Black Ops 6 weapon tier list: Best guns & meta loadouts

❘ Updated: 2024-09-09T15:07:21

Activision

With the Black Ops 6 beta well underway, a meta has formed, with the best guns and loadouts taking over and dominating lobbies.

Another year means another new Call of Duty title. Black Ops 6 is next up as Treyarch takes the helm once again. While the full release is still a ways off, we’ve already been pumping hours into the new game thanks to its early access beta.

It may only be beta, but there’s no doubt that a meta has formed, with players heavily favoring certain weapons. What makes a gun meta varies, but the best options typically deal a lot of damage and are easy to use, typically outgunning weaker alternatives.

Using off-meta weapons can be fun and has its place, but it’s not a good idea if you want to rack up score and win as many games as possible. For that, only the strongest will suffice, so here’s our tier list ranking every gun in Black Ops 6 from best to worst.

Best Black Ops 6 guns ranked: Tier list

Tier	Weapon
S-Tier	Jackal PDW, Tanto .22, AMES 85
A-Tier	C9, AK-74, LR 7.62, XMG
B-Tier	XM4, SVD, DM-10
C-Tier	Marine SP, SWAT 5.56

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

Muzzle: Compensator
Barrel: Long Barrel
Magazine: Extended Mag I
Rear Grip: CQB Grip
Optic: Merlin Reflex

The Jackal PDW has been by far the most dominant gun in the beta, 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, even after its nerf.

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. Check out our Jackal PDW loadout to learn more about the dominant SMG.

Tanto .22

Optic: Merlin Reflex
Muzzle: Suppressor
Barrel: Long Barrel
Underbarrel: Vertical Foregrip
Rear Grip: Quickdraw Grip

Introduced in Weekend 2, the Tanto .22 is one of the best guns in Black Ops 6. This versatile SMG has great damage, range, and recoil control, making it one of the most well-rounded guns in the game. If this weapon’s performance carries over to the full release, you can be sure the Tanto will remain a top-tier option.

Despite its strengths, it isn’t perfect, as this unusual gun has a slow fire rate. This makes it harder to use up close, leaving the Jackal PDW as the slightly better option. Even so, it’s a close call, and this is still a fantastic gun when used properly. To get the most out of this meta SMG, you’ll want to use our Tanto .22 loadout.

AMES 85

Optic: Accu-Spot Reflex
Muzzle: Ported Compensator
Barrel: Reinforced Barrel
Underbarrel: Ranger Foregrip
Rear Grip: Quickdraw Grip

Unlocked at level 20, the AMES 85 is one of the hardest guns to get and level up in the beta. However, the wait is worth it, as this assault rifle offers unrivaled accuracy. It serves a similar role to the MCW in Modern Warfare 3, which was by far the most used gun in Ranked Play and one of the most popular in multiplayer altogether.

Much like its predecessor, the AMES 85 doesn’t have the fastest time to kill, but its super low recoil is perfect for precisely tracking and taking out enemies. 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. Our AMES 85 loadout makes it even better too, so be sure to update your class to match.

A-Tier weapons & best loadouts

C9

Optic: Accu-Spot Reflex
Muzzle: Ported Compensator
Barrel: Reinforced Barrel
Underbarrel: Ranger Foregrip
Rear Grip: Quickdraw Grip

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. This underrated SMG has the fastest time to kill of any gun in the beta, with it able to outgun even the Jackal at close range.

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 Jackal PDW’s superior range makes it hard to justify using this instead. Even so, our C9 loadout is easily the game’s best close-range weapon.

AK-74

Optic: Volzhskiy Reflex
Muzzle: Compensator
Barrel: Long Barrel
Underbarrel: Vertical Foregrip
Rear Grip: Quickdraw Grip

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 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, the AK-74 is one of the best guns in the game. However, it’s considerably trickier to use than both S-Tier weapons, especially given this year’s rapid movement that makes missing shots easier than ever. It’s still a great gun though, and it gets even better if you use our recommended AK-74 loadout.

LR 7.62

Barrel: Gain-Twist Barrel
Underbarrel: Ranger Handguard
Rear Grip: Quickdraw Grip
Stock: Balanced Stock
Fire Mods: Rapid Fire

With Black Ops 6’s fast movement, you might expect snipers to struggle to keep up, but that’s not the case. The LR 7.62 is an excellent gun that has an extremely forgiving one-shot kill, with hit markers being a rarity. This high damage makes it terrifying in the hands of a skilled marksman, especially on larger maps like Scud, where it is easy to pick off targets at long range.

