Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and Warzone fans, the long-awaited weapon balancing update is finally here. Raven Software and Treyarch have dropped a brand-new patch, bringing major changes to that “overpowered” gun that’s been dominating both multiplayer and Battle Royale modes.

Warzone & Black Ops 7 Patch Notes: The Meta Shifts!

The February 26, 2026 update hits the infamous XM4-Burst (the current meta rifle) with a heavy nerf, especially in Battle Royale (BR) mode where it’s been every player’s nightmare. According to the devs, the goal is to “increase weapon variety and make time-to-kill (TTK) more balanced across the board.”

Nerfed Weapon: XM4-Burst (Assault Rifle)

Here’s what’s changed for the XM4-Burst, which could melt enemies from a distance in seconds:

• Damage Reduction: Minimum damage at medium and long range has been decreased by 15 percent.

• Recoil: Vertical recoil between bursts has been increased, making it harder to keep shots on target.

• Headshot Multiplier: Headshot multiplier has been lowered from 1.4x to 1.2x.

Buffed Weapons

With the XM4 knocked off its throne, these weapons are set to shine again:

• C9 (SMG): Improved movement speed and bullet velocity at close range.

• SVD (Sniper): Faster ADS speed lets you play more aggressively as a sniper.

General Gameplay Updates