Weapon Balancing
Weapon balancing is arguably the most problematic part of Black Ops Cold War’s multiplayer right now, much as it’s also the case in Warzone. A lot of this centers around the DMR, a semi-automatic rifle with little to no recoil and enough firepower to drop an enemy in just a few shots. It should be right at the top of the list for a nerf in Cold War’s mid-season update, but it shouldn’t stop there.
The more I’ve played multiplayer, the more it’s become clear that weapon classes don’t really mean anything anymore. In past titles, each weapon class — Assault Rifles, SMGs, LMGs, Shotguns, Tactical Rifles etc. — have felt like they had a distinct purpose in the meta. Strengths and weaknesses that meant one weapon couldn’t just be your go-to for every map and game type. In Cold War, that’s not the case.
The AK74-U — an SMG — is currently running riot. It’s stupidly steady — even more so when equipped with the right weapon attachments — and damage drop-off isn’t aggressive enough to stop you from being able to ping people from a distance with it. Its Assault Rifle sibling, the AK74 is equally problematic, capable of dropping enemies even faster with similarly little recoil. Your mobility with the weapon is a little more sluggish, but it’s not enough to stop it from being one of the best guns regardless of engagement range with an enemy.
Then you’ve got the Diamatti’s. The burst pistol seemingly has no recoil and become almost a necessity to have equipped as your secondary weapon. In fact, some players just use these as their primary weapon, as when equipped with a laser sight and dual-wielded, you can hip fire and drop enemies with a single burst from each.
Treyarch addressed the MP5’s balance issues at the beginning of the game, but nowhere near enough. It’s still got a similar issue to the AK74-U. The developer has to get its head around weapon balancing, nerfing the biggest offenders and making weapon types feel like they mean something again. Given the DMR’s inconsequential nerf in Warzone last week, however, we don’t have a lot of hope.
