Are MW3 & MW2 guns still meta in Warzone? Best loadouts & builds
DexertoFollowing the release of Black Ops 6, it’s no secret that Call of Duty’s new weapons have taken over the Warzone meta, with older MW3 and MW2 guns being phased out.
With so many players leaving their old loadouts behind, it begs the question of whether the battle royale’s old guns are truly bad or if the community is overlooking some hidden gems.
Is the Season 1 update a repeat of last year, where most MW2 guns were replaced overnight, or are things a little more complicated this time around? From our testing and first-hand experience, it appears to be the latter.
Is it worth using Warzone’s old guns over BO6 weapons?
DexertoFor the most part, the new Black Ops 6 guns outclass the older weapons that have been carried over from MW2 and MW3.
The big reason for this is that only BO6 guns can use Gunfighter, a powerful Wildcard that allows for the use of eight attachments. Furthermore, the attachments on these newer weapons have very few downsides, giving them a huge advantage over the competition.
Equally, there is currently a bug in Warzone where both MW2 and MW3 guns have very slow slide to fire speeds. This makes any guns that are designed to be used up close difficult to use, effectively ruling out the majority of SMGs and shotguns.
In saying that, there are some outliers that are still competitive in the current meta and well worth trying. We’ve broken down all of the MW3 and MW2 guns you should consider using below, as well as the best loadouts for each of them.
Best MW3 loadouts in Warzone Season 1
DTIR 30-06
Dexerto- Optic: Quarters Classic Reflex
- Muzzle: Casus Brake L
- Barrel: EXTND-10 Long Barrel
- Underbarrel: Operator Foregrip
- Magazine: 40 Round Mag
Added towards the end of MW3, the DTIR 30-06 dominated Warzone on arrival. Now that BO6 is out, it definitely isn’t as strong, but it’s not like this battle rifle was ruined in Season 1. It is functionally the same gun as what you were using last season, so it’s about as good as before, which is to say very good.
The DTIR performs best at long range, so it’s important to improve its recoil as much as possible. To do this, equip the Casus Brake L and Operator Foregrip, which combine to provide a 16% improvement in recoil control. This is essential to make the battle rifle accurate enough to be an effective long-range weapon.
Striker
Dexerto- Optic: Quarters Classic Reflex
- Muzzle: Bruen Pendulum
- Barrel: Striker Recon Long Barrel
- Underbarrel: GRV-Z Short Grip
- Magazine: 60 Round Drum
Warzone’s close-range meta is the most diverse it has ever been, with it including both BO6 and MW3 guns. The standout from last year’s game is the Striker, which excels thanks to its high accuracy and fast TTK. It even has some seriously impressive range, remaining competitive out to 33 meters with the Striker Recon Long Barrel equipped.
Just be sure to use a suitable optic like the Quarters Classic Reflex to make the most out of its accuracy. The new Warzone season added a fair amount of visual recoil to MW3 guns, so not using this can make it difficult to track targets. Likewise, the Bruen Pendulum reduces recoil, turning the Striker into one of the easiest SMGS to dominate with.
SVA 545
Dexerto- Optic: Quarters Classic Reflex
- Muzzle: VT-7 Spiritfire Suppressor
- Barrel: STV Precision Barrel
- Underbarrel: Bruen Tilt Grip
- Magazine: 60 Round Mag
At this point, it has become a fact of life that the SVA 545 is always competitive in Warzone, with even the introduction of 27 new primary weapons in Black Ops 6 failing to push it out of the meta. From the first season it was added to this very moment, the SVA 545 has been a laser-accurate assault rifle with a great TTK.
Funnily enough, this is the only gun on this list that still uses the same meta loadout that it did before Season 1. The VT-7 Spiritfire Suppressor and STV Precision Barrel provide great range and a fast bullet velocity, while the 60 Round Mag lasts an eternity thanks to this being a burst weapon. Basically, if you’ve ever enjoyed using the SVA 545, there’s no reason why you wouldn’t still love it now.
Superi 46
Dexerto- Muzzle: Quartermaster Suppressor
- Underbarrel: JAK Slash
- Magazine: 40 Round Mag
- Stock: Rescue-9 Stock
- Ammunition: 4.6mm High Grain
Prior to Black Ops 6, the Superi 46 was the best SMG in Warzone. These days, it isn’t quite on that level, with the insane mobility that once stood out as its unique selling point now commonplace on BO6 submachine guns. However, it’s no slouch either, with a fast TTK of just 630 ms and above-average mobility and handling ensuring that this once-dominant weapon is still a meta contender.
