Warzone players are sick of broken close-range meta

Thanks to regular doses of weapon balancing from Raven Software, the Warzone meta constantly changes. The Season 4 Reloaded update introduced a number of buffs and nerfs impacting long-distance weaponry but had little effect on guns that dominate in close-quarters combat.

Throughout the Pacific era, most Vanguard SMGs feature in the loadouts of players limiting the opportunity for players to use any guns from Modern Warfare and Black Ops Cold War.

The recent nerf to the VLK Rogue shotgun has frustrated several members of the community, leading some to claim that the current close-range meta is “broken” due to it favouring the best Warzone SMGs.

The close-range meta is broken

As the battle royale nears its fifth and final season, more players are voicing their concerns about the lack of variety when looking for a gun to make an impact in scenarios where assault rifles fail to succeed. Reddit user “rumham1899” questions why the developer “makes shotguns so bad” in a recent post.

“The entire shotgun class is neglected and only like two of them are currently usable,” claims the player.

The comments highlight plenty of pros and cons when it comes to addressing underpowered shotguns. One comment says the category is “always either totally broken or useless,” making them incredibly difficult to balance. On the other hand, some believe Raven Software can strike a balance. “The VLK pre-buff is a great example of a shotgun that was actually kinda decent.”

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Although there remains a chance shotguns can return to the meta with some fine-tuning, some are aware of past changes that have negatively impacted the battle royale. “Dude, you must’ve not been here during the whole doof-doof crisis,” referring to the dominance of the R9-0 shotgun during the Verdansk era.

Raven Software often listens to player feedback and with a new season on the horizon, there’s always a chance shotguns could become viable options once again. While we wait, check out our guides highlighting the best Warzone guns to use in Season 4 Reloaded.