For a long time, Warzone players have been asking the devs to nerf the AUG and FFAR 1, frustrated at the overpowered nature of the guns in current matches. The request came after the Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War integration, as Warzone’s Time To Kill seemed way too fast. Certain weapons would down opponents way too easily, bringing back memories of hardcore mode where players die after one or two shots. Call of Duty has always been a fast-paced franchise, with Time To Kill consistently quick in each iteration. However, as battle royales are structured differently than fast-paced deathmatch modes, players don’t like the feeling of overpowered guns.
The patch follows last week’s update, which brought extensive changes to Black Ops Cold War but neglected to address fundamental issues in Warzone. Although the devs have been consistent with adding features and fixing issues in the game, the March 31 update seemed more like an early April Fool’s joke, leaving Warzone in the dust as Treyarch focused on Black Ops Cold War instead. Now, players are rescinding their frustration as Warzone devs finally deliver a necessary patch.
In a tweet by Raven Software, two Warzone weapons are getting nerfed from a change that's been requested by the player base for a long time. Specifically, the update addresses the FFAR 1 and the AUG, or the Cold War Tactical Rifle Charlie. For the FFAR 1, ADS speed was decreased, transitioning into a traditional AR with "damage and range at the cost of handling." As for the AUG, recoil strength has been increased, putting it in line with other burst weapons that "ride a fine line between inefficient and oppressive."
The weapon patches may not be as expansive as a new map release, but the update addresses fundamental issues to core components of Warzone matches. Gun performance can make or break games, especially a battle royale where loot is randomized. If guns are too powerful, players lucky enough to find an AUG or FFAR 1 early can dominate the game, and playing against these weapons can be close to impossible. The AUG, for instance, previously felt too easy to control, despite being a burst weapon. This made it extremely easy to land all shots on an opponent, raining down a lethal burst of bullets quickly and accurately. Now, it seems to be heading in the right direction to become a balanced weapon.
As for the FFAR 1, it previously felt as though a player had to use an invisibility glitch to evade being dominated by the weapon. But Raven Software is working towards reducing the speed at which a player can aim down sights with the weapon, making it ineffective against close-range SMGs. The changes are an excellent start for the Warzone devs balancing the weapons, proving that the team is listening to the fans. Hopefully, Raven Software continues to pursue necessary changes and keep up Warzone's reputation as a fan-favorite battle royale.
Warzone is available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Microsoft Windows
Source: Raven Software