MW4 Weapon Update: Huge Buffs and Nerfs Revealed

Submachine guns are a central focus of the October 28 update.

Infinity Ward has standardized arm and hand damage multipliers across five SMGs: the ISO Nightshade, PPSh-41, VEL 46, Wz.55 Striga and X-58 Nyx.

For all five weapons, damage multipliers for both upper arms, lower arms and hands increase from 0.95 to 1.0.

Previously, shots striking those areas suffered a 5% damage penalty relative to the weapon's base damage value. That penalty has now been eliminated.

This should make damage more consistent when shots strike an opponent's arms rather than other body areas with a 1.0 multiplier. It does not mean every SMG automatically receives a 5% reduction in TTK.

PPSh-41 Gets Faster ADS and Better Mobility

The PPSh-41 receives the most extensive movement-related improvements among the SMGs listed in the patch notes.

Its changes include:

The 20-millisecond ADS improvement is particularly relevant because it directly reduces the time required to aim down sights.

The movement increases are comparatively modest, but they affect several different aspects of mobility.

Combined with the removal of arm and hand damage penalties, these changes give the PPSh-41 a broader set of improvements than most other weapons in the update.

Wz.55 Striga Gets Better Damage Range

The Wz.55 Striga benefits from two range adjustments:

• Maximum damage range increased from 440 to 470 (+7%).
• First mid-damage range increased from 825 to 840 (+2%).

It also receives the same arm and hand damage multiplier improvements applied to the other SMGs.

This means the Striga benefits from both extended damage ranges and more consistent damage when bullets hit the arms.

X-58 Nyx Receives a Headshot Damage Buff

The X-58 Nyx receives an additional improvement beyond the general SMG damage normalization.

Its head damage multiplier increases from 1.25 to 1.30, representing a 4% improvement to that multiplier.

The weapon's Void Apex attachment also receives extended damage ranges:

• Maximum damage range increased from 437 to 460 (+5%).
• First mid-damage range increased from 788 to 815 (+3%).

These changes make the X-58 Nyx particularly interesting for players who regularly land headshots or use the Void Apex configuration.

However, an increased headshot multiplier does not automatically guarantee a reduction in the number of shots required to eliminate an opponent.

ISO Nightshade and VEL 46 Receive Damage Consistency Improvements

The ISO Nightshade and VEL 46 receive identical changes to their arm and hand damage multipliers.

Both weapons now deal damage using a 1.0 multiplier instead of 0.95 when hitting the affected locations.

Unlike the PPSh-41, Striga and Nyx, neither weapon receives additional range, movement or headshot damage adjustments in this patch.

Their improvements are therefore specifically related to damage consistency rather than a broader increase in performance.

LMG Nerfs: APOC-338 and FiNN Take a Hit

Light machine guns also receive attention, with the APOC-338 and FiNN facing reductions.

APOC-338

The APOC-338 receives three nerfs:

• First mid-range damage reduced from 38 to 37 (-3%).
• First mid-damage range reduced from 1980 to 1900 (-4%).
• Minimum damage reduced from 35 to 33 (-6%).

The reduced minimum damage and shorter mid-damage range are particularly relevant to players using the APOC-338 for longer-distance engagements.

However, the actual effect on elimination speed will depend on the weapon's complete damage profile and the distance involved.

FiNN LMG

The FiNN receives the following adjustments:

• First mid-damage range reduced from 1720 to 1620 (-6%).
• Left upper-arm damage multiplier reduced from 1.1 to 1.0.
• Right upper-arm damage multiplier reduced from 1.1 to 1.0.

These changes remove the FiNN's previous bonus damage against the upper arms while shortening one of its damage ranges.

Type 73

The Type 73 receives a smaller, attachment-specific buff.

Its Assault Apex attachment now increases the weapon's minimum damage from 19 to 20, an improvement of approximately 5%.

Unlike the APOC-338 and FiNN adjustments, this change benefits a particular configuration rather than modifying the standard weapon's damage profile.

Warlord Shotgun Receives a Slug Ammunition Nerf

The Warlord is the only shotgun included in the October 28 weapon balancing changes.

Its 12G Slug Rounds ammunition receives a reduction to the second mid-damage range, moving from 900 to 810 (-10%).

This shortens the affected damage range for the slug configuration.

Players using the Warlord with conventional ammunition are not directly affected by this specific adjustment, as the change targets the 12G Slug Rounds attachment.

What Do These Changes Mean for the Modern Warfare 4 Meta?

The October 28 update reveals three distinct priorities behind Infinity Ward's first broad Multiplayer balancing pass.

First, SMG damage consistency has been improved. Removing the previous arm and hand damage penalties makes five submachine guns more forgiving when shots land on those specific body parts.

Second, several assault rifles now have more clearly defined trade-offs. The Kastov 762 and M4 benefit from improved maximum-damage ranges, while the Han 86 and Hyeon Burst receive a mixture of positive and negative changes. The Oden, meanwhile, loses several damage bonuses and sees its Sentinel Apex ranges reduced.

Third, the developers have targeted certain higher-damage and longer-range configurations. The APOC-338, FiNN and Warlord's slug ammunition all receive reductions affecting damage or effective range.

For players deciding which weapons to revisit, the PPSh-41 stands out for its combination of faster ADS, slightly improved movement and more consistent limb damage. The Kastov 762 also deserves attention because its maximum-damage range has increased without any accompanying nerfs listed in this update.

On the other hand, players relying on the Oden, APOC-338 or FiNN should pay closer attention to the new damage values before assuming their previous builds will perform identically.

These are evidence-based implications of the official balancing changes, not a confirmed ranking of the strongest weapons in Multiplayer. The patch notes do not provide enough complete damage and TTK data to establish a definitive post-update tier list.

The October 28 changes apply to Modern Warfare 4 Multiplayer and should not be automatically treated as Warzone weapon balance adjustments.

Players can consult the complete official Modern Warfare 4 patch notes for the full weapon statistics and additional gameplay fixes included in the update.