
- Underbarrel: Field Agent Grip
- Magazine: 45 Mag Drum
What defines these weapons? Burst rifles in Warzone are about securing kills without caring much about damage. With their stability, you can land very easy hits even at great distances with some practice, but you often lose direct firefights when the opponent also fires back at you.
Single-fire rifles are rather niche weapons but can be very dangerous in the right hands. Warzone veterans will remember the overpowered DMR 14 well.
What makes the AUG strong? The rifle is precise, mobile and allows you to sweep enemies off the map even at great distances. Especially if you can rest the weapon for firing.
The weapon does not shine with damage but rather offers security. Once you have settled into burst shooting, you don’t have to control 10 bullets in a row like with an automatic weapon. You set targeted bursts for each opponent for your kill.
Pros and Cons of the AUG
Alternative All-round Weapons with Burst or Single Fire
- DMR 14 – Strong for fans of fast single-fire weapons
JAK-12 – The Best Shotgun
CoD Warzone: JAK-12 Setup
- Muzzle: FORGE TAC Marauder
- Barrel: ZLR J-2800 Influx
- Laser: 5mW Laser
- Ammunition: 20 Round Drum Mags
- Rear Grip: Stippled Grip Tape
Attachments in English
- Muzzle: FORGE TAC Marauder
- Barrel: ZLR J-2800 Influx
- Laser: 5mW Laser
- Ammunition: 20 Round Drum Mags
- Rear Grip: Stippled Grip Tape
What defines these weapons? High damage with low range. Shotguns are absolutely deadly at a few meters away, and if an enemy gets too close, you usually win the fight. However, after about 8, 9 meters, the fun is over.
What makes the JAK-12 strong? Shotguns are extremely strong at close ranges, and the JAK-12 pretty much dominates the field.
Compared to the other strong shotguns, the JAK-12 wins due to its narrow spread pattern when hip firing. You should always play shotguns in Warzone without optics, otherwise, you give up the main advantage – the fast TTK – in part.
Pros & Cons of the JAK-12
Shotgun Alternatives
- Gallo 12 – More mobile and slightly more range
Gorenko – The Best Large Sniper Rifle
CoD Warzone: Gorenko Setup
- Muzzle: MX Silencer
- Barrel: 420mm Empress
- Optic: SVT-40 PU Scope 3-6X
- Stock: Reinforced Stock
- Underbarrel: Bipod
- Magazine: 13mm AM 10 Round Mags
- Ammunition: FMJ Rounds
- Rear Grip: Stippled Grip
- Perk 1: Discard
- Perk 2: On-Hand
Attachments in English
- Muzzle: MX Silencer
- Barrel: 420mm Empress
- Optic: SVT-40 PU Scope 3-6X
- Stock: Reinforced Stock
- Underbarrel: Bipod
- Magazine: 13mm AM 10 Round Mags
- Ammunition: FMJ Rounds
- Rear Grip: Stippled Grip
- Perk 1: Discard
- Perk 2: On-Hand
What defines these weapons? Sniper rifles are huge weapons for long distances that take out enemies with a headshot. Important are high bullet speed, good optics, and pleasant aiming behavior when firing.
What makes the Gorenko so strong? Sniper weapons played a small role in Warzone for a while because the fully automatic alternatives were too strong at range. After a few nerfs, the weapons were reevaluated by players, and the Gorenko Anti-Tank Rifle benefited from that.
The greatest advantage of the Gorenko is the high rate of fire compared to class, paired with one-shot kills on headshots. Smaller sniper rifles no longer get one-shots at long distances in Warzone.
The downside of the Gorenko is the slow aiming, even in class comparison.
Pros and Cons of the Gorenko
Alternative Sniper Rifles
- HDR – Also strong at distance but weaker in most stats
- Three-Line Rifle from Vanguard – A strong alternative from the latest CoD
- ZRG from Black Ops – Strong recentering after a shot
Kar 98k – The Best DMR in Warzone
CoD Warzone: Kar 98k Setup
- Muzzle: Monolithic Suppressor
- Barrel: Singuard Custom 27.6″
- Laser: Tac Laser
- Optic: Sniper Scope
- Stock: STVOL Precision Comb
Attachments in English
- Muzzle: Monolithic Suppressor
- Barrel: Singuard Custom 27.6″
- Laser: Tac Laser
- Optic: Sniper Scope
- Stock: STVOL Precision Comb
What defines these weapons? Unlike the large sniper rifles, DMRs focus more on mobility and can only score one-shot headshots in the first damage range. You can see the different headshot categories here.
The huge distances possible with large snipers are not achievable, but fast shots with high damage are.
Kar 98k or Swiss K31? The Kar has long been regarded as the undisputed number 1 among aggressive sniper weapons, but the Swiss K31 is now a strong alternative, if not even stronger – you have to try it for yourself.
If you want to play with an aggressive sniper in your loadout, then try both weapons. The Kar has slightly higher bullet speed and a better aim assist, while the Swiss does not lose damage at range for hits below the head.
All in all, however, the weapons are very similar, and you should consider both if you want to hunt with fast sniper weapons.
If you want a sniper rifle that lands one-shot headshots at all distances, look around among the large sniper rifles.
Pros and Cons of DMRs
Alternative DMRs
- Swiss K31 – Almost equivalent, aggressive sniper
PILA & Cigma 2 – The Best Rocket Launchers in Warzone
What defines these weapons? The rocket launchers in Warzone are mainly vehicle killers or help against enemies behind cover. They are rarely seen as anything else – but that’s not impossible.
We recommend using rocket launchers with target-seeking function, as you can get quick and easy kills with them.
What makes the PILA & Cigma 2 so strong? With these RPGs, you can kill two birds with one stone. You can let out a quick shot at short distances to finish off enemies behind cover but also target vehicles.
If you are going out with a full team, give a team member a target-seeking rocket launcher.
Vehicles have little chance against the projectiles of the launcher. This way, you can quickly take out a team that just wanted to drive by, and even in the endgame, you have a weapon with strong area damage.
Pros and Cons of Rocket Launchers
Rocket Launcher Alternatives
- Strela – No automatic targeting system, but highly accurate rockets
- RPG – Mobility and damage are good, but no guided rockets
CoD Warzone: Guides for Your Gameplay
With the best weapons in Warzone, you are prepared for any firefight, but there is much more to know about the mechanics in Warzone:
- 13 important settings that will make you better in CoD Warzone: Pacific
- New to CoD Warzone? This map is small, fast, and perfect for beginners
- What is mobility in CoD Warzone and why is it so important?
- CoD Warzone: How does slide-cancel work and why should everyone master it?
- 5 black skins in CoD Warzone that give you advantages in the dark
- Forget the heartbeat sensor in CoD Warzone – a tactical item is now much better
- CoD Warzone: All info on SBMM – Function, tricks and problems with matchmaking
- CoD MW & Warzone: Better aiming with correct deadzone settings – Here’s how
- This is how you can use aim assist optimally in CoD Warzone
If you have cool tips yourself or a question about the many weapons, setups, or mechanics, feel free to leave us a comment. We’re happy to help you with the little quirks of the popular battle royale Call of Duty: Warzone.
