In The Division, we take a closer look at the submachine guns after update 1.5. Are they still useful?
For months, the submachine guns, the SMGs, were the dominant weapon class in Ubisoft’s MMO shooter. Agents feverishly searched for an AUG or Vector with God Roll, as they were superior to other weapons in both PvE and PvP. Only the M1A snipers were equally sought after.
Since updates 1.4 and 1.5, the meta has changed. The supremacy of the SMGs is over; other weapons now dominate. Some agents even claim that the submachine guns are now “complete trash,” as mentioned by YouTuber Disturbed Gaming:
SMGs are inferior to assault rifles
A few weeks ago, we examined all weapon classes more closely to find the best weapons in 1.5. We concluded that the LVOA-C assault rifle, the Pakhan LMG, and the SCAR-H sniper outperform other weapons. The LVOA-C and the Pakhan make the submachine guns redundant. Why is that?
In PvP, the MP7 is the best submachine gun, and the LVOA-C is the best assault rifle, which is why Disturbed Gaming compares these two weapons. The result: Almost everything the MP7 can do, the assault rifle can do better.
A comparison of the stats shows that the base damage of the assault rifle is significantly higher, while the fire rate is lower. The magazine of the LVOA-C holds 10 more rounds. The precision and range are better, although the reload speed is somewhat inferior to that of the MP7. Additionally, the opponent’s armor damage now applies in PvP, which enhances assault rifles.
By the way, the headshot multiplier of the LVOA-C is also 25% higher than that of the MP7.
To illustrate this in numbers: Disturbed Gaming found that in PvP, the LVOA-C deals 287k burst damage while the MP7 deals 225k burst damage. Also, in damage over time, the assault rifle surpasses the MP7. In PvE, the LVOA-C shows even better values.
Update 1.5 destroyed an advantage of the SMGs
With update 1.5, hip fire was revamped. Depending on the weapon type, recoil was increased, causing bullets to whizz around when firing continuously. This was once a major advantage of the submachine guns: dealing with opponents at close range using hip fire. The crosshair was relatively tight, and shots could be controlled towards the target.
Now, the crosshair widens significantly during hip fire, with bullets tending to the outer areas of the crosshair. Hence, the SMG hip fire is hardly usable anymore.
Even with the LVOA-C, the crosshair widens, but not as much as with the MP7. Furthermore, it seems as if the shots tend to be more towards the center and less at the edges of the crosshair. In short: The LVOA-C is even better at hip fire.
Have you had similar experiences, or do you say: No, nothing beats an SMG?
Here we present the best weapons in 1.5.
