Warzone patch notes today heavily nerf fan-favorite Battle Rifle

Infinity Ward and Raven Software have now released the latest MW2 and Warzone patch notes ahead of the Modern Warfare 3 Shadow Siege reveal event. Naturally, most of the changes included focus on preparing the Al Mazrah map for the celebratory affair showcasing the next series installment. However, a few balance updates have also been introduced and one of the most significant alterations that’s arrived with this patch is a heavy nerf to a fan-favorite Battle Rifle: the TAQ-V.

Alas, the changes that have been made to this weapon means you may be better off running your best KV Broadside loadout in Al Mazrah for the time being. This is because according to Activision and the developer’s official announcement, the overall power of the TAQ-V has largely been decreased. Its Maximum Damage, Close-Mid damage, and Minimum Damage have all been reduced. Similarly, its Neck Damage, Upper and Lower Torso Damage, and Limb Damage Modifiers have all been lowered as well.

This should present a huge shift to the current Warzone meta as the TAQ-V has been one of the more widely used weapons towards the latter half of MW2’s lifespan. More players will likely be swapping over to other favored guns this time around, such as the Cronen Squall, ISO-45, or the Lachmann Sub as these have also been largely popular within the fan base.

Of course, these aren’t the only changes that have arrived with this patch as the developers have made several other tweaks and bug fixes, all of which you’ll be able to check out below.

Warzone patch notes today

The Warzone patch notes released today includes balance changes to a handful of weapons, some much-needed bug fixes, and, most importantly, updates and content additions for the Shadow Siege event. Here they all are.

GLOBAL

GENERAL

Events

• This patch contains necessary updates and content for the Shadow Siege event. Tune in for the global reveal of Modern Warfare III at 10:30am PT on August 17th in Warzone.

Weapon Tuning

• The benefit of tuning for Recoil Control related stats has been reduced slightly 

BUG FIXES

• Fixed an issue where some Players could not access the Battle Pass, but would still lose CP after purchasing it
• Fixed an exploit allowing Players to go prone instantly
• Fixed an issue where Akimbo challenge progress was not tracking correctly for the FTAC Siege
• Fixed an issue where an invisible object could interact with lethals, tacticals, and explosives on Mercado Las Almas
• Fixed an issue affecting key binds when adding settings as Quick Settings
• Fixed an issue where the buttons for ‘Preview’ and ‘Quick Equip’ hide when trying to press them by mouse input in the Events tab
• Fixed an issue where the Tonfa melee weapon had outdated unlock conditions 
• Fixed an issue where the SFX from the Semtex dropped by the Chain Reaction modifier in Havoc would not play as intended
• Fixed an issue where equipping the “Battle Buddy AI” Gun Screen could cause an error 

WARZONE

WEAPONS

The following Weapon and Attachment changes are reflected in Warzone only. 

Weapon Balancing

» Assault Rifles «

• Chimera
  • Mid Damage increased
  • Neck Damage Multiplier increased
  • Upper Torso Damage Multiplier increased

• FR Avancer
  • Maximum Damage decreased
  • Close-mid Damage increased
  • Head Damage Multiplier increased
  • Neck Damage Multiplier increased
  • Upper Torso Damage Multiplier increased
  • Lower Torso Damage Multiplier increased

• Lachmann-556
  • Head Damage Multiplier increased

• M16
  • Maximum Damage increased
  • Close-mid Damage increased
  • Limb Damage Multipliers increased

» Battle Rifles «

• FTAC Recon
  • Maximum Damage increased
  • Maximum Damage Range increased

• Lachmann-762
  • Limb Damage Multiplier increased

• SO-14
  • Head Damage Multiplier increased
  • Neck Damage Multiplier increased
  • Upper Torso Damage Multiplier increased

• TAQ-V
  • Maximum Damage decreased
  • Close-mid Damage decreased
  • Minimum Damage decreased
  • Neck Damage Multiplier decreased
  • Upper Torso Damage Multiplier decreased
  • Lower Torso Damage Multiplier decreased
  • Limb Damage Multipliers decreased

» Marksman Rifles «

• Lockwood MK2
  • Mid Damage increased
  • Minimum Damage increased
  • Upper Torso Damage Multiplier increased
  • Lower Torso Damage Multiplier increased
  • Limb Damage Multipliers increased

» Shotguns «

• Expedite 12
  • Mid Damage increased
  • Mid-far Damage increased
  • Close-mid Damage Range increased

• Lockwood 300
  • Close-mid Damage increased
  • Mid Damage increased
  • Maximum Damage Range increased
  • Close-mid Damage Range increased

• MX Guardian
  • Maximum Damage increased
  • Close-mid Damage increased
  • Mid-far Damage Range decreased

» Submachine Guns «

• Fennec 45
  • Maximum Damage increased
  • Close-Mid Damage increased
  • Minimum Damage increased

» Sniper Rifles «

• Signal 50
  • Neck Damage Multiplier decreased
  • Upper Torso Damage Multiplier decreased

Attachments

• Ammunition
  • ISO Hemlock
    • .300 Blackout (All Types)
      • Close-mid Damage decreased
      • Mid Damage decreased

BUG FIXES

• Fixed an issue preventing some players from entering DMZ 
• Fixed an issue where some PS4 Players would experience a game freeze in a specific section of Al Mazrah
• Fixed an issue where Buy Station icons could display on the Tac Map during the Battle Royale pre-lobby
• Fixed an issue in DMZ where a Tac Map image could display on the ground near Al-Safwa Quarry in Al Mazrah
• Fixed an issue where Players could become stuck in an ATV near a UAV tower in DMZ
• Fixed an issue that caused the Player’s screen to remain affected by the Plutonium element despite not being near it
• Fixed an issue where Players would not be kicked for being idle in Vondel Lockdown (look for this mode to return in this week’s Playlist update)
• Fixed an issue in Warzone Ranked Play where the Top 250 button was locked

That’s all you need to know for now on the Warzone patch notes today. If you want to optimize your builds before dropping into Al Mazrah, check out our best Cronen Squall loadout, best Kastov-74u loadout, and best RPK loadout in the meantime.