Call of Duty: Warzone is in an interesting place at the moment, as there are reasons to both love and loathe the current state of the game. Season 2 has brought Zombies to the game, with the spreading hordes supposedly building up to the launch of the heavily anticipated nuke event. While this is obviously exciting, and PvE areas like the Vodianoy shipwreck are a breath of fresh air for the game, everything outside of this event is proving to be a lot less fun for one key reason.
The main issue with Call of Duty: Warzone Season 2 is undoubtedly its meta. While the post-DMR nerf era was a lot of fun, as several guns were viable, players quickly found the new strongest guns. Soon enough, everyone flocked to the FFAR and the AUG, with the pairing now dominating inside every Call of Duty: Warzone lobby. Sparking angry posts online, cause reactions from celebrities, and forcing streamers to delete the game entirely, this new meta is quickly becoming a massive talking point with fans.
Why The FFAR And AUG Are Overpowered Weapons
The FFAR Assault Rifle has become the weapon of choice for Call of Duty: Warzone due to the sheer fact that it has no real downsides. While it is arguably the worst gun in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War due to heavy fire rate and recoil nerfs, these same changes did not carry over to Call of Duty: Warzone. As a result, the weapon has some controllable kick alongside absurd damage and great range. Further, its fire rate and fast handling speeds allow it to excel in close quarters, making it usable from any distance in Verdansk or Rebirth Island.
If players are not using the FFAR, the AUG Tactical Rifle is likely going to be their weapon of choice. In recent weeks, this gun has proven to be even more troublesome than the FFAR, as it can kill someone in two bursts — even if they have armor on. Being a Tactical Rifle, it has the best range in the game outside of snipers as well. Another big issue with the AUG, as pointed out by Dr Disrespect, is that the weapon is not designed for Call of Duty: Warzone’s engine or servers. As such, it is not properly balanced, explaining its near-instant killing potential.
Both the FFAR and AUG are a clear symptom of the current Call of Duty: Warzone time-to-kill. While Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War weapons were considered weak and disappointing at the start of the integration, players quickly discovered that the reverse was true. From the MAC-10 and DMR 14 to the FFAR and AUG, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War’s gun lineup kills far too fast inside the battle royale game. With time-to-kill issues extending beyond these weapons, it seems likely that a new overpowered weapon will debut whenever the AUG and FFAR are nerfed.
The Reaction To The FFAR And AUG Meta
The reaction to Call of Duty: Warzone’s two most overpowered guns has been nothing short of amazing. Not only can hundreds of Tweets and Reddit posts of frustrated players be found with ease, but celebrities have weighed in on the issue as well. NFL wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. has asked for the AUG to be nerfed, while comedian Trever Noah has done the same. Pro player HusKerrs has also weighed in on the issue, publicly asking for this new meta to come to an end.
Another pro player synonymous with the Call of Duty: Warzone community added his voice into the mix, as loadout expert and FaZe member NICKMERCS spoke out about both the FFAR and the AUG. Intriguingly, the professional gamer was integral in the AUG getting buffed to begin with, as he was one of the key voices behind a push for a strong burst fire weapon inside the free-to-play game. However, the pro regrets this decision, as he only wanted the AUG to be powerful for a few weeks as opposed to a month. As such, NICKMERCS also wants the AUG to go away.
The final well-known content creator for Call of Duty: Warzone that has reacted to the FFAR and AUG meta is Dr Disrespect. Not only does The Two Time believe that the AUG is stronger than the DMR, but his hatred for the gun and the FFAR has caused him to delete the game from his system. Raging about how the weapons are broken and have led to a more boring game, it seems like the Doc is done with Call of Duty: Warzone until some serious changes are made to the game’s current meta.
When Will The FFAR And AUG Be Nerfed?
As for when the FFAR and AUG’s reign of terror will end, the process may have already started. A recent Call of Duty: Warzone patch seems to have made a secret nerf to the FFAR, as its attachments were quietly altered to make the gun more balanced. Handling speed, ADS time, reload speed, and bullet velocity have all taken a hit in this patch, with YouTuber JGOD breaking down the changes in a recent video. While a larger nerf will likely still need to be carried out, as the weapon remains accurate and strong, this is a promising start. Unfortunately, no secret nerfs to the AUG seem to have been made.
Based on what happened with the DMR’s nerf, players can expect a second FFAR change to arrive within the next few weeks. Likewise, the AUG will either receive a double nerf or one massive hit within the same period of time. The DMR 14’s dominance lasted a around one full month before it was fixed properly, and the AUG and FFAR are about three weeks into their period of dominance. As such, their days seem to be numbered, with the latest possible date for the nerf coming via the launch of Season 3.
With both the launch of Season 3 and the nuke event’s start date supposedly happening on April 22, players can expect the FFAR and AUG to be nerfed prior to this big moment. Hopefully the nerf happens sooner rather than later, though, as Call of Duty: Warzone fans have clearly had enough of the two guns. With a new map supposedly on the way and a new era set to begin for the game, the last thing Activision and Raven Software need to worry about is an unfair pair of guns.
Call of Duty: Warzone is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.