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

With Black Ops 6 Season 1 Reloaded underway, a new meta has formed, and some weapons have emerged as meta standouts – the absolute best guns you can choose.

This latest 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 at all costs. Some of these guns are so good that pros have agreed to ban them, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use them in your multiplayer matches, so here’s a full tier list ranking every gun in the game from best to worst.

Best Black Ops 6 guns ranked: Tier list

Tier	Weapon
S-Tier	Jackal PDW, Krig C, XM4, Grekhova, SVD, Model L, Saug
A-Tier	Tanto .22, C9, AK-74, XMG, Goblin Mk.2, DM-10, PP-919, Tsarkov 7.62, LW3A1 Frostline, AMES 85
B-Tier	KSV, AS VAL, Kompakt 92, PU-21, AEK-973, 9mm PM, Marine SP, GS45, GPMG-7
C-Tier	GPR-91, SWAT 5.56, Maelstrom, ASG-89, LR 7.62, 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 very 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

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 incredible 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 even outguns 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.

Krig C

Dexerto / Activision

The Krig C is the first new Assault Rifle released in Black Ops 6 as part of the Season 1 update, and it’s already cemented a place as one of the best guns in the game. It checks all the right boxes for a multiplayer AR, offering great range, low recoil, and a competitive time to kill.

What places it slightly 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 assault rifle in the game, easily cementing its place as an S-tier gun.

XM4

The XM4 is a jack-of-all-trades assault rifle that doesn’t excel at much but isn’t particularly bad at anything. 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.

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 solid iron sights, giving you the flexibility to use attachments that mitigate its other weaknesses. 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. The only exception was Advanced Warfare, but now there’s a second version that 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 beyond that. If you’re looking for a gun to dominate larger maps, this is the one. However, you’ll need to use our meta loadout to get the most out of this weapon.

Saug

Dexerto / Activision

The Saug is the closest thing to an Uzi present in Black Ops 6, boasting a rapid 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 the most game-breaking setup possible. You won’t have much range, but even shotguns will have a bad time against this with that build.

A-Tier weapons & best loadouts

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 guns 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 make it shoot faster.

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, 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. However, it misses out on S-Tier solely because the other guns in its class excel in different areas, while the C9 is more of an all-rounder without a unique selling point.

AK-74

The AK-74 offers 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 assault rifle 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. It’s certainly powerful, but a gun that’s this hard to use can never really be S-tier.

XMG

Modern Warfare 3 had some of the weakest LMGs we’ve seen in a long time, with the TAQ Eradicator being the best option, but it was still outclassed by most assault rifles. Thankfully, Black Ops 6 looks to have fixed this, as the XMG is a tremendous gun that has gone overlooked despite its clear strengths.

The two main reasons to use the XMG are its high damage and low recoil, which make it excellent at long range. Or, 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.

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. However, don’t bother aiming for headshots as they do nothing with this gun, which is a big reason why it can’t seriously be considered S-tier.

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 unless you’re fighting at beyond 50 meters.

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.

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 most ranges, 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.

LW3A1 Frostline

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. Admittedly, it deals the exact same damage as the SVD, so it’s kind of hard to justify using it when a semi-auto gun does its job equally as well.

Even so, there’s always going to be a spot for a powerful bolt-action sniper in Call of Duty’s meta. Furthermore, the LW3A1 Frostline is drastically improved when used with the right attachments, so don’t write it off in those frustrating early levels. Once you have it leveled up, you’ll be running around dropping off the other team with ease.

AMES 85

The AMES 85 is your quintessential laser beam in Black Ops 6. 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 CoD 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 for that reason, but it solidly belongs in A-tier and is a real problem for enemies with the right build.

B-Tier weapons & best loadouts

KSV

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 unlocks pretty 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 push it down to B-tier: the C9 and Jackal PDW exist. The C9 is basically just a statistically superior version of the KSV, and the Jackal is arguably the best gun 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 a mid-tier weapon at best.

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. Following that change, it has gone from S-tier to B-tier, with its tiny magazine and high recoil making it a situational pick.

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.

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 greatest 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.

PU-21

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. 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 guide. 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 surprisingly good gun with consistent 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 just 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.

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.

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, 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.

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 very 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 revolver. 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, so the Grekhova is in another league compared to this.

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 improved by having the ideal attachments, though this gun will never be a meta weapon without some substantial buffs.

C-Tier weapons & best loadouts

GPR-91

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 lasers like the Model L and XM4 exist.

Sure, the GPR-91 is also very 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.

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.

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 honestly 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 slightly more range, but both are peashooters compared to the Marine-SP, which is also hardly a meta gun.

You’re better off just running an SMG in most cases rather than using this weapon. Sure, it’s easy to use, but that same ease of use can be found by running an optimal 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.

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. Even if this sluggish sniper rifle is the most forgiving in its category, there’s no getting around its terrible mobility and handling.

Outside of large maps like Scud and Red Card, you are going to have a horrid 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 using 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.

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? Unfortunately, we still don’t have an answer to that yet.

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 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 in a future patch.

That’s all for our tier list of all the weapons in Black Ops 6, but using meta guns is not the only way to optimize your gameplay. You will 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 read our guides on Tac Stance, body shields, and unlimited Tactical Sprint to become the best player possible.