Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2.0 Season 1 brings major assault rifle balancing changes: M16 buffed, Kastov-74u and STB 556 nerfed, and more

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 saw the release of their first season on November 16. The latter title was released on the same day and is the successor to Call of Duty: Warzone.

Season 1 for both titles has tons of content to offer, such as an all-new battle pass, a brand-new progression system, four new weapons, and new balance changes that make some much-needed adjustments to the meta.

The first season features a massive map called Al Mazrah, which allows Warzone 2.0 players to drop into battle and fight for survival or explore and gather resources through the new DMZ game mode. With that out of the way, let's look at how Season 1 has affected the assault rifles in titles.

---

Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2.0's Season 1 has affected assault rifles majorly

The balancing changes introduced in the first season enhance the performance of assault rifles for Al Mazrah, where long-range gunfights will be more prominent. That being said, here are all the alterations made to assault rifles in Season 1 of Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2.0:

Assault rifles:

• Increased long-distance flinch on all Assault Rifles

With an increased long-distance flinch, the effectiveness of assault rifles for long-range combat is negatively affected, allowing marksman rifles and snipers to be more viable choices to land accurate shots from far away.

---

Kastov 545

The Kastov 545 assault rifle in MW2 and Warzone 2.0 (Image via Activision)

Changes received:

• ADS speed increased
• Improved iron-sight ADS' sight picture

The Kastov 545 assault rifle witnesses enhancements to its aim down-sight speed as well as clarity when ADS-ing with no Optic attachment. This will allow the weapon to be a more impactful member of the Kastovia Weapon Platform.

---

Kastov-74u

The Kastov-74u assault rifle in MW2 and Warzone 2.0 (Image via Activision)

Changes received:

• ADS speed decrease
• Hip spread increase

The Kastov-74u, after being designated as an assault rifle in Modern Warfare 2, still functions more as an SMG. This is because of its mid-range effectiveness. Boasting one of the lowest TTKs (time to kill) in the game, the weapon has experienced a shift in its rank in the meta due to changes to its ADS speed and increased hip fire spread. This makes the gun less viable compared to SMGs.

---

M4

The M4A1 assault rifle (Image via Activision)

Changes received:

• Hip spread reduction

The M4, a classic weapon in the Modern Warfare franchise, is well-known for its reliability. It offers a perfect blend of damage output, high fire rate, damage range, and bullet velocity. The weapon's hip fire spread has been buffed in Season 1, making it more useful at close range.

---

M16

The M16 assault rifle in MW2 and Warzone 2.0 (Image via Activision)

Changes received:

• Rate of fire increase
• Hip spread reduction
• Recoil recenter speed increase
• Shot grouping improvement
• Increase ADS movement speed
• Increase strafing movement speed
• Semi-auto recoil reduction
• Semi-auto damage reduction

The M16 was one of the worst-performing assault rifles during the pre-season of Modern Warfare 2. It's a three-round burst assault rifle that underperformed compared to other guns in its class.

Now, with the latest buffs for this weapon, the AR is expected to be used much more often by players due to its much lower TTK.

---

STB 556

The STB 556 assault rifle in MW2 and Warzone 2.0 (Image via Activision)

Changes received:

• Close-range damage reduction
• Reduced sprint-to-fire speed

Similar to the Kastov-74u, the STB 556 is less effective when it comes to close-range combat. It has seen a reduction in its close-range damage output. Moreover, switching to firing this gun after sprinting will now take gamers longer. These changes allow the MX9, an SMG from the same Weapon Platform, to be a more viable pick.

---

The Assault Rifle is the most equipped weapon class in the majority of Call of Duty titles. The guns in this category are effective because of their high-damage range and bullet velocity. ARs offer players the chance to engage in both up close as well as long-range gunfights. They also facilitate mobility as well as accuracy through the versatile range of customizations they offer.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2.0 are now available on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC (via Battle.Net and Steam).