Are There One-Shot Snipers in Warzone 2? Explained

A number of Warzone 2 players have been left confused by recent changes (and un-changes) to sniper rifles. Here, we’re answering if sniper rifles can one-hit kill in Warzone 2 and how that might change moving forwards.

Can Sniper Rifles One-Hit Kill in Warzone 2? Answered

Right now, no sniper rifles are capable of one-hitting a fully armored enemy. With Season Two, adjustments were made to damage profiles to make a number of sniper rifles capable of one-hit eliminations when the incendiary rounds were equipped.

However, on February 24, this was reversed by Raven Software, removing the ability for sniper rifles to one-hit even when the incendiary ammunition was equipped. At the time of writing, that is how the weapon class remains.

It should be noted that sniper rifles can one-hit enemies with headshots when the player in question does not have full body armor. In short, if an enemy has reduced armor or health, a headshot will one-shot them. Naturally, there’s not really a way of knowing an enemy has reduced health or armor unless you or a teammate has just dealt damage.

Will Snipers Be Able to One-Shot Again?

No plans to make sniper rifles one-hit kills have been announced by Activision or Raven. It does remain a contentious topic, however, with plenty of community members arguing they should be able to do so with a headshot.

Raven actually said, in the aftermath of the nerf to incendiary ammunition, that it was an error and snipers were never intentionally meant to deliver one-hit kills. As a result, it seems unlikely that they’ll be made uniform one-hits, even with headshots.

Developer philosophies can and do change, though, so we wouldn’t rule out the necessary changes ever making their way to Warzone 2. The first Warzone featured one-hit snipers throughout its entire life-cycle.

We did actually see a limited-time event bring one-hit snipers back: the Warzone 2 Saint Patrick’s Day event. When that was active a one-hit version of the Victus XMR, called the Shillelagh, was made available if players went to the location where the rainbow meets the map. However, it has since been removed and the event has ended.

Best Warzone 2 Sniper Rifle Loadout

Snipers can still be powerful despite their inability to one-hit. Specifically, the Signal 50 stands out as the strongest option in the weapon class, thanks mainly to its semi-automatic firing mechanism.

This allows users to fire far faster than with bolt-action alternatives, delivering the two or three shots necessary to down a fully-armored opponent. Currently, the below stands out as the best Signal 50 build, reincarnating the Barrett 50 Cal sniper of classic CoD titles:

• Barrel: 29″ TV Kilo-50
• Muzzle: Nilsound 90
• Underbarrel: FSS Sharkfin 90
• Ammunition: .50 Cal High Velocity
• Stock: FSS Echo Stock

That’s all there is to know about whether sniper rifles can one-hit in Warzone 2. Naturally, we’ll update this page as and when changes are made to the weapon class.

That could come soon, with Season Three rapidly approaching.

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