Call Of Duty Pros Ban Black Ops 6's Most Overpowered Guns

By Gabran Gray
Bruce Thomas looking concerned and wearing glasses Activision

We're barely a week out from the release of "Call of Duty: Black Ops 6," and the community is already in turmoil. As players are busy arguing about the game's balance, "Call of Duty" pros have already agreed to informally ban two of the most overpowered weapons they've encountered in "Black Ops 6" so far. The problem is that, at least in these early days of the game, assault rifles seem like they might be a bit too good. In particular, the pros have concerns about the Model L, which is reliably deadly even at long distances, and the XM4, which seems to be the strongest weapon in the game by far. Regular players are still enjoying the weapons, but a "gentleman's agreement" among pro players has effectively removed both guns from the competitive scene.

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The weapons aren't the only thing splitting the "Black Ops" community, either. The new campaign came with the single most terrifying level in "Call of Duty" history, and not everyone was thrilled by the developers' decision to include it. Of course, weapon balance in the game's multiplayer mode is a bit more important than a one-off mission in the campaign. Right now players are solving the balance issues themselves, but with a few patches and another couple weeks of playing, the "Black Ops 6" meta will probably look wildly different than it does right now. Read on to learn more about the two guns causing such a ruckus in "Call of Duty: Black Ops 6."

There's a reason these guns are banned

Call of Duty operators fighting in a ruined village Activision

When a new multiplayer shooter comes out, there's usually a clear contender for the best weapon early on, and that top-tier weapon typically ends up falling out of favor once players get more familiar with the ins and outs of the game. With that in mind, while it does seem a little early in the "Black Ops 6" life cycle for pros to be banning weapons, content creator and esports analyst Ben Nissim helpfully explained the reasoning behind the agreement during a recent stream.

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Nissim acknowledged that gamers might have mixed feelings about the informal ban, saying, "I know y'all don't like restrictive GAs [gentlemen's agreements], I don't like restrictive GAs, but I also don't think we want to watch a game where everyone is just running the same gun." Nissim said that the pros are trying to find viable assault rifle and submachine gun combos to keep the game competitive and entertaining to watch at the same time. When you see the XM4 and the Model L in action, the informal ban makes a little more sense.

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The XM4 is ridiculously powerful. When you're in close range combat, there just isn't another weapon that can really compete with it.

The Model L is really the sleeper champ, though. It has a slower time-to-kill and doesn't aim as quickly as other guns, but it's also scarily accurate, allowing skilled players to reach multi-dozen kill counts with ease. The results are impressive, but the sheer firepower arguably doesn't leave much room for varied or exciting multiplayer action.

Casual players have other nominees for most cracked gun

Call of Duty Operators exchanging fire amidst a gas explosion Activision

The pros have banned the XM4 and the Model L for now, but we wouldn't be too surprised to see those guns back in rotation in the near future. Remember, the "Black Ops 6" meta is still basically unformed, so we can't really be certain if those two weapons will remain some of the most overpowered guns in all of "Call of Duty" or if they're just riding an early wave of popularity before an inevitable patch. The pros have concerns about them, but other players are finding different overpowered weapons to call out. For instance, sniper rifles seem pretty strong in "Black Ops 6," and the SVD is a current fan-favorite.

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Shotguns always dominate in close-quarters, and fans think the ASG-89 might be one of the best in the franchise's history.

And hey, the pros might still be searching for a viable SMG, but there are already players tearing up the battlefield with the Kompakt 92. 

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In other words, the great gun debate is still raging and likely will be for a while. Fans are still settling the meta and deciding where "Black Ops 6" falls in the "Call of Duty" game rankings, but that process is all part of the fun.

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