The new Warzone has opened the door to many different playstyles. One-shot snipers are back, SMGs are king, Marksman Rifles have found their place, and most importantly Sidearms are now viable. To find out how each Sidearm ranks, check out our best Sidearm in Warzone tier list.
Best Sidearm in Warzone Tier List
Handguns have always been an afterthought in Warzone. Historically it’s always been correct to run two primary weapons in every scenario. But now that we are in Warzone 3, sidearms have shot up in popularity for the unparalleled mobility they offer, and the surprising amount of damage they can dish out. Some handguns far outperform others, of course. We have a detailed tier list ranking the new MW3 sidearms below.
| Tier | Weapon |
| S | COR-45, Renetti |
| A | TYR |
| B | WSP Stinger |
We will continue to update as Season 2’s meta is defined and redefined over the months.
S-Tier Sidearms
The absolute God-Tier weapons have a reserved place in this tier. They are undoubtedly the best sidearms, with almost no weaknesses, and have the highest damage, and the cleanest accuracy. Those looking to get a leg up on the competition should read carefully and choose one of the below weapons. But be warned, weapons of this tier are volatile and are the most likely candidates for nerfs by Sledgehammer Games.
COR-45
As our first S-Tier sidearm, the COR-45 does not disappoint. Its ability to run through opponents despite its classification as a pistol is staggering. I’m sure plenty of us have dropped from the Gulag with just this bad boy, only to take down an enemy with their full loadout in 5-6 bullets. Its damage was always incredible from the moment Warzone 3 launched, and players were sent into Urzikstan with just this weapon to fend for themselves.
We recommended building the COR-45 as an Akimbo monster. That way, it’ll tear through entire squads without breaking a sweat and offering an incredibly fast rotation speed. This handgun will have you running circles around your enemy while easily taking them down with a few shots.
Renetti
The Renetti finds itself at the top of the food chain as this 3-round-burst sidearm has the fastest TTK of all handguns. Whether you choose to run it with its Aftermarket Conversion Kit, as Akimbo, or even as a stand-alone pistol it will perform. As with all other handguns and sidearms, its mobility beats that of an SMG. You’ll be blitzing through the map, dodging and weaving through bullet fire.
In Warzone against a fully plated player, the Renetti will knock them down in only a few short bursts, then zip away at lightning speeds. It’s not commonplace for a sidearm to be a legitimate alternative from an SMG but with both of our S-Tier weapons, it is the truth. Players not vibing with the HRM-9 or the AMR9 can swap to the Renetti for a new playstyle with little loss in damage.
A-Tier Sidearms
A place for perfectly balanced weapons. They have their strengths and their weaknesses but are not held down or overshadowed by better weapons. They can contend with the meta and perform in it despite their weaknesses on paper. On the flip side, they aren’t expected to be nerfed or buffed. Weapons in this category should remain at their power for a long time to come.
TYR
The TYR started as a completely broken handgun, equipped with slugs that one-shotted players in close quarters. But Activision put a stop to that and nerfed that version of this weapon into the ground so now it finds itself in our A-Tier. It’s a difficult weapon to use since its heavy recoil and slow fire rate require its user to hit their shots, but if they do… boy does it hurt.
As the new age Magnum .45 it is designed to be a high-powered killing machine so it’s no wonder it ranks high on our list. Whether it’s equipped with the Beholder Rifle Aftermarket Kit or run as an instant swap sidearm, it won’t let you down. In Warzone’s environment specifically, it will rip through a fully plated enemy operator in no time, leaving you with a kill or an injured enemy to scoop up.
B-Tier Sidearms
Our B-Tier is reserved for weapons that are underperforming right now and are either held back by their weaknesses or completely overshadowed by other weapons. Unless they receive some love from Sledgehammer Games or the better weapons are nerfed, they will continue to underperform.
WSP Stinger
The WSP Stinger is very lackluster, especially when compared to its cousin the WSP Swarm, or even the WSP-9. Its damage is underwhelming but while it has an extremely fast fire rate, it’s often unable to beat out much popular weaponry. Since the WSP Stinger is a sidearm, it has incredible mobility so outplaying opponents with fancy footwork is the only way to squeeze every ounce of power out of this limp sidearm.
Due to its insistence on good and clean movement, the WSP Stinger requires a skilled hand to utilize. For that reason, it’s hard to recommend it over its cousin the WSP Swarm, or even some other handguns on this list. In Warzone’s unforgiving environment, these sidearms realistically should be avoided.
That is our best Sidearm in Warzone tier list and we will strive to update it as the meta defines itself for Season 2. Be sure to check out our related Call of Duty content below for more guides, news, and updates.
