Best Warzone SMG: Submachine gun tier list (March 2024)


Image showing MP40 SMG in front of burning windmill

The original Warzone has been depreciated in favour of Warzone 2. For the best Submachine Gun guide in the current Warzone, click here.

When it comes to selecting the best Warzone SMG, you have lots of good options for close-quarters combat. With the final season of the Pacific era now underway, the meta is constantly evolving and it can be tricky to determine what is the best Warzone SMG to be using in Caldera, Fortune's Keep, and Rebirth Island.

With several SMGs added since Warzone launched in 2020, there are plenty of SMGs to choose from and loads of attachment combinations to suit all styles of play.

With that said, here's our definitive Warzone SMG tier list. Before we begin the list, this isn't a ranking of the best Warzone guns, but rather, a ranking of each SMG in the game.

What is the best Warzone SMG?

S Tier
Marco 5, H4 Blixen, MP-40, PPSh-41 (VG), Armaguerra 43
No data

Following Raven Software's most recent dose of buffs and nerfs, the very best Warzone SMG to use is the Vanguard PPSH thanks to its rapid rate of fire and minimal recoil.

The MP40 is still a solid option for some additional mid-range performance but for outright impact, the PPSH is the way to go.

With several members of the community frustrated with the current meta, there's a high chance of the PPSH receiving a nerf in the not-too-distant future but for now, it's the best Warzone SMG by some distance.

Warzone SMG tier list

There are 30 SMGs in Warzone, including the recently added Armaguerra 43 which arrived as part of the Season 2 Reloaded update. With Vanguard now integrated into the game, there's even more choice when it comes to building the ultimate SMG loadout.

S-Tier

As Season 5 has progressed, these SMGs have been the standout performers thanks to their ability to shred through armour and eliminate the opposition in the blink of an eye. The most recent arrival to the highest tier is the MP40 thanks to its incredible rate of fire and non-existent recoil.

Warzone SMG Tier List
click to enlarge
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A-Tier

These weapons are strong choices but fall slightly short compared to the S-Tier weaponry. The LC10 is hugely underrated, with low recoil and a low damage drop-off making it one of the better choices in mid-range engagements.

B-Tier

Some of these weapons once dominated the meta but thanks to numerous nerfs, they've slipped down the list into B-Tier, which is still pretty good. The likes of the Fennec have incredible fire rates but the lack of damage range often leads to players looking to the higher tiers for a viable SMG to use.

TEC-9 SMG Warzone Tier List
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C-Tier

These weapons are average at best. They're certainly not the worst SMGs to use but weapons such as the Bizon have one of the slowest times to kill out of the entire category, which is certainly a disappointment.

D-Tier

These are the worst SMGs to use in Warzone by some distance. We recommend looking at another SMG rather than attempting to use either of these in a match.

There you have it, that's the definitive SMG tier list for Call of Duty Warzone. Check out our Warzone AR tier list for even more ratings.

For more articles like this, take a look at our Guides, Call of Duty Warzone, and Call of Duty pages.