Warzone 2 expert JGOD outlines the new meta of the title after ISO Hemlock and Cronen Squall nerf

Call of Duty: Warzone 2 was released in November 2022. Since then, the game has received multiple major updates that nerfed overpowered weapons and buffed underused ones to make the meta more challenging. Warzone Ranked has since been added to the game, forcing the developers to balance all the game mechanics to the point.

On May 31, 2023, the game received a minor update that nerfed the ISO Hemlock and Cronen Squall weapons because of their overpowered nature since release. Although this shifted the meta completely, the nerfed weapons are still good enough to be used in most players' daily loadout.

---

What nerfs did the ISO Hemlock and Cronen Squall receive in Warzone 2?

It was highly necessary for the developers to nerf two of the most overpowered weapons in the franchise's battle royale history, which had a surprisingly fast TTK (Time-To-Kill), diminishing the gameplay experience of the average player.

The changes that were made to the ISO Hemlock are as such:

• Reduced damage to armor using all 5.56 ammunition | Warzone 2.0 Only

The changes that were made to the Cronen Squall are as such:

• Reduced damage range
• Reduced headshot multiplier
• Small increase in recoil in semi-auto mode
• Small reduction to the rate of fire in semi-auto mode
• Reduced maximum damage per shot against armor | Warzone 2.0 Only

---

How will the changes impact the meta in Warzone 2?

ISO Hemlock

Warzone 2 content creator and expert JGOD has pointed out that the ISO Hemlock has already received nerfs after its initial launch at the beginning of Season 3. Nonetheless, the previous changes to the gun did not impact the meta enough, which resulted in the weapon still being used at the highest stages. With the latest update, the developers have further nerfed it by reducing its damage to armored opponents.

The nerf to the assault rifle will cause its TTK to increase, as most enemies in Warzone 2 are armored. Players will now need more bullets to do the same amount of damage at all distances compared to before.

This change will have a huge effect on the meta, possibly removing the need for the gun from competitive gameplay as there are better alternatives, such as the TAQ-56.

---

Cronen Squall

The Cronen Squall rifle has received a number of changes that may still not be enough. Two of the prominent changes include the increase in recoil and a reduction in the rate of fire in semi-auto mode, which ultimately cancel each other out. As the gun now shoots slower, the recoil resets faster, making the increase in recoil unnoticeable.

Considering the reduction to damage range, headshop multiplier, and maximum damage per shot against armor, this is still not enough, as the gun was quite overpowered previously. This calls for bigger reductions to balance it out against other battle rifles, which it may receive in future updates.

Regardless, due to its damage output, the Cronen Squall is an effective weapon in Warzone Ranked. Players can still run it as their primary weapon in loadouts without encountering any issues.