Best guns in Black Ops 6: Meta weapons and tier list

With Black Ops 6 Season 2 underway, a new meta has formed, and some weapons have emerged as standouts – the absolute best guns you can choose.

This major update introduced a host of weapon buffs and nerfs that have shaken up the meta in Black Ops 6, as well as some new guns looking to make a name for themselves.

After spending some time, we’ve now got a good idea of what the best weapons are and which ones you should avoid. Some of these guns are so good that pros have agreed to ban them, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use them, so here’s a full tier list ranking every gun in multiplayer from best to worst.

Best Black Ops 6 guns ranked: Tier list

Tier	Weapon
S-Tier	Krig C, Jackal PDW, XM4, C9, Grekhova, SVD, Model L, Tanto .22
A-Tier	Saug, AMR Mod 4, Cypher 091, XMG, LW3A1 Frostline, Goblin Mk2, DM-10, Feng 82, AMES 85, KSV, PPSH-41, Tsarkov 7.62
B-Tier	AS VAL, PP-919, AK-74, PU-21, AEK-973, Kompakt 92, Marine SP, 9mm PM, GPMG-7, LR 7.62, GS45
C-Tier	SWAT 5.56, GPR-91, Maelstrom, ASG-89, Sirin 9mm, Stryder .22

Explaining our rankings

• S Tier: Leading the meta, these are the very best guns in the game today.
• A Tier: While strong picks on most maps and modes, these guns are just a cut below the very best.
• B Tier: Good weapons that are viable but fail to stand out in a meaningful way.
• C Tier: Weapons you should generally avoid unless grinding for camos.

S-Tier weapons & best loadouts

Krig C

Dexerto / Activision

As of Season 2, The Krig C is the best weapon in Black Ops 6. It checks all the right boxes for a multiplayer AR, offering great range, low recoil, and a competitive time to kill. In many ways, it is essentially the XM4 but with a better TTK, making it the ultimate all-around option.

However, what really places it above the other weapons in its class is its superior mobility, which gives you the edge on those smaller to mid-sized maps of which Black Ops 6 has a lot. With the right loadout, the Krig C is the most well-rounded weapon in the game, easily cementing its place as an S-tier gun.

Jackal PDW

The Jackal PDW has easily been one of the most dominant guns in Black Ops 6, with it taking over lobbies across all skill levels, modes, and maps. This is largely thanks to its impressive versatility, with the Jackal capable of slaying up close yet also being laser accurate at long range.

It’s no exaggeration to say that this meta weapon can even outgun sniper rifles across entire maps, especially if you improve its recoil using attachments like the Compensator. When you consider that it is an SMG that also has great mobility and handling, it begins to look like one of the most complete guns in Call of Duty history.

XM4

The XM4 is a jack-of-all-trades assault rifle that doesn’t excel at much but isn’t particularly bad at anything either. It’s the typical, reliable starter option that will never let you down regardless of what Prestige or skill level you are. It’s accessible and easy to use, while also offering a good enough time to kill to remain competitive with the right loadout.

It was already a great weapon regardless, but the XM4 got a boost in the meta with the release of the Buffer Weight Stock in Season 1. This is one of the very few attachments in Black Ops 6 that improves both horizontal and vertical recoil. With this equipped, this gun becomes incredibly accurate, effectively becoming a more versatile version of the Model L.

C9

A side effect of the Jackal PDW’s dominance is that a lot of other great guns have gone overlooked. That is especially true for the C9, Black Ops 6’s rendition of the iconic MP5. However, that doesn’t make the C9 bad by any means, with this well-rounded SMG being a highly competitive weapon that can hold its own in any lobby.

Those wanting a true submachine gun should look no further, as the C9 offers fantastic mobility, handling, and damage. It is the ideal weapon for run-and-gun playstyles, which complements this year’s fast-paced gameplay. It also has arguably the best iron sights in the entire game, so you don’t have to worry about wasting an attachment slot on an optic.

Grekhova

The Grekhova is the only sidearm anywhere near the top ranks of our Black Ops 6 tier list, but it’s earned its spot. If it was a primary weapon, it’d be low A or high B-tier, but it gives you the kind of power an SMG provides in a secondary slot. There’s no reason to take Overkill if you’ve got this gun with the right attachments.

