Black Ops 4: All weapon buffs in March 26 v1.16 update – patch notes

The latest major game update has gone live in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 and it’s implemented some balancing adjustments to weapons in both Multiplayer and Blackout battle royale.

In the v1.16 update, which went live on March 26, the developers at Treyarch have given boosts to several weapons based on the feedback they had been receiving from both the casual and competitive player-base, including pro players.

Surprisingly, unlike previous updates, the weapon tuning in v1.16 only buffed certain guns and did not nerf any, so it will be interesting to monitor the weapon balancing after this update. 

SMG Buffs

In Treyarch’s Black Ops 4 Studio Livestream on March 25, the developers talked about improving SMGs so that they can better rival assault rifles and tactical rifles.

As a result, the Cordite, Daemon 3XB, MX9, Spitfire, Saug 9mm, and Switchblade X9 have all been buffed in a variety of ways.

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Being the most meta out of all of the SMGs, all eyes were on the changes implemented to the Saug, which has seen its sprint-out speed increased. 

All eyes were on what changes would be made to the Saug 9mm in Black Ops 4, and its sprint-out speed has been increased.

Assault and Tactical Rifle Buffs

The v1.16 update has buffed one weapon apiece from the assault rifle and tactical rifle weapon classes – the KN-57 and ABR 223 respectively. 

The KN’s four and five-shot ranges have both been extended, while the ABR’s ADS-in speed, clip size, and four-shot range have all been increased.

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During the March 25 Studio Livestream, the devs revealed that their intentions with buffing the KN was to make it a move viable option in competitive matches and the CoD World League. 

The KN-57 was the only Black Ops 4 assault rifle to have been tuned in the v1.16 update.

Sniper Rifle Buffs

As far as sniper rifles go, two weapons were buffed in the v.1.16 update – the Paladin HB50 and SDM. After overwhelming community feedback, the Paladin’s magazine size was increased from five to six, while its reload speed has been reduced to balance that change. 

As for the SDM, which has largely been in an ineffective weapon in Black Ops 4, the fire rate has been increased as part an effort to make it a more attractive weapon to players. 

After hearing the community feedback, the Black Ops 4 devs have added one more bullet to the Paladin’s magazine size.

Pistol Buffs

Last but note least – pistols. According to the developers, players have been shying away from using pistols in public matches because they simply are not strong enough to stand up to weapons from other classes.

As a result, the RK 7 Garrison, Mozu, and Strife have all been buffed, with the Mozu getting a multitude of extensions on its three, four, and five-shot ranges. 

Three different shot ranges for the Mozu pistol were extended in the v1.16 update.

You can check out the patch notes for the weapon tuning down below for both Multiplayer and Blackout. Make sure to check out our March 26 Black Ops 4 v1.16 update article for the full patch notes.

MULTIPLAYER

• Submachine Guns
  • Cordite
    • Increased sprint-out speed.
    • Extended 5-shot range from 2.5 meters 4 meters. [Console only]
  • Daemon 3XB
    • Extended 6-shot range from 8 meters to 11.5 meters.
  • MX9
    • Increased ADS-out speed.
    • Increased sprint-out speed.
  • Spitfire
    • Extended 6-shot range from 7 meters to 7.5 meters. [Console only]
  • Saug 9mm
    • Increased sprint-out speed.
  • Switchblade X9
    • Increased magazine size from 26 to 30.
    • Players now spawn with 3 extra magazines instead of 2.
• Assault Rifles
  • KN-57
    • Extended 4-shot range from 16 meters to 17 meters.
    • Extended 5-shot range from 46 meters to 57 meters.
• Tactical Rifles
  • ABR 223
    • Increased ADS-in speed.
    • Ammo increased from 30 to 36.
    • Extended 4-shot range from 32 meters to 38 meters.
• Sniper Rifles
  • Paladin HB50
    • Increased magazine size from 5 to 6.
    • Reduced reload speed.
  • SDM
    • Increased fire rate.
• Pistols
  • RK 7 Garrison
    • Increased damage. Now takes 1 less bullet to kill at all ranges.
  • Mozu
    • Extended 3-shot range from 19 meters to 24 meters.
    • Extended 4-shot range from 25 meters to 32 meters.
    • Extended 5-shot range from 32 meters to 38 meters.
  • Strife
    • Increased fire rate.

BLACKOUT

• Submachine Guns
  • Cordite
    • Increased sprint-out speed.
  • MX9
    • Increased ADS-out speed.
    • Increased sprint-out speed.
  • Saug 9mm
    • Increased sprint-out speed.
  • Switchblade X9
    • Increased magazine size from 26 to 30.
• Sniper Rifles
  • SDM
    • Increased fire rate.
• Pistols
  • RK 7 Garrison
    • Increased damage. Now takes 1 less bullet to kill at all ranges.
  • Strife
    • Increased fire rate.