5 expected meta-defining weapons in Call of Duty Warzone Season 5

Call of Duty Warzone and Vanguard are about to witness the rise of villains with the arrival of Season 5 on August 24, 2022. The fifth season, titled Last Stand, will bring back the Call of Duty universe’s iconic antagonists in an epic community-driven showdown between the forces of good and evil in the final season of Vanguard.

With the launch of every new season and mid-season update, Activision aims to shake up the weapon meta and bring about a refreshing change with Warzone’s massive gallery of customizable weapons. Season 5 will witness the arrival of five new weapons to Vanguard and Warzone with the hopes of claiming their spot in the meta.

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Top 5 expected meta-defining weapons in Call of Duty Warzone Season 5

While the current Warzone meta faced significant changes after the nerf to the NZ-41, which dominated the long-range meta for months, the overall meta is still pretty consistent.

Weapons like the H4 Blixen and Marco 5 remain at the top of the close-range meta, with newer updates featuring improvements to the sniper and shotgun classes as well as weapons from Call of Duty’s previous titles, Modern Warfare (2019) and Black Ops Cold war, returning to the meta.

With that being said, here are five weapons that are expected to be part of the new meta with the arrival of Call of Duty Season 5.

Note: This article is subjective and solely reflects the writer’s opinions.

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Marco 5

Available blueprints of the Marco 5 in-game (Image via Activision)

Although the Marco 5 is already in the meta with its release in Season 4 of Call of Duty Warzone, the potential reason for this weapon’s rise would be nerfs to the H4 Blixen in the upcoming update. The Marco 5 and H4 Blixen are currently neck and neck in the close-range meta, with both SMGs performing similarly and the deciding factor mainly being the player’s own preference.

With the H4 Blixen being in the meta for almost three months now since its arrival in the Season 3 Reloaded update, Call of Duty will most likely nerf this weapon slightly in order to increase the pick-rate of the newer SMG, Marco 5.

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Kar98k (Vanguard)

Available blueprints for the Kar98k in-game (Image via Activision)

The Kar8k has been popular since the early days of Warzone back in 2019 which featured Verdansk. With Vanguard having a Kar98k variant of its own, the newer version is clearly superior, thanks to the added customizability with its ten attachment slots.

With maps such as Rebirth Island and Fortune’s Keep providing flexibility to gunfights, this highly mobile lightweight sniper rifle allows players to quickly take down opponents and reposition and is a preferred pick for sniper lovers and those with skilled hands.

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RA 225 (Vanguard Season 5 SMG)

Official look at the RA 255 in-game (Image via Activision)

The Season 5 of Call of Duty Vanguard and Warzone will feature the addition of a brand new SMG called the RA 225. The weapon's official description from Activision states:

“This SMG has a high fire rate and a very mobile compact frame.”

RA 225 is expected to be an SMG with an insanely high fire rate, coupled with significant recoil and a small magazine capacity. Seemingly compact like the Uzi, the RA 225 might have a similar feel to the Fennec from Modern Warfare, a fast-firing weapon known to eliminate opponents quickly.

Fortunately, the RA 225 will be highly customizable, as Activision claims, allowing players to design and balance the weapon based on their requirements. This will help players who wish to reduce its recoil, improve hip-fire accuracy, or increase the magazine size of this close-range SMG.

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KG M40

A few KG M40 weapon blueprints available in-game (Image via Activision)

As mentioned previously, the nerf of the NZ-41 opened up the gates for new contenders to take its spot as the new long-range meta weapon. With Modern Warfare weapons such as the Kilo 141 and M13 making a comeback, the KG M40 from Vanguard takes the crown.

With 10 attachment slots, the KG M40 outcompetes the Modern Warfare assault rifles with its diverse customizability. The rise of the KG M40 within the meta is unsurprising as the weapon performs similar to the pre-nerf NZ-41 with its minimal recoil, high fire rate, decent damage per magazine, and great bullet velocity, making it a must-pick across all skill levels.

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EX1 (Season 5 Energy Prototype Rifle)

Official look at the EX1 in action (Image via Activision)

Season 5 might prove to be Call of Duty’s most meta-changing season so far with the arrival of a brand new weapon that is unlike any weapon class. Called the EX1, Warzone is set to feature a prototype energy rifle that provides a dynamic bullet output. The official description from Activision states the following:

“A prototype energy rifle effective at long range and highly customizable.”

The EX1 is expected to use non-traditional bullets and will instead be switching to a “battery system” that needs a cooldown after use, diverging from the usual need to reload. The weapon is also rumored to feature a burst-fire barrel and ‘Charge Sniper’ barrel, allowing players to switch the fire modes of this innovative weapon.

Based on the information, the EX1 appears to be inspired by the Havoc energy rifle from Apex Legends, and if it does perform similarly, it could be exceptional in the hands of experienced players. Having energy blasts instead of bullets will potentially eliminate bullet and damage drop-offs as well as high bullet velocity, making this weapon highly accurate.

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Call of Duty Warzone and Vanguard Season 5 Last Stand will be available on August 24, 2022 on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S.