It has a high fire rate as an automatic pistol, making it just as deadly as it is easy to use. Additionally, it’s got low enough recoil to perform surprisingly well at mid-range as well as some great iron sights, giving you the flexibility to use attachments elsewhere. If you’re looking for a reliable sidearm, the Grekhova is head and shoulders above the competition.

SVD

The Dragunov and pretty much any version of the weapon have been tragically bad in almost every Call of Duty entry it has been in. Thankfully, there’s the latest version in Black Ops 6 is defining the meta. Why? Because the SVD in Black Ops 6 is a semi-auto sniper that is able to one-shot to the torso, which is almost unheard of in Call of Duty.

This gun scopes in quickly, consistently one-shots, has a far faster fire rate than the other two sniper rifles in the game, and carries more ammo for going on long streaks. When using the best SVD loadout, it blows the other two options out of the water and is a clear standout as a precision weapon that can take over lobbies in the right hands.

Model L

Slow firing, but with high damage per shot and incredibly low recoil, the Model L chugs along as one of the easiest to use and most accessible ARs in Black Ops 6. Having a consistent 4-shot kill without the considerable kick of the AK-74 makes it a strong contender for being one of the best guns in the game.

It maintains that four-shot kill range beyond 44 meters, making it a really good weapon at long range. You’ll still get outgunned by SMGs up close, but this is a worthwhile sacrifice as they won’t be able to touch you at long range. If you’re looking for a gun to dominate larger maps, this is the one. Just be sure to use use our meta loadout to get the most out of this weapon.

Tanto .22

The Tanto .22 is one of the best guns in Black Ops 6. This hard-hitting SMG has great damage, range, and recoil control, making it one of the most well-rounded options in the game. It was an absolute demon in the beta, and it still is now, with the SMG range buffs making it more versatile than ever before.

Despite its strengths, it isn’t perfect, as this unusual gun has a very slow fire rate. This makes it harder to use up close, leaving the Jackal PDW or Saug as the better options for most players. Even so, it’s a close call, and this is still a fantastic gun when used properly, especially if you equip the Rapid Fire mod to increase its fire rate.

A-Tier weapons & best loadouts

Saug

Dexerto / Activision

The Saug is the closest thing to an Uzi present in Black Ops 6, boasting a fast fire rate but a ton of recoil to keep it in check. At least that’s what the in-game description would have you believe, but in reality, it’s quite easy to control if you use a Compensator and Vertical Foregrip. With its recoil reduced, you are left with a fast-firing, hypermobile SMG that is perfect for dominating on smaller maps.

On the likes of Babylon and Nuketown, the Saug kills quicker than virtually any other gun in its class as long as you’re hitting your shots. Running the best loadout goes a long way toward keeping it under control, and you can even try Akimbo for some true chaos. You won’t have much range, but even shotguns will have a bad time against this with that build.

AMR Mod 4

Activision

Added in Season 1, the AMR Mod 4 has made a name for itself as one of the best snipers in the game. While it may be heavy and cumbersome, the raw power and fast-firing nature of this beast make it a powerful option when used right.

This is due to its semi-auto fire rate and great one-shot potential at long range, allowing you to gun down multiple enemies with just a few squeezes of the trigger. If you can the the other team lined up on a chokepoint, then this is the only sniper that can wipe them all out in one fell swoop.

Cypher 091

Dexerto

New to Season 2, the Cypher 091 is a low-damage, low-recoil assault rifle akin to the AMES 85. However, it actually beats the AMES thanks to its superior recoil pattern, which is almost entirely vertical if you use the right loadout. This makes it easy enough to control regardless of your skill level.

This impressive accessibility ensures that the Cypher 091 is a competitive weapon, but it’s not a top-tier gun. Unfortunately, its TTK isn’t great, leaving it outclassed by both the XM4 and Krig C. Even so, you can still do a lot worse than this, and it performs particularly well on larger maps.

