After the alpha and beta, big changes came to this year's Call of Duty prior to release. Now, a full week after the game has launched, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War's multiplayer meta has begun to form. Some guns have been clearly stronger than other (Hint: it's the MP5) to the point of warranting its own nerf, while others have flown under the radar. SMGs in general, like most Call of Duty games, are incredibly strong in Black Ops Cold War. ARs come in a close second, with most other weapons serving situational purposes. Others are comparatively lackluster as well, especially launchers and most secondary weapons.
Now that the game's been out for a bit, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War's multiplayer meta has begun to settle on the power weapons. For hardcore players, this list may not come as a surprise. Many of multiplayer's most powerful weapons are pretty clear, and even when some of them are nerfed, they're still incredibly strong. For now, this is the game's current meta in the Pre-Season. It's already been confirmed that some big changes to the whole multiplayer experience are coming in Season One, but for now, here are the strongest weapons to use in Black Ops Cold War's multiplayer.
S-Tier: MP5, M16, Krig 6, AUG, Pellington 703, LW3 - Tundra
These weapons are the peak of both weapon popularity and viability. For those who've been playing Black Ops Cold War since launch, there won't be many surprises here. For starters, it's pretty safe to say the MP5 is easily the best weapon in the game. Even with the MP5's ever-so-slight nerf this week, it's still incredibly strong for any engagement in the game. The Krig 6 assault rifle, alongside the M16 and AUG tactical rifles, are all low-recoil lasers that make quick work of opponents. And yes, despite snipers receiving quite a heavy nerf from Black Ops Cold War's alpha and beta, the Pellington 703 and LW3 - Tundra are still incredibly strong and quick to fire.
Strangely enough, there are a lot of repeat weapon types in the S-Tier category, especially with the Pellington/Tundra and M16/AUG. With very few attachment or stat differences between them, all four weapons greatly excel in the tactical rifle and sniper categories. It's only in the SMG and AR categories where the clear differences lie, and for right now, both the MP5 and Krig 6 are at the top of their game.
A-Tier: AK-74u, Bullfrog, XM4, AK-47, FFAR 1, Milano 821
Weapons in A-Tier are still serviceably very good, even if they're not objectively the best weapons in their category. The rest of the assault rifles (save for one exception) fit into this category: both the AK-47 and XM4 have their minor flaws, but each serves its own distinct purpose as an AR. XM4 needs some specific attachments to be viable, but once the rifle's modified optimally, it's almost as accurate and strong as the Krig 6. The AK-47 has the strongest damage output of any AR, but the only thing holding it back is it's more significant recoil.
SMGs in this category have the potential to be higher in the future, thanks to the initial MP5 damage fall off and recoil nerf. Both the AK-74u and Bullfrog are both very strong choices for anyone who's not interested in using the MP5. The Milano 821 is a bit more niche option, with a slower rate of fire but high damage output in close range. However, it's very strong specifically in close quarters, compared to the aforementioned SMGs which have some more potential at close quarters and medium range.
B-Tier: DMR-14, Stoner 63, RPD, M82, M60, Hauer 77, Gallo SA12, 1911
B-Tier weapons are not the best, not the worst. They all have their niche moments, but they'll rarely carry players to the top of the leaderboards. LMGs as a whole find their home here, as they all fall into the same place in the meta they always have: situationally strong in objective-based modes, but otherwise very unwieldy and weak. High recoil, long reload times, and not particularly strong, LMGs in Black Ops Cold War are all-around mediocre.
Dipping in to the non burst-fire tactical rifles, the DMR 14 also finds itself in B-tier for its middling stats and damage output. It's not horrible, and could definitely complement several ARs/SMGs using Law Breaker, but it's not the ideal solo weapon. Even though the aforementioned snipers (Pellington, Tundra) technically have slower rate of fire, the increased damage makes them far better for range gunfights. The same can also be said of the third sniper, the M82. Even with a higher rate of fire and similar damage output, the abysmal ADS time and recoil compared to other snipers just makes it far worse.
Lastly, the shotguns and one specific handgun find themselves in this tier as well. Overall, with shotguns now returning as a secondary weapon in Black Ops Cold War, they've been significantly toned down as a result. In very tight close quarters, the shotguns rightfully shine in their own ways: the Hauer 77 is extremely strong for calculated assaults, whereas the Gallo SA12 can shred with its high rate of fire. However, even the slightest range can severely hamper the shotguns' capability.
The 1911 just slightly edges out of C-Tier because it's surprisingly strong compared to other handguns. It's comparatively high damage output, quick reload speed, and various other attachments can make it far superior than other handguns.
C-Tier: QBZ-83, Diamatti, Magnum, RPG-7, Cigma-6, M79
Barely usable, but not the absolute worst, C-Tier weapons will at least serve a purpose in Black Ops Cold War's multiplayer matches. This tier is reserved for the launchers in Black Ops Cold War, which just do their job relatively fine. The Cigma-6 is fine for airborne scorestreaks, and the RPG-7 and M79 are fine for grounded ordinance, but don't expect to be impressed by their damage output. This is especially true for the M79, which has horrible damage radius for a grenade launcher.
In terms of regular firearms, the last AR and several sidearms find their place here as well. Huge recoil for an AR paired with middling damage output and fire rate, the QBZ-83 assault rifle is comparatively much worse than every single assault rifle (and almost every SMG) in the game. The Diamatti and Magnum lay here as well, as there's very few situations where these weapons are useful compared to any other secondary weapon. A burst-fire pistol is typically never exceptional, but the Mangum may be the surprising addition in this tier.
D-Tier: KSP-45, Type 63, Combat Knife
Even favoritism aside, these weapons are questionable choices, especially for anyone who wants to have fun playing Black Ops Cold War. That sounds extreme, but to be honest, the guns in D-Tier are basically untouched in current meta. The KSP-45 is a burst-fire SMG, which should already be a solid indication of the usefulness of the weapon. Low damage output, whilst also being completely overshadowed by its counterparts as well as other burst-fire weapons, makes the SMG really not worth players' time.
The more unfortunate case in D-Tier is Type 63, which is a shell of its former beta self. This tactical rifle used to be incredible, but the fire rate and recoil nerfs make this rifle far less usable now. And the combat knife, well, it's a knife. In very few situations will a knife be useful in Black Ops Cold War, especially with how several of the maps feature long sight lines. All of the aforementioned weapons before D-Tier are much better, and more fun to use, so don't waste time on these weapons in their current state.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.