The recent Black Ops 6 Season 1 update introduced a significant overhaul to weapon balancing, aiming to address community feedback and adjust the meta. Here's a summary of the key changes:

Weapon Buffs and Nerfs

1. AEK-973 (Marksman Rifle):

   • Received major nerfs, including a significant increase in recoil penalties (20-25% to 50%) and adjustments to the Rapid Fire attachment. The fire rate boost from Rapid Fire was reduced to 5%, and the burst delay increased from 115ms to 295ms. This dramatically impacts its time-to-kill (TTK) and overall effectiveness.

2. Assault Rifles:

   • Slight adjustments to recoil and handling, aimed at balancing their performance across multiplayer and Zombies modes. Specific models like the XM4 and Model L saw damage boosts in Zombies to ensure competitiveness in that mode.

3. Sniper Rifles:

   • Idle sway at the start of aiming down sights (ADS) was removed, improving precision.

4. Equipment and Attachments:

   • Adjustments include reducing visual recoil and changes to perks and mod effects to refine their utility.

New Additions

• Maelstrom Shotgun (automatic): High fire rate but low damage per shot, excelling in close quarters.
• AMR Mod 4 Sniper Rifle: Designed for long-range precision.
• Cleaver Melee Weapon: A novelty addition emphasizing close-combat gameplay.

Community Reactions

Many players are concerned the AEK-973 nerfs might have been excessive, making its Rapid Fire attachment nearly unusable. However, others believe the weapon remains viable with alternate setups.