GamingCall of Duty

Best Warzone 2 Ranked Play loadouts in Season 5

Ryan Lemay
warzone 2 trios squad running through al mazrah desert wearing competitive operator skins.Activision

Warzone 2 Ranked Play is finally here, but you need the right loadout to hang with the best of the best. Here are the best loadouts to use in Season 5.

Treyarch led the charge on Modern Warfare 2 Ranked Play, and CDL pros credited the game mode for sparking fresh interest in competitive CoD. MW2 viewership skyrocketed on Twitch, bringing fans and pro players closer together than ever.

WZ2 Ranked Play shares a resemblance to its MW2 counterpart, using the same division and Top 250 system.

Squads earn Skill Rating and climb the ranks through placement, kills, and assists. Everyone will use their best weapons, so here are the strongest loadouts for WZ2 Ranked Play.

Contents

Best Ranked Play long-range meta weapons

Signal 50

Signal 50 Wrzone 2 sniperActivison
The Signal 50 thrives at long-range and picking off enemies from afar.
  • Muzzle: Nilsound 90 Silencer (-0.68, +0.39)
  • Barrel: 29″ TV Kilo-50 (+0.27, -0.31)
  • Optic: Schalger Night View (-1.84, -1.05)
  • Laser: FSS OLE-V Laser (+0.29, +37.84)
  • Ammunition: .50 Cal High Velocity (-0.29, +6.39)

The Signal 50 sniper rifle has been steadily growing in popularity in recent months, to the point that it became a near-essential weapon to carry for World Series of Warzone players while competing in the $1.2m tournament. Despite experiencing a surge in popularity, Raven Software defended its decision to not nerf the sniper in Season 5.

Cronen Squall

The Cronen Squall battle rifle as seen in Call of Duty: Warzone 2.Activision
  • Muzzle: TY-LR8 (+0.80, +0.32)
  • Barrel: HR6.8 (+0.39, +0.40)
  • Optic: Aim OP-V4 (+2.53, 0.00)
  • Underbarrel: FTAC Ripper 56 (+0.80, -0.23)
  • Magazine: 50 Round Drum

After dominating Season 4 Reloaded, the Cronen Squall saw a long list of nerfs in Season 5. The battle rifle’s maximum damage, neck, lower and upper torso, and limb damage multipliers decreased. JGOD argued that those nerfs were “negligible,” and the Cronen Squall is still a top-tier meta loadout in Season 5.

TAQ V

taq-m marksman rifle preview in warzone 2Activision
  • Muzzle: TY-LR8 (+0.23, +0.14)
  • Rear Grip: FSS Combat Grip (+0.58, +0.30)
  • Underbarrel: FTAC Ripper 56 (+0.57, +0.27)
  • Magazine: 7.62 High Velocity (-0.56, -5.43)
  • Ammunition: 50 Round Drum

The TAQ-V separates itself from other battle rifles because it has the best accuracy and recoil in the class. It also helps that the hard-hitting rifle excels in full-auto firing mode while others only perform well in single-fire mode. The TAQ V is also easier to control than the Cronen Squall in medium to long-range engagements.

Best Ranked Play short-range meta weapons

Lachmann Sub

Lachmann Sub Apex LegendsActivison
The Lachmann Sub is now the strongest SMG in Warzone 2.
  • Barrel: L38 Falcon 226mm (-0.16, -0.19)
  • Laser: 1mW Quick Fire Laser (-0.06, -26.32)
  • Stock: FT Mobile Stock (-2.58, -1.55)
  • Magazine: 50-Round Drum
  • Rear Grip: Lachmann TCG-10 (-0.35, -0.28)

The Lachmann Sub may be the best short-range meta in Warzone 2 after the ISO 45 nerf in the Season 4 Reloaded update. The reliable SMG shreds enemies up close and is also extremely easy to use. Some players will still prefer the ISO 45, but the Lachmann Sub warrants plenty of attention.

ISO 45

ISO 45 in WarzoneActivision
  • Muzzle: Lacerta Compensator (-0.62, -0.21)
  • Laser: 1MW Quick Fire Laser (-0.50, -29.61)
  • Optic: Slimline Pro (+3.00, +2.40)
  • Stock: SK-3 Cheetah (-1.29, -1.32)
  • Magazine: 45 Round Drum

Despite seeing a few nerfs, the ISO 45 still has the fastest time-to-kill speed for SMGs, up to nine meters. If you strictly want a close-range weapon for extremely short-range engagements, this is the weapon for you. But for anything else, you may want to consider using the Lachmann Sub.

Best Ranked Play perks and equipment items

Best Perks

  • Base Perk: Overkill
  • Base Perk: Double Time
  • Bonus Perk: Resupply
  • Ultimate Perk: High Alert

There are a couple of different avenues you can take when choosing perks. The most contentious selection will be the Ultimate Perk. Many players choose High Alert, which gives you a vision pulse when an enemy spots you.

However, Ghost, Birdseye, and Quick Fix are viable options as well.

Resupply should be a no-brainer choice, as it recharges equipment over 25 seconds. With how important smoke grenades are to escape gunfights or repositioning, squads will need as many as possible.

As for the Base Perk slots, we decided to go with Double Time and Overkill to maximize the ability to escape gunfights and carry two primary weapons. Buying a weapon from the buy station could allow a player to replace Overkill with Scavenger, Battle Hardened, or Bomb Squad.

Best Equipment

  • Lethal: Drill Charge
  • Tactical: Smoke Grenade

Players should choose a throwing knife or drill charge for their lethal choice. Throwing knives make it easier to finish downed enemies without wasting ammunition, while drill charges are great for taking out campers.

As for the tactical slot, at least one, if not all, teammates should have smoke grenades equipped.

That rounds off the best Ranked Play loadouts in Warzone 2.0 right now. Be sure to check back in the future because as the meta shifts, so will this list.

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