XMG

Modern Warfare 3 had some of the weakest LMGs we’ve seen in a long time, with even the best options being outclassed by every assault rifle. Thankfully, Black Ops 6 fixed this, with the XMG being the standout option in this category.

The two main reasons to use the XMG are its high damage and low recoil, which make it excellent at long range. If you don’t care about long-range, take a crossbar and eliminate the need to aim entirely. This is about as close as an LMG can get to S-tier, but it’s not quite there, with its sluggish handling being a poor fit for Black Ops 6’s fast-paced action.

LW3A1 Frostline

Dexerto

The LW3A1 Frostline is BO6’s fastest-handling sniper rifle, making it a great option for those who enjoy quickscoping and living out their dreams of creating the next big sniper montage. It was also buffed in Season 2, with these changes making it much more consistent and a great alternative to the SVD.

There’s always going to be a spot for a powerful bolt-action sniper in Call of Duty’s meta, and the LW3A1 Frostline is easily good enough to fill this role, especially when used with the right attachments. You’ll need to grind it out first, but once you have it leveled up, you’ll be running around getting kills with ease.

Goblin Mk.2

The Goblin Mk.2 is probably the most divisive gun in Black Ops 6. Some people will tell you it is awful, while others will swear they’ve found a hidden gem. The truth falls closer to the latter, with the Goblin Mk.2 having the fastest TTK of any assault rifle in the game. This is assuming you can reach its fire rate cap and still land shots, making this an undoubtedly high-skill, high-reward weapon.

It won’t be for everyone and is honestly better suited to MnK than it is controller, but for those who enjoy using semi-auto guns, this is a genuine monster. Tap away for a consistent three-shot kill that beats out not just every other AR but even some SMGs. It can even two-shot after a series of buffs if you land headshots, making it especially rewarding in the hands of a skilled player.

DM-10

The DM-10 is a semi-auto marksman rifle, and it’s a very good one at that. However, it is badly misunderstood. People see a scope and assume this is a long-range DMR, but in reality, the DM-10 is best used as a medium-range semi-auto rifle, akin to the Goblin. This is because if you can land two shots within its maximum damage range, it has a TTK of 200 ms, which is absurdly fast.

While it’s a bit harder to use this weapon than, say, spraying and praying with an SMG, you can easily shred lobbies with this considering its large magazine and two-shot potential. If the DM-10 could one-shot with headshots, there’d even be a case for putting this weapon in S-tier, but precision doesn’t do much for this gun most of the time.

Feng 82

Dexerto

Added in Season 2, the Feng 82 is one of the best LMGs you can use. It has a slow fire rate but deals a lot of damage, allowing it to kill in just three shots within its maximum damage range. Interestingly, its stats closely mirror the Tanto .22, which is a amazing gun that has been meta since day one, albeit with much worse handling.

In this regard, the Feng 82 can be considered a heavy-duty version of the Tanto, so those who enjoy using the unusual SMG will probably enjoy this too. Just be sure to keep your distance and avoid running around, as this weapon is not suited to aggressive play in the slightest.

AMES 85

The AMES 85 is your quintessential laser beam. Whether you want to compare it to MW3’s MCW or the classic ACR, just know that this is the latest near-recoilless AR in Call of Duty. Considering how many head glitch spots there are in this game, having that pinpoint accuracy can be a huge boon for flushing out enemy players.

This year’s game is extremely fast-paced, and missing shots can cost you dearly, so using a hyper-accurate gun like this makes a lot of sense. However, the fact that so many of BO6’s maps are small means that you’ll often get outgunned by someone with an SMG. It’s impossible to put this gun in S tier for that reason, but it belongs in A-tier and is a real problem for enemies with the right build.

KSV

Dexerto

The KSV offers exactly what you’d expect from a submachine gun. It has a high fire rate, good hipfire accuracy, decent range for its weapon class, and it is unlocked early on at level 7. It’s a good option for carrying you through the early ranks as you learn the ropes in Black Ops 6 and are still unlocking other guns.

Unfortunately, it has two big problems that prevent it from being S-tier: the C9 and Jackal PDW exist. The C9 is a statistically superior version of the KSV, and the Jackal is easily the best SMG in the entire game. This isn’t a bad option by any means, but its failure to stand out in any meaningful way means it is very much an upper mid-tier option at best.

