If you’re looking for an assault rifle that can mix good accuracy with high damage output at long range, then the AK-74 could be the gun for you in Black Ops 6. That’s why we’ve put together the ultimate loadout, including perks, attachments, and more.
It wouldn’t be a Call of Duty game without an iconic Kalashnikov, and the AK-74 fills that role in Black Ops 6. This powerful assault rifle is an underrated option that has gone largely overlooked, with the community instead favoring SMGs like the KSV and C9.
Even so, the AK-74 is still a strong weapon with one of the game’s fastest TTKs. This is offset by its substantial recoil, which makes it a gun better suited to high-skill players and those confident in their aim.
If you want to get the most out of the AK-74, you’ll need a loadout that makes it easier and more consistent to use. Here’s the best class to use with the iconic rifle, including attachment, perks, and equipment.
Best Black Ops 6 AK-74 loadout
- Optic: Merlin Reflex
- Barrel: Reinforced
- Underbarrel: Vertical Foregrip
- Rear Grip: Quickdraw Grip
- Magazine: Extended Mag
When putting together a loadout for the AK-74, the first thing you have to think about is the recoil, which can be hard to manage. That’s why we’ve opted for the Vertical Foregrip underbarrel, which increases your horizontal recoil control, making it easier to hit your shots.
Being able to control it doesn’t help if you can’t aim down the sight quickly enough to engage enemies though, so we’ve equipped the Quickdraw Grip at the rear of the gun to boost the ADS time. Speaking of aiming, the iron sights on this gun are not great, so we suggest sticking on the Merlin Reflex optic to make that easier.
The AK-74 already has good damage output at long range, but your gun can never be too powerful, so adding the Reinforced barrel is a good choice to add extra damage at a distance, and boosts bullet velocity too. Finally, we suggest popping an Extended Mag onto this gun, to make sure you don’t run out of ammo too quickly.
Best Perks, Equipment & Wildcard for AK-74 loadout
The Recon combat specialty is a fantastic option, as it lets you see enemies through walls for a short time after respawning. This complements the AK-74’s high bullet penetration and damage, which lets it shoot enemies through more surfaces and walls than most other guns.
To gain this benefit and make the most of the assault rifle, you’ll want to use these perks and equipment:
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- Wildcard: Tactical Expert
- Perk 1: Flak Jacket
- Perk 2: Forward Intel
- Perk 3: Double Time
- Lethal: Frag
- Tactical: Concussion
- Field Upgrade: Assault Pack
In this class, we’ve opted to stick on Flack Jacket as our first perk to help protect against explosive damage, something which we’ve seen a lot of since booting up the game for the first time. Forward Intel expands your minimap and shows the direction that enemies are looking when pinged on it, which is useful for finding opponents, while Double Time greatly increases the duration of your Tactical Sprint.
For a Wildcard, we opted for Tactical Expert, which lets us carry two extra Tactical Grenades, and we’ve picked the Concussion because it’s great at disorientating opponents, especially if you’re trying to push into a room held by enemies. For Lethal, we’ve chosen the Frag grenade, but this can be your own preference.
Finally, the Assault Pack can be used to replenish your ammo, which could be very useful if you manage to go on a long killstreak.
AK-74 pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Class-leading time-to-kill speed | Slower rate of fire |
| Impressive damage range | Shaky recoil |
| Rewards high-skill players | Less than average handling and mobility |
Where is the AK-74 in the Black Ops 6 meta?
According to WZ Stats, the AK-74 is currently the sixth most popular gun in Black Ops 6, with a 1.91% pick rate. It lags far behind the C9 and KSV SMGs, which boast 14.3% and 11.5% respectively.
In terms of long-range weapons, three guns are far ahead of it too. The AEK-973 is the king of long-range right now at 11.4%, while the XM4 and AS VAL aren’t far behind at 10.6% and 10% respectively.
So, while it isn’t dominating the meta early doors, it’s comfortably sitting at the top of the “best of the rest,” and we could see its pick rate creep up as more players unlock it and its attachments over the coming days.
How to unlock AK-74 in Black Ops 6
The AK-74 can be unlocked by reaching Level 10 in Black Ops 6. Thankfully, this means it’s one of the earlier unlocks, so you won’t need to play for too long to get your hands on it.
Black Ops 6 AK-74 alternatives
You should also consider using the best XM4 loadout and best XMG loadout, which are accurate weapons that perform well at both medium range and long range, just like the AK. Otherwise, make sure you are using the best controller settings and boost your FPS with our guide to the best PC settings.