MP5 Nerfed In Call Of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Update

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War released just last week, and its online multiplayer has been dominated by a weapon you have access to right from the start--the MP5 submachine gun. Following days of complaints from players tired of seeing it taking them down on the killcam screen, an update has been released that reduces its effectiveness. [Update: As detailed in the new Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War patch notes, the November 20 update accidentally reverted these changes. Treyarch says they'll "return in an upcoming update."]

Without actually naming the MP5 itself, Treyarch shared the news on Twitter, saying it has "reduced the base effective damage range by 33% and adjusted the initial recoil for Submachine Gun Alpha." This was announced not long after players discovered the changes for themselves.

As PC Gamer reports, players had been complaining about the absolute domination of the MP5 since launch. It had an incredible fire-rate with high damage and great range with little recoil, making it the favorite weapon of many players--leading for some to call for a nerf.

According to professional player 100T Nadeshot, the MP5 "might be the most over powered SMG in Call of Duty history." In the first few days of availability, there was not a lot of variety in multiplayer because of how long it takes to level other weapons, he says.

It's worth remembering, though, that any multiplayer game releasing in 2020 was developed in less-than-ideal conditions due to COVID-19, and testing for balance has been harder than ever. Lead designer Tony Flame had promised balance changes for the start of Season 1, but shared on Twitter that Treyarch decided to release the update now for the "one gun we've gotten the most feedback on."

Another odd problem players have encountered is that their new PS5s are downloading the PS4 version. As with any console launch, there have been teething issues.

GameSpot's Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War review awarded the game a 7/10. "The gap between multiplayer and the Warzone ecosystem is too wide to be bridged by small tweaks," wrote reviewer Kallie Plagge. "Zombies is a good co-op time overall, but multiplayer falls flat, leaving the strong campaign to do most of the heavy lifting."