PPSH-41

Dexerto

When the PPSH was confirmed to be making its return, a lot of players were hyped to see use one of the most iconic WWII weapons. In some ways it has lived up to that hype, with its blistering fire rate and fast handling feeling great to use. However, this classic SMG isn’t exactly the meta-defining gun we had hoped for.

It has a sporadic recoil pattern that can be tricky to control, and its damage isn’t anything special. That’s not to say it isn’t competitive, but the C9 has a comparable TTK and is easily the better all-around gun. While the PPSH-41 is certainly stylish and timeless, this legendary submachine gun is unlikely to be taking over your lobbies anytime soon.

Tsarkov 7.62

The Tsarkov 7.62 is a pretty hard weapon to place on a tier list. On one hand, it’s outright worse than every other marksman rifle in terms of body shot TTK, with the DM-10 firing much faster and the three-round burst rifles being more consistent. On the other hand, this weapon has the potential for one-shot headshots at long range, making it the only non-sniper to be able to do this.

The fact that it rewards precision so heavily makes it very good in the hands of a skilled player. With Omnimovement allowing everyone to fly around the map at light speed, this won’t be easy to use, but if you happen to come across someone using the Tsarkov 7.62 who knows what they’re doing, you are in for a seriously bad time.

B-Tier weapons & best loadouts

AS VAL

For a short time, the AS VAL was a meta-defining weapon that offered assault rifle range with SMG-level handling and damage. However, that didn’t last long, with BO6’s first major balance patch quite literally halving its effective range. It has since received some buffs returning a fraction of that power, but its days as an S-tier AR are long gone.

To be fair, the AS Val does still deal a lot of damage, has incredible iron sights, and comes with an integral suppressor. Likewise, it has better handling and mobility than any other assault rifle, giving it a niche as a hybrid weapon for those wanting to play more aggressively. Unfortunately, you are probably better off just picking an SMG for that role these days, with the nerfs leaving their mark.

PP-919

The PP-919 seems mediocre at first, with its low damage leaving a lot to be desired. However, equipping the Rapid Fire attachment transforms this gun into a no-recoil beast that can compete against almost anything. This reduces the SMG’s time to kill to just 257 ms, and the recoil penalty is hardly noticeable because it’s so accurate regardless.

To be clear, before you get this attachment, the PP-919 is not very good. It will be frustrating to use, as quite literally every other SMG will outgun you. Incredibly, even some assault rifles kill faster up close. Yet when you optimize this build with the best PP-919 loadout, it becomes really strong and is easily one of the standout options in the category.

AK-74

The AK-74 is the exact opposite of the AMES 85, as it’s a hard-hitting weapon with high recoil. Naturally, this lends itself to higher-skill players who are capable of controlling its substantial kick, with their reward being the fastest-killing automatic AR in Black Ops 6. If past Call of Duty games have taught us anything, it’s that fast-killing ARs are always competitive, and this is no exception.

For those with the mechanical skill to handle this heavy hitter, our best AK-74 loadout transforms it into one of the most deadly guns in the game. However, it’s considerably trickier to use than other ARs, especially given this year’s rapid movement that makes missing shots easier than ever.

PU-21

Dexerto

The PU-21 is a great LMG and, in any CoD game that wasn’t so movement-reliant, it’d be a fantastic option. It’s got fairly low recoil, great damage at longer ranges, clear iron sights, and a ton of ammo for you to burn through. However, its poor handling and slow ADS time really hurt in such a fast-paced game.

You’re presented with two options using this gun. Either you take a Fast Mag and turn it into a worse version of an AR, or you play into its strengths and hold down choke points. Either build is viable, and the latter can be found in our PU-21 loadout. It’s largely up to personal preference, as either way, this will kill fast and prove effective at what it does.

AEK-973

The AEK-973 is a good gun with one-burst kill potential. While it’s got a significant delay between shots, those three shots come out lightning fast, and landing all of those shots will give you an incredibly fast TTK. Considering this gun has low recoil and maintains this impressive damage profile beyond 34 meters, it’s a beast of a weapon at most ranges.

