Call of Duty: Warzone's most annoying guns have finally been nerfed

black ops cold war season 1
(Image credit: Activision)

Update: Raven released the new Warzone balance patch this morning, detailing on Twitter how its most powerful weapons have been adjusted.

  • DMR 14: Reduced headshot damage, increased recoil
  • Type 63: Reduced headshot damage, increased recoil
  • Mac-10: Decreased headshot multiplier
  • Dual pistols: Increased hip fire spread, decreased damage range

As has become usual for Call of Duty updates, the patch notes don't include exact damage values. Players will need to see for themselves how effective these nerfs will prove, but early signs aren't promising.  It's also worth mentioning that the pistol nerf applies to all pistols that can be dual-wielded, not just the popular Diamatti pistols that have an extremely short time-to-kill at short range.

Original story: Enjoy those overpowered DMR 14 loadouts while you can, because Call of Duty: Warzone's latest dominant gun is officially getting a nerf. Raven Software announced today over Twitter that Warzone's next major patch will target the rifle as well as a few other guns causing headaches across Verdansk—namely the MAC-10 SMG and commonly dual-wielded Diamatti pistols.

The nerfs will surely shake up a weapon meta that has felt extremely one-sided since Cold War Season 1 began in mid-December. We've gone a bit longer than usual without significant patch notes for Warzone, presumably because the folks that make it have been enjoying some well-deserved time off over the holidays.

As for how hard the guns will be hit by the patch, we don't know. Raven also announced today that Warzone's weekly playlist rotations are moving from Tuesdays to Thursdays. Balancing patches usually coincide with these regular update days, so we may know more later in the week.

It's worth noting that the upcoming nerfs will only affect the Warzone version of the DMR 14, MAC-10, and Diamatti. All three Cold War versions will remain unchanged in their original home, at least for now.

The rampancy of overpowered guns seemed almost inevitable when Activision announced that over 30 new weapons from Cold War's arsenal would be added to Warzone all at once. With that many new variables tossed into the balancing pool, I'm surprised the game isn't more broken. Still, players have noticed some quirks exclusive to Cold War guns that grant an unfair advantage, like scopes that don't have a glint.

It's hardly new for a game as buggy as Warzone. Just before the Christmas break, invisible helicopters roamed the skies of Verdansk. More recently, someone accidentally brought their full loadout into the Gulag.

Morgan Park
Staff Writer

Morgan has been writing for PC Gamer since 2018, first as a freelancer and currently as a staff writer. He has also appeared on Polygon, Kotaku, Fanbyte, and PCGamesN. Before freelancing, he spent most of high school and all of college writing at small gaming sites that didn't pay him. He's very happy to have a real job now. Morgan is a beat writer following the latest and greatest shooters and the communities that play them. He also writes general news, reviews, features, the occasional guide, and bad jokes in Slack. Twist his arm, and he'll even write about a boring strategy game. Please don't, though.

Latest in Call of Duty
A soldier looks out over the Verdansk map, as a single tear rolls down his cheek.
The original Verdansk map is returning to Call of Duty: Warzone, to celebrate which we get a soldier crying to Nat King Cole
black ops 6 season 1
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Season 3 has been delayed, as the devs say they're 'taking the time to deliver a great experience' for what will be a 'big moment' for Call of Duty
A zombie santa with six fingers leaps at the screen.
Call of Duty admits it's using generative AI to 'help develop some in-game assets', and suddenly all those poorly made calling cards make sense
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in Black Ops 6.
Call of Duty's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles crossover costs like $90 and even the die-hards are in shellshock: 'Cash cow-abunga!'
Ghost, from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2022), looks bleakly at a fellow passenger in a transport.
For COD’s sake: One player’s 763-day legal quest to make Activision unban their account ends in total success: ‘Worth the effort’
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Season 2
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Season 2 will let players battle on boats and bullet-trains, with the Terminator entering the fray 'shortly after launch'
Latest in News
spectre divide
Spectre Divide and its studio are shutting down after just six months: 'The industry is in a tough spot right now'
Naoe looking at the wrist blade in Assassin's Creed Shadows
Ubisoft backflips, says Assassin's Creed Shadows will support Steam Deck at launch, but I doubt I'll actually want to play it there
Henry from KCD2 wearing nice outfits
'Diversify your fashion endgame' with this Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 mod that gives Henry fly new gambesons, pourpoints, and caftans
Masked Counter-Terrorist in helmet in forefront with sunglasses and beret-wearing CT in background touching headset
There's hope yet for Classic Offensive after its Steam rejection: The team behind the Counter-Strike 1.6 revival mod is in touch with Valve about its 'concerns'
Recently appointed Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan.
Here comes Intel's new CEO: a semiconductor veteran that won the same prestigious award as Jensen Huang and Lisa Su
BURBANK, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 15: Protestors attend the SAG-AFTRA Video Game Strike Picket on August 15, 2024 in Burbank, California. (Photo by Lila Seeley/Getty Images)
8 months into their strike, videogame voice actors say the industry's latest proposal is 'filled with alarming loopholes that will leave our members vulnerable to AI abuse'