Warzone’s Nail Gun receives major nerf in June 30 update
After Warzone devs Raven Software felt Season 4’s Nail Gun was vastly performing in its class, they gave it a significant nerf in the June 30 update.
The effect of Warzone Season 4’s C58, MG 82, and Nail Gun were immediate. Players instantly called for the MG 82 to be nerfed, and Raven Software were quick to deliver. The Nail Gun climbed to the top of the pack as the best SMG, and players called for it to be nerfed.
Raven Software acknowledged that the Nail Gun is too powerful in its class, but said that giving it a fair nerf will be difficult. However, in the June 30 update, the devs made a move in reducing its effectiveness.
Although the Nail Gun isn’t one of the most popular weapons in the game, its insanely high time to kill makes it the best choice for close-range combat. To unlock it, you need to complete the tough challenge of getting kills with Special Weapons, and Warzone’s devs said that its pick rate would be higher “were it more easily accessible.”
Raven Software had previously explained the difficulty around nerfing the Nail Gun. They were concerned that nerfing low rate of fire weapons could “turn an incredibly fast Time to Kill into one of the slowest in its class,” just by missing one shot.
They said that they plan on pushing and pulling on some of its functionality until it’s something that can rival shotguns at close range, but quickly lose damage from further out. “They are just nails after all,” explained Raven Software.
Alongside nerfing the FARA 83’s recoil control, the devs have given the Nail Gun its first tweak, and it appears to be a major one. Rather than toying with its fire rate or damage, Raven decreased the Nail Gun’s Maximum Damage range by 39%.
In the June 30 patch notes, Raven Software explained that although the “Nail Gun is and was meant to be a lethal, highly-mobile, short-range dominator…its Maximum Damage range far exceeded the lethal range of Shotguns, which it is intended to contest.”
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“The Nail Gun’s (BOCW) generous range and mobility allowed it to consistently dispatch foes at the same speed or faster than Shotguns at almost twice their effective range,” they continued. So to counter this, they almost halved its damage range.
While it won’t be as effective at range, it will likely still melt players up-close. Raven Software are sure to keep an eye on the Nail Gun going forward and make any more adjustments if necessary.
Image Credit: Raven Software / Treyarch