Of course, stats alone don’t tell the full story. The truth is that you will often have to land two or even three bursts to get a kill, which leaves you with either a mediocre or frankly terrible time to kill. This didn’t used to be a problem, but the Rapid Fire attachment was heavily nerfed in Season 1, ending the AEK’s brief run as a top-tier weapon.

Kompakt 92

The Kompakt 92 is Black Ops 6’s spitfire SMG. It’s an absolute bullet hose, all about getting as many shots down range as possible in a short time. This thing shoots fast, with this being both the weapon’s greatest strength and its biggest weakness.

This weapon has a ton of recoil, burns through ammo stupidly fast, and lacks any real range. So, it’s got a lot of downsides, but what it does do well is kill enemies at close range really fast. If that’s what you want out of this weapon, then it’s the perfect choice. The Kompakt is far too flawed to be S-tier or even A-tier, but it’s an effective gun for what it is, especially with the best loadout.

Marine SP

This pump-action shotgun is extremely inconsistent, to the point where getting hit markers at point-blank range isn’t uncommon. It also has a very slow fire rate, so its two-shot TTK isn’t good at all, making those one-shot kills necessary to be competitive. It works well in Face-off and on other small maps, but is pretty much useless elsewhere.

The good news is that the fast movement in Black Ops 6 makes it easy enough to close the gap on enemies. This helps mitigate the Marine SP’s obvious range limitations, but its unpredictable damage means meta SMGs like the Jackal PDW completely outclass it. Regardless, it’s a competent enough primary that works well up close if you use our recommended Marine SP loadout.

9mm PM

On the surface, the 9mm PM looks like the sort of default pea shooter pistol that’s almost not worth using. In reality, the 9mm PM is surprisingly competent and boasts a solid three-shot kill range, decent irons, and better range than you’d expect. In many ways, it’s exactly what you want from a bog-standard sidearm.

While it is by no means flashy, there’s nothing wrong with a serviceable pistol that fires quickly and kills reasonably fast. The only real downside to this is that the Grekhova exists, which is basically just a full-auto version of the same gun. In general, Black Ops 6 doesn’t do a good job of making semi-auto weapons worth using, and this gun is one of the many examples of that.

GPMG-7

The GPMG-7 is a bit of an oddball. It shoots fast, which would make you think it’d have the high capacity to back up that fire rate, but it only holds 50 rounds despite having a box magazine. That six-shot kill is a lot faster than it sounds, but you’re still going to burn through ammo at record pace with this thing.

It’s not like it has the handling and speed of an SMG either, giving you a weapon that can kill fast but lacks a lot of the strengths LMGs would typically have, like near-limitless ammo and high accuracy. It only lands in B-tier because the weapon gets substantially better with the right attachments, though this gun isn’t even close to being meta.

LR 7.62

With Black Ops 6’s rapid movement, you might expect snipers to struggle to keep up, but that’s not the case for the SVD and LW3A1 Frostline. Their fast handling allows them be competitive, but the same cannot be said of the LR 7.62. It deals a lot of damage and is very forgiving, but one obvious flaw prevents it from being anything more than B-tier – it has a dreadful ADS speed.

Outside of large maps like Scud and Red Card, you are going to have a tough time trying to use this gun. By the time you’ve scoped in, expect multiple SMG and AR users to have jumped on your head with Omnimovement. The best LR 7.62 loadout helps mitigate this somewhat, but it’s clear that this was designed with Warzone in mind and not multiplayer.

GS45

The GS45 is a bizarre secondary that has so much theoretical potential but is fairly underwhelming in practice. Technically speaking, it can kill enemies in just 194 ms with the Rapid Fire mod equipped. This is incredible and beats out every single primary weapon in Black Ops 6. The problem is that it feels clumsy, with the slow rate of fire making it hard to use.

Effectively, this is BO6’s version of powerful handguns like the Desert Eagle and Magnum. The difference is that those iconic guns could kill with one headshot, while the GS45 doesn’t benefit from headshots at all. As such, you aren’t really rewarded for picking the slower-firing gun, resulting in the Grekhova being in another league compared to this.

