Updated Modern Warfare 2 Guns Meta Following Major MW3 Season 6 Buffs

MW3 Season 6 delivered significant buffs to the firearms featured in Modern Warfare 2, marking the most considerable improvements seen thus far. A wide array of weapons from last year’s iteration have been enhanced, some entering the current meta dynamically.

According to the detailed update concerning buffs and nerfs, a remarkable total of 24 weapons from MW2 received enhancements this season. These boosted firearms include not only those that were already viable but also others that players might not have previously considered.

Most buffs targeted improvements in damage and recoil control, two critical areas where older weapons faced limitations. These adjustments have been largely influenced by community feedback, echoing concerns about their impact on Black Ops 6—feedback that Sledgehammer Games appears to have actively addressed.

With these balance modifications, numerous MW2 weapons have become either usable or extremely competitive. Notably, the M13C, TR-76 Geist, SO-14, and FTAC Recon exhibited quick time-to-kill (TTK) statistics prior to this patch and are likely to dominate the meta following these enhancements.

Image of the best FTAC Recon loadout in MW3. — Source: Dexerto

The FTAC Recon has become one of the most formidable weapons in MW3 following the buffs in Season 6.

Below is the complete list of MW2 weapons that received improvements in Season 6, along with the specific changes made to each:

Assault Rifles

M4 (MWII)
- Enhanced near-medium damage from 26 to 29 (+12%).
- Boosted minimum damage from 24 to 25 (+4%).
- Increased head and neck damage multipliers from 1.1x to 1.15x.
Chimera (MWII)
- Raised minimum damage from 20 to 23 (+15%).
- Extended maximum damage range from 16m to 25.4m (+59%).
- Stretched near-medium damage range from 31.8m to 41.9m (+32%).
Tempus Razorback (MWII)
- Maximum damage improved from 29 to 30 (+3%).
- Near-medium damage increased from 26 to 27 (+4%).
- Minimum damage enhanced from 20 to 23 (+15%).
- Near-medium damage range optimized from 32.2m to 39.4m (+22%).
M13C (MWII)
- Sprint to fire time reduced from 210ms to 189ms (-10%).
- Recoil gun kick diminished from 35.6deg/s to 28.7deg/s (-19%).
- Boosted maximum damage range from 25.4m to 36.8m (+45%).
- Increased near-medium damage range from 39.4m to 47m (+19%).
- Enhanced medium damage range from 49.8m to 57.4m (+15%).
TR-76 Geist (MWII)
- Aim down sight time decreased from 280ms to 240ms (-14%).
- Maximum damage range amplified from 24.1m to 33m (+37%).
- Near-medium damage range raised from 36.8m to 44.5m (+21%).
- Medium damage range extended from 48.3m to 55.9m (+16%).

Battle Rifles

Lachmann-762 (MWII)
- Horizontal recoil reduced from 10.8deg/s to 9.6deg/s (-11%).
- Vertical recoil diminished from 53.6deg/s to 48.2deg/s (-10%).
- Firing aim stability improved.
Cronen Squall (MWII)
- Horizontal recoil cut from 6.9deg/s to 6deg/s (-13%).
- Vertical recoil lowered from 52deg/s to 47.7deg/s (-8%).
- Firing aim stability enhanced.
FTAC Recon (MWII)
- Horizontal recoil decreased from 5.8deg/s to 4.7deg/s (-19%).
- Vertical recoil reduced from 63.9deg/s to 53.5deg/s (-16%).
TAQ-V (MWII)
- Aim down sight time lowered from 290ms to 260ms (-10%).
- Firing aim stability improved.
SO-14 (MWII)
- Maximum damage range elevated from 19.3m to 22.3m (+16%).
- Near-medium damage range augmented from 31.8m to 34.9m (+10%).
- Medium damage range extended from 39.6m to 45.7m (+15%).

SMGs

ISO 45 (MWII)
- Near-medium damage improved from 27 to 29 (+7%).
- Minimum damage increased from 22 to 24 (+9%).
- Maximum damage range expanded from 9.1m to 11.7m (+28%).
- Arm, hand, leg, and foot damage multipliers elevated from 0.95x to 1x.
ISO 9mm (MWII)
- Maximum damage raised from 24 to 25 (+4%).
- Near-medium damage improved from 22 to 23 (+5%).
- Medium damage increased from 20 to 22 (+10%).
- Minimum damage raised from 17 to 20 (+18%).
PDSW 528 (MWII)
- Maximum damage increased from 30 to 33 (+10%).
- Near-medium damage boosted from 25 to 30 (+20%).
- Medium damage raised from 24 to 25 (+4%).
- Minimum damage increased from 20 to 22 (+10%).
- Near-medium damage range reduced from 20.6m to 12.7m (-40%).
- Far-medium damage range removed.
- Headshot damage multiplier increased from 1.2x to 1.3x.
Fennec 45 (MWII)
- Maximum damage increased from 25 to 27 (+8%).
- Near-medium damage upped from 20 to 26 (+30%).
- Medium damage raised from 18 to 23 (+28%).
- Minimum damage improved from 17 to 20 (+18).
- Maximum damage range reduced from 12.7m to 5.1m (-60%).
- Near-medium damage range decreased from 17.3m to 12.7m (-26%).
- Medium damage range cut from 22.6m to 20.3m (-10%).
BAS-P (MWII)
- Near-medium damage increased from 27 to 28 (+4%).
- Neck and upper torso damage multipliers enhanced from 1x to 1.1x.
Vaznev-9K (MWII)
- Maximum damage raised from 31 to 33 (+6%).
- Medium damage improved from 25 to 28 (+12%).
- Far-medium damage increased from 23 to 24 (+4%).

LMGs

556 Icarus (MWII)
- Near-medium damage elevated from 27 to 28 (+4%).
- Maximum damage range expanded from 24.1m to 33m (+37%).
- Near-medium damage range upped from 40.6m to 45.7m (+13%).
- Neck and upper torso damage multipliers improved from 1x to 1.1x.
- Leg and foot damage multipliers raised from 0.9x to 1x.

Marksman Rifles

EBR-14 (MWII)
- Neck and upper torso damage multipliers improved from 1.27x to 1.35x.
- Lower torso damage multiplier elevated from 1x to 1.27x.
SP-R 208 (MWII)
- Maximum damage range extended from 13m to 20.3m (+57%).
- Lower torso damage multiplier raised from 1x to 1.5x.
Time Torrent (MWII)
- Minimum damage increased from 37 to 43 (+16%).
- Neck, upper torso, and upper arm damage multipliers enhanced from 1.1x to 1.2x.
LM-S (MWII)
- Neck and upper torso damage multipliers improved from 1.25x to 1.35x.
SA-B 50 (MVII)
- Maximum damage range raised from 10.4m to 17.8m (+71%).

Sniper Rifles

Carrack. 300 (MWII)
- Maximum damage raised from 128 to 140 (+9%).
- Near-medium damage improved from 95 to 128 (+35%).
- Medium damage boosted from 90 to 95 (+6%).
- Minimum damage raised from 70 to 73 (+4%).
- Near-medium damage range reduced from 30.7m to 25.4m (-17%).

Pistols