One-shot Sniper Rifles finally arrive in Warzone 2 Season 3

Nathan Warby
Warzone 2 character with Intervention sniper rifle and ghillie suit

Warzone 2 players have been desperate to see a buff to Sniper Rifles since the sequel launched, and the Season 3 update is finally bringing back one-shot Snipers.

When Warzone 2 launched back in November, it came with a number of major changes from the original. Many of these have since been reverted, with the Gulag changing back to a 1v1 format and backpack looting being scrapped in favor of ‘vomit’ loot.

One change that players have been desperate to see is a buff to Sniper Rifles that allows them to one-shot enemies with a headshot. The devs have flirted with the idea in the past, including the St. Patrick’s Day Victus XMR Blueprint, but this was just a temporary feature.

Now, players are finally getting their wish in the Warzone 2 Season 3 update, as the devs have confirmed that one-shot Sniper Rifles are back, provided they are using the correct attachments.

As confirmed in a blog post, going forward, Sniper Rifles equipped with a “certain attachment” will be able to one-shot players in the head.

Intervention Sniper Rifle in Warzone 2 Season 3The Intervention also arrives in Warzone 2 Season 3.

The “certain attachment and platform conditions” remains to be seen but Incendiary Rounds gave Sniper Rifles the ability to one-shot headshot in the past, so we expect it to be an ammo type once again.

As you’d expect, equipping anything other than High Velocity will come with a handful of drawbacks in an effort to balance the one-shot Snipers. Any weapon using an alternate ammo type will receive penalties to bullet velocity, making achieving that one-shot headshot more difficult.

While some may be frustrated that they have to lower the overall performance of their weapon to equip the correct rounds, the ability to knock an enemy with three plates in one hit should more than make up for its shortcomings.

The devs will no doubt be looking closely at the feedback on one-shot Sniper Rifles in Warzone 2 Season 3, so don’t be surprised to see more tweaks arrive in a future update as they try to keep things fair and balanced.


For more on Warzone 2, be sure to check out how the new Recruit A Friend feature works, and all the weapons coming in Season 3.

Image credit: Activision