C-Tier weapons & best loadouts

SWAT 5.56

The SWAT 5.56 is one of BO6’s two burst rifles, with both it and the AEK killing in one burst. Considering how fast-paced Black Ops 6 is as a game with omnimovement, three-round burst weapons are a hard sell at the best of times, and the SWAT 5.56 makes it even harder to justify using them.

Good luck hitting all three necessary shots to the body against enemies flying around, especially with how much recoil the SWAT has. It’s much harder to use than the AEK-973 and has a lower fire rate when it comes to its burst grouping, earning it a well-deserved spot in C-tier. Missing a single shot in the burst will get you killed, so check our best SWAT 5.56 class to at least make that less likely.

GPR-91

Dexerto

In the early days of Black Ops 6, some players took to the GPR-91, believing that it was a great weapon. Those players were wrong. This is a mediocre, low-damage gun that is more or less pointless when far superior weapons like the Krig C and XM4 exist.

Sure, the GPR-91 is accurate, but why would you pick an accurate, low-damage gun when accurate, higher-damage guns exist? If you use this, you will get outgunned by quite literally every other primary weapon in the game. It does have great mobility, but that’s worthless in practice because it gets massacred up close by every submachine gun. Treyarch, please buff this.

Maelstrom

Dexerto

Like most full-auto shotguns in Call of Duty, the Maelstrom is good at one thing and one thing only. It blasts enemies at very close range, and that’s about it. Basically, if you aren’t playing Face-Off, there’s no reason to use this over an SMG, and even then, the Akimbo Saugs are generally more effective.

There’s no doubt that there’s some good fun to be had from running around with this shotgun and spraying to your heart’s content, but you really shouldn’t expect it to be particularly competitive. It just doesn’t have the accuracy or range to compete against submachine guns in multiplayer. On the bright side, it is a lot of fun to use in Zombies, so it’s not entirely useless.

ASG-89

Hanging out in C-tier right alongside Black Ops 6’s other spammy shotgun is the ASG-89. Both are pretty terrible, but the ASG is just about worse, as its lack of full-auto fire makes it less consistent. To be fair, it does have a little more range, but both are peashooters compared to the Marine-SP, which is also by no means a meta gun.

You’re better off just running an SMG in most cases. Sure, the ASG-89 is easy to use, but that same ease of use can be found by running an meta C9 or PP-919 build. Ultimately, both of these shotguns are just not great picks for multiplayer unless you’re on a small map, even with our best loadout.

Sirin 9mm

Dexerto

Black Ops 6’s first special weapon was added in Season 1, and it’s special alright – especially bad, that is. With a TTK of 360 ms, the Sirin 9mm is the slowest-killing gun in the entire game. It gets beaten by not only the low-damage GPR-91 but also every single pistol. This begs the question, why should you use it? To make matters worse, it was actually nerfed in Season 2 for some reason.

Looking at the positives, the Sirin 9mm has good range for a secondary weapon, and it’s nice and accurate thanks to its low rate of fire. These don’t make it good by any means, but it could be somewhat useful if you use it alongside a shotgun or marksman rifle. Mind you, at that point you may as well just use Overkill or even just equip the Grekhova.

Stryder .22

The idea behind the Stryder .22 makes a lot of sense. It has a fast rate of fire, so those with a great trigger finger can down enemies quickly as a reward for their skill. There’s just one problem, it doesn’t kill quickly regardless of how fast you fire it. Its theoretical TTK, if you land every shot with Rapid Fire equipped, is 324 ms, which is actually slower than the Grekhova, a full-auto pistol.

This bizarre balancing choice means that there is no reason to ever use the Stryder .22 beyond camo grinding. Even the Sirin 9mm is better than this, with its impressive range at least giving it one unique selling point. The Stryder has nothing going for it and desperately needs some buffs.

That’s all for our weapon tier list, but using the best guns isn’t the only way to optimize your gameplay. You’ll also want to use the best controller settings and PC & console settings. Mastering this year’s mechanics is a must too, so be sure to learn more about Tac Stance, body shields, and unlimited Tactical Sprint to become the best player possible.