To make sure that the Superi 46 still feels good to use when compared to the newer options, you’ll want to use the JAK Slash and Rescue-9 Stock. These boost sprint movement speed up to 7.1 m/s, which is still really quick even when compared to BO6 SMGs. It’s no longer in a league of its own, but there’s no reason why you can’t continue to win matches and rack up kills with this old fan favorite.
Best MW2 loadouts in Warzone Season 1
RAAL MG (JAK Protean)
Dexerto- Aftermarket Parts: JAK Protean
- Optic: Corio Eagleseye 2.5x
- Muzzle: Sonic Suppressor L
- Magazine: 50 Round Belt Mag
- Stock: Demo H-40
The normal RAAL MG isn’t even worth considering, but the variant with the JAK Protean AMP equipped is undoubtedly meta. This attachment transforms the LMG into a DMR, allowing it to down players in just a few shots. What’s incredible is that it has a rapid rate of fire for a gun like this, giving it the best TTK of any primary weapon in Warzone Season 1.
Interestingly, this heavy-duty weapon was actually meta when it was first released back in MW3 Season 5, before getting nerfed shortly after. For some reason, this season reverted those nerfs, meaning you have another chance to use one of the best DMRs that Call of Duty has ever seen. However, you’ll need to be quick, because we suspect this powerhouse will be getting nerfed sooner rather than later.
M13B
Dexerto- Optic: Quarters Classic Reflex
- Muzzle: Quartermaster Suppressor
- Barrel: 14″ Bruen Echelon
- Underbarrel: Hex-40 Grip
- Magazine: 60 Round Mag
Given how old they are, as well as the sheer amount of power creep that has been added in Warzone, you wouldn’t expect any of the MW2 assault rifles to be viable these days. However, the M13B isn’t just viable but genuinely competitive and able to hold its own against the top options in the meta.
With a TTK of just 710 ms, the M13B can down enemies faster than several meta ARs, including both the XM4 and GPR 91. Additionally, it has fairly low recoil, with it being one of the controllable weapons from MW2. It does suffer in the handling department due to its inferior attachment pool, but the M13B is still a legitimately great weapon that’s well worth giving a shot.
Lachmann Shroud
Dexerto- Conversion Kit: JAK Decimator
- Optic: Quarters Classic Reflex
- Underbarrel: Cronen Grooveshot Grip
- Magazine: 50 Round Drum
- Ammunition: 9mm Sub AP
The Lachmann Shroud is a bizarre weapon that was first released as a burst version of the Lachmann Sub, which is a slightly cursed version of the iconic MP5. Thankfully, the JAK Decimator AMP was later released, fixing the gun by making it fully automatic, giving Call of Duty players their first chance to use the MP5-SD since Black Ops 2.
It was damn good too, being one of the best-performing SMGs in the game on release. Several seasons later, it isn’t quite as competitive, but still features that signature fast TTK that makes it so strong. However, it does have far inferior handling and mobility to most MW3 and BO6 submachine guns, so you’ll need to play less aggressively when using the Lachmann Shroud.
FTAC Recon
Dexerto- Optic: Quarters Classic Reflex
- Muzzle: JAK BFB
- Underbarrel: XRK Edge BW-4 Handstop
- Magazine: 15 Round Mag
- Ammunition: .458 High Velocity
To be honest, the FTAC Recon isn’t meta, as it is one of the most flawed weapons in Warzone. It has a tiny magazine, high recoil, limited range, and sluggish handling. However, all of these can be forgiven due to one simple reason that makes it stand out in a game with well over 150 guns – the FTAC Recon has a staggering TTK of just 423 ms.
That’s almost twice as fast as the best assault rifles in the meta, which is incredible by every worthwhile metric. Quite simply, if you can hit your shots and overcome the FTAC Recon’s obvious flaws, you will win every gunfight imaginable. It won’t be easy, as there are few guns as inaccessible as this, but those who master the MW2 battle rifle are destined to dominate.
For more ideas on what to use, check out the best Warzone loadouts that are taking over the meta. We’ve also ranked the best assault rifles, submachine guns, and sniper rifles that you’ll want to use to rack up kills with ease.