Every buff & nerf in MW3 & Warzone Season 1

The Season 1 update finally sees Modern Warfare 3 arrive in Warzone, and the devs have introduced a host of weapon balancing changes to help ease the integration. Here’s a breakdown of every buff and nerf in Warzone and MW3 Season 1.

Warzone and Modern Warfare 3 Season 1 has arrived, kicking off a brand-new chapter for both games. The battle royale, in particular, has received an overhaul, thanks to the new Urzikstan map and a selection of fresh Perks.

The update also marks the long-awaited arrival of MW3 guns in Warzone, shaking up the meta and giving players more options than ever before. To ensure that the new arsenal of weapons is fair and balanced across the two titles, a ton of buffs and nerfs have been rolled out in Season 1.

Here’s every weapon buff and nerf in the Warzone and Modern Warfare 3 Season 1 update.

All buffs & nerfs in Warzone & MW3 Season 1

Check out every weapon buff and nerf in Modern Warfare 3 and Warzone Season 1 below, as revealed in the official patch notes:

• Decreased hipfire spread penalty incurred while firing/moving for all Submachine Guns.

» Assault Rifles «

• MTZ-556
  • Increased maximum hipfire spread while standing by 10%.
  • Increased maximum hipfire spread while crouched by 6%.
  • Increased hipfire spread penalty incurred while firing by 10%.
  • Increased hipfire spread penalty incurred while moving by 4%.
  • MTZ Natter Heavy Short (Barrel)
    • Decreased hipfire spread benefit by 5%.
  • Bruen Thunder V9 (Stock)
    • Decreased hipfire spread benefit by 6%.

» Battle Rifles «

• BAS-B
  • Increased damage multipliers in semi-auto fire type to intended values.
    • Lower-Torso: 1x to 1.2x
    • Arm & Hand: 1x to 1.35x
• Sidewinder
  • Decreased aim down sights time from 280ms to 265ms (-5%).
  • Tempus Predator Precision (Barrel)
    • Increased gun kick control benefit by 5%.
  • Huntsman Series-R Integrated Suppressor (Barrel)
    • Increased gun kick control benefit by 7%.
  • RB Borealis Grip (Rear Grip)
    • Increased gun kick control benefit by 5%.

» Submachine Guns «

• Striker
  • Decreased sprint to fire time from 110ms to 100ms (-9%).
  • Decreased aim down sights time from 230ms to 215ms (-7%).
  • Striker Stubby (Barrel)
    • Added 9% aim down sights time benefit.
• WSP Swarm
  • Decreased sprint to fire time from 110ms to 88ms (-20%).
  • Decreased aim down sights time from 190ms to 175ms (-8%).
• Striker 9
  • Decreased sprint to fire time from 110ms to 100ms (-9%).
  • Decreased aim down sights time from 225ms to 205ms (-9%).
  • Striker Stubby (Barrel)
    • Added 9% aim down sights time benefit.

» Shotguns «

• Lockwood 680
  • Tac-Stance will no longer reduce damage pellet count.

» Marksman Rifles «

• MCW 6.8
  • Equipping the Full-Auto Conversion Kit and 60rnd Drum Magazine will no longer result in a broken aim down sights animation.

» Melee «

• Riot Shield
  • Increased melee damage from 50 to 75 (+50%).
  • Added a 10% movement speed penalty while stowed.

» Attachments «

• S-37C DL Breacher Device (Muzzle)
  • Decreased hipfire spread benefit by 14%.
  • Resolved an issue that prevented one-hit melee kills in round-based Modes.
• Bruen Tactical Vertical Grip (Underbarrel)
  • Decreased hipfire spread benefit by 8%.
• Hollowpoint (Ammunition)
  • Decreased inflicted sprint penalty time from 800ms to 200ms (-75%).

Modern Warfare II (Carry-Forward)

• Increased reserve ammunition for all Weapons to MWIII standards.
• Decreased hipfire spread benefit of Underbarrel vertical grips by 5-12%.
• Decreased hipfire spread benefit of applicable Lasers by 2-5%.

» Assault Rifles «

• M4
  • Increased maximum damage from 28 to 35 (+25%).
  • Decreased head and neck damage multipliers from 1.37x 1.1x (-20%).

» Battle Rifles «

• TAQ-V
  • Increased lower-torso, leg, and foot damage multipliers from 0.8x to 1.1x (+38%).

» Submachine Guns «

• Vaznev-9K
  • Increased near-medium damage from 29 to 30 (+3%).
• ISO 45
  • Increased maximum damage from 30 to 33 (+10%).

» Shotguns «

• KV Broadside
  • Increased far-medium damage range from 9m to 10m (+8%).
  • Decreased aim down sights spread slightly.

» Light Machine Guns «

• RAAL MG
  • Decreased aim down sights time from 470ms to 390ms (-17%).
  • Decreased sprint to fire time from 375ms to 320ms (-15%).
  • Decreased tactical sprint to fire time from 496ms to 416ms (-16%).
• 556 Icarus
  • Increased maximum damage from 28 to 34 (+21%).
  • Decreased head damage multiplier from 1.4x to 1.1x (-21%).

» Marksman Rifles «

• SP-R 208
  • Increased maximum damage range from 15m to 20m (+28%).
  • Decreased aim down sights time from 370ms to 340ms (-8%).

» Handguns «

• Basilisk
  • Increased maximum damage range from 5m to 7m (+35%).
  • Increased near-medium damage range from 6m to 15m (+140%).
  • Increased far-medium damage range from 17m to 23m (+32%).

Those were all the weapon balancing changes in the Warzone and Modern Warfare 3 Season 1 update. For more on both games, check out our other guides:

Best guns in Warzone | Best Warzone controller settings | Best PC settings for Warzone | How to get a nuke in Warzone | Best Assault Rifles in Warzone | How big is Warzone’s Urzikstan? | Best SMGs in Modern Warfare 3 | Best Assault Rifles in Modern Warfare 3 | Best Sniper Rifles in Modern Warfare 3 | When is Ranked Play coming to Modern Warfare 3?