NICKMERCS explains why the PKM is Warzone’s next meta weapon

Liam Mackay
Nickmercs Warzone PKM

The PKM has long been a powerful weapon in Warzone, and streamer Nick “NICKMERCS” Kolcheff believes it could become the meta in Season 3.

Mobility is often considered to be one of a Warzone loadout’s most important aspects. Being able to quickly navigate the map and use peeker’s advantage to win gunfights is often the key to success. For this reason, weapons like the Kar98k and fast SMGs such as the MP5 and MAC-10 have been insanely popular.

Although they’re extremely powerful, the Light Machine Gun, or LMG, class has been underutilized due to their long reloads and lack of mobility. Top streamer NICKMERCS has long been an advocate for LMGs, with many citing him as the founder of the Bruen Mk9 meta. Now, in the extremely open meta of Season 3, NICKMERCS has set his sights on the PKM as Warzone’s next go-to weapon.

Warzone PKM

NICKMERCS described the PKM as the new meta weapon in Warzone or admitted that he’d at least like it to be.

“LMGs in Warzone have always been my cup of tea,” Nick reminded his viewers. “You remember your boy and the Bruen, and all the success I had in all those tournaments playing with that Bruen.”

Nick described how he’s “going down the line,” using every meta weapon from Warzone’s first year. “We’re going from the M4 to the Grau, to the Kilo, to the AMAX… I said ‘you know what? Let me pull out the LMGs.'”

“I think this gun could change the game,” NICKMERCS explained. “Beaming ain’t even the word, lasering isn’t even the word… just putting teams down with this thing.” He explained that even though it’s slow, as long as you have a fast SMG or Assault Rifle as backup (he used the AS VAL), “you’re literally set to destroy the lobby.”

NICKMERCS PKM loadout in Warzone Season 3

  • Muzzle: Monolithic Suppressor
  • Barrel: 26.9″ Extended Barrel
  • Optic: VLK 3.0x Optic
  • Stock: Forge TAC Stalker
  • Underbarrel: Snatch Grip

While many build the PKM with attachments for extra speed, such as the Tac Laser, NICKMERCS built this “for overall accuracy” and “overall recoil control.”

To maximize its damage over range, the Monolithic Suppressor and 26.9″ Extended Barrel are necessary additions. And to accurately land these shots, there’s no better choice than the reliable VLK 3.0x Optic.

Finally, Nick added the Forge TAC Stalker stock for added aiming stability, and the Snatch Grip to speed up the weapon’s ADS speed slightly, while still giving extra recoil control.

NICKMERCS recently showed off a class for the LC10, so you can combine it with this PKM for a powerful and versatile loadout.

Image Credit: NICKMERCS / Activision

About The Author

Liam is CharlieIntel's Editor who focuses on Call of Duty but also plays lots of fantasy RPGs or anything else in his massive gaming backlog. After graduating in Journalism from Edinburgh Napier University, Liam freelanced in games journalism before joining CharlieIntel in November 2020. You can contact Liam at [email protected].