Call of Duty statistician Brad ‘Drift0r’ Overbey has explained why the underrated R9-0 shotgun is actually better than the infamous 725, in a YouTube video uploaded on February 1.
If players were asked to list the most frustrating aspects of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, it’s hard to imagine there would be a weapon that appeared more frequently than the 725 shotgun.
Despite multiple nerfs, the 725 is still considered the best shotgun in Modern Warfare, ahead of all its opponents. Its double-barrelled fire rate has been significantly reduced, as has its previously insane range.
Drift0r may surprise some people with his opinion of what is actually number one, then. Modern Warfare has a bunch of powerful shotguns, from the aforementioned 725 to the reincarnated Brecci – the Origin 12. However, the American believes the R9-0 tops all of them.
In the latest installment of his well-known ‘In-Depth’ series, Drift0r explains that it’s low-key one of the best weapons in Modern Warfare.
The gun boasts a unique two-shot-then-pump firing mechanism, but this allows consistent quick kills, as opposed to the need to reload with the 725.
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While he concedes that the R9-0’s range is not as good as the 725’s, the R9-0’s ability to “clear out an entire room” makes it the best shotgun in Modern Warfare.
“This is a weapon that’s a lot more hip-fire dependent,” he says. “You’re gonna run around really fast, you’re gonna want to spam people.”
Drift0r emphasizes that it requires a certain play-style to maximize its effectiveness – necessitating that players get up close to their enemies and focus their gameplay around the unique two-shot-then-pump mechanism.
As a result of this, the R9-0 probably requires a bit more skill to master than the other shotguns, particularly the 725.
Despite this, Drift0r clearly believes that, once players have figured out how to maximize its effectiveness, it is the best shotgun in Infinity Ward’s latest Call of Duty.