While this sniper is undeniably strong, its shortcomings prevent it from being S-tier. Most notably, the LR 7.62 has fairly slow handling, which makes it a poor choice on smaller maps where the Jackal and C9 walk all over it. However, our optimized LR 7.62 loadout mitigates this issue by maximizing key stats like aim-down sight speed and movement speed, making the gun much more versatile.

XMG

Optic: Kepler Microflex
Muzzle: Ported Compensator
Magazine: Fast Mag II
Rear Grip: Quickdraw Grip
Fire Mods: Rapid Fire

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. In many ways, it feels similar to the AMES 85, but with a faster time to kill. This should make it an S-tier weapon, but its slow handling limits its usefulness up close, though this can be improved by using our optimized XMG loadout.

B-Tier weapons & best loadouts

XM4

Barrel: Long Barrel
Magazine: Extended Mag I
Rear Grip: Quickdraw Grip
Fire Mods: Rapid Fire
Optic: Otero Micro Dot

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 most players will use until they unlock something better, and there’s really nothing wrong with that. It’s accessible and easy to use, while also offering a good enough time to kill to remain viable.

However, its range isn’t ideal, leaving it outgunned by the AK-74, and its not accurate enough to be laser accurate like the AMES 85 or XMG. Even worse, when compared to the Jackal PDW, it feels weak, more or less losing in every department. Even though it isn’t a top weapon, a well-built XM4 loadout like ours can still be an effective option – just never the best option.

SVD

Optic: Blandwell 7x Scope
Magazine: Fast Mag I
Comb: Quickdraw Riser
Stock: Heavy Stock
Fire Mods: Rapid Fire

The SVD is somewhat underrated by the community, with its relatively fast handling and good damage making it a solid enough sniper rifle. This is one of the best iterations of the iconic Dragunov that we’ve seen in Call of Duty. Admitedly, that’s not as impressive as it sounds, as most of them have been terrible, but it’s still a big plus for those who love this gun and its vast history across the franchise.

Unfortunately, it is less forgiving than the LR 7.62. You have to hit shots high on the body to get one shot kills, which isn’t easy in a game like Black Ops 6. With everyone sliding and jumping around, you need great aim to make the most of this weapon. It’s still a good option that can dominate if you use the best SVD loadout possible, but most players will have an easier time using the beta’s other sniper.

DM-10

Optic: Kepler Microflex
Muzzle: Compensator
Barrel: Long Barrel
Rear Grip: Quickdraw Grip
Stock: Heavy Stock

The DM-10 is the first semi-auto marksman rifle, and it’s a pretty solid one at that. Although unspectacular, it is a viable weapon when you use it right. Rather than focusing on precision and landing headshots, it’s best to maximize recoil control and spam fire to get the best time to kill possible.

While it can definitely be an effective choice on the right map, the DM-10 is nothing special. It has fairly slow handling, suffers from substantial flinch, and is incapable of one shot kills, with that last drawback leaving it outgunned by all of the available assault rifles and LMGs. Regardless, there’s still plenty of fun to be had with this gun, especially if you use our DM-10 loadout.

C-Tier weapons & best loadouts

Marine SP

Muzzle: Modified Choke
Barrel: Long Barrel
Stock: Combat Stock
Laser: Streklok Laser
Fire Mods: Rapid Fire

Early impressions of the Marine SP suggest that shotguns aren’t going to be good this year. This pump-action shotgun is extremely inconsistent to the point where getting hitmarkers 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 even somewhat competitive.

If this weapon has one saving grace, it’s that the fast movement in Black Ops 6 makes it easy enough to close the gap on enemies. This somewhat mitigates the gun’s obvious range limitations, but its unpredictable damage means it is still far worse than meta SMGs like the Jackal PDW. If you still want to try this shotgun, at least use our Marine SP loadout that makes the most of its few strengths.

SWAT 5.56

Muzzle: Compensator or Suppressor
Underbarrel: Vertical Foregrip
Rear Grip: Quickdraw Grip
Fire Mods: Rapid Fire
Optic: Redwell Reflex

The SWAT 5.56 is the lone burst gun of the Black Ops 6 beta. This isn’t a problem, as burst guns have been strong in other Call of Duty games with slower TTKs. However, this won’t be joining that list anytime soon, as the SWAT 5.56 is terrible and easily the worst gun in the beta.

While it can technically kill in one burst, this is a rarity. Good luck hitting all three necessary shots to the body against enemies flying around. It could still be decent if its two burst time to kill was competitive, but this gun has a very long burst delay, so you won’t live long enough to fire twice. While there’s no way to make this good, our SWAT 5.56 loadout does at least make it viable for those who love burst guns.

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 available. 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.