The Most Overpowered Weapons in Call of Duty History
Sweep away that gunpowder dust, because it’s time to open the Call of Duty series’ forbidden archives. Locked within? Terrifying tools capable of unleashing unconscionable destruction. And no, we’re not talking about Modern Warfare III’s new Zombies mode. It’s time to reminisce with just a hint of revulsion as we run through our picks for the five most overpowered weapons in Call of Duty history.
5. 205 Brecci
Game Culprit
Call of Duty: Black Ops 3.
The Crimes
Tipping the scales first is Black Ops 3’s infamous 205 Brecci. This gun demanded two shots to kill, even at point-blank range. For a shotgun, that sounds pretty terrible. The trouble was, that two-hit kill range extended further than it had any right to. Sprinkle in a high fire rate that could be boosted further by mods and, with a dash of easily-frustrated opponents, you’ve just created the perfect recipe for salty CoD cocktail.
The sheer ease of use was what made the Brecci so frustrating to play against. Its wielders could vaguely sweep the weapon through rooms and hallways, tearing anything that dared stray across their screen into pieces. Suffice it to say, you were advised to disable voice chat entirely if you planned on equipping this epithet-inducing monstrosity.
4. M16 or AK-74u
Game Culprit
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare on console and PC, respectively.
The Crimes
To many, the M16 pretty much was Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. A surprisingly lethal burst-fire starter rifle, it paired pinpoint precision with high damage and a rapid rate of fire. If you equipped Stopping Power and slapped a Red Dot Sight on top, you were good to go. As such, it wasn’t uncommon to see more than half of any given server running around with the M16 nestled in their arms.
On console, the M16 was king. But over in the PC realm, it found a contender. Among competitive communities, the AK-74u SMG proved an unconventional rival for the throne. Bizarrely, the gun performed best with no attachments at all, featuring superior stats only when nothing was added. It quickly became the go-to choice for rapid maneuvering, letting players leap around corners, clearing close angles with sharp and deadly salvos.
3. MP-40
Game Culprit
Call of Duty: World at War.
The Crimes
The MP-40 is possibly the only Call of Duty gun to break a game all on its own. World at War was, by most accounts, a fairly balanced title. Except, of course, for this infamous SMG juggernaut (no, not the perk, silly). Dealing damage on par with most rifles, it opened up the option to swap out the otherwise near-essential Stopping Power perk for interesting new choices like Juggernaut (yeah, this time we mean the perk).
A strong start, but the MP-40 wasn’t done yet. It could also be paired with a 64-Round Drum magazine. Let’s recap a second, shall we? You have SMG mobility, rifle-grade damage, and a magazine larger than most LMGs. It was the ultimate Swiss Army Knife of Call of Duty weapons. Unfortunately, everyone else was running it too.
2. Grenade Launcher
Game Culprit
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.
The Crimes
Old-school players? We’re sorry for triggering some unpleasant flashbacks. Dubbed the noob tube by players of yore, the grenade launcher was an attachment considered so heinous that its use on PC Call of Duty 4 servers would often see you kicked and banned instantly. The distinctive thoomp of an explosive exiting its barrel struck terror into the hearts of all nearby. The enormous explosion which ensued nigh-on guaranteed a kill, and it wouldn’t take long for a match to descend into anarchy as soon as one person began using it.
Somehow, the tube’s reign of terror only expanded in Modern Warfare 2. Devious players discovered that the One Man Army perk allowed them restock their launcher. That meant an infinite supply of killer canisters to fling around the level. It quickly became an unwritten code of honor between opponents that neither side would utilize it, essentially turning the grenade launcher into Call of Duty’s equivalent of nuclear deterrent. A confusing concept for a game in which you could literally call down a nuke down on your enemies.
1. Akimbo Model 1887s
Game Culprit
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.
The Crimes
Crack open the lid of Modern Warfare 2’s weapon cache and you’d uncover a treasure trove of fine additions to the museum of overpowered curiosities. To your left, the ACR – a rifle with so little recoil it was practically a laser beam. To your right, the UMP-45 – an SMG packing devastating damage that put many rifles to shame. But for our money, no weapon was more entertainingly broken than the once-mighty Model 1887.
This ancient, lever-action shotgun was a powerhouse in its own right. Dual wielded with the akimbo attachment? It practically ascended a player to gaming godhood. Worst of all, they were really fun to use. The tight alleyways of Favela were rife with these twirling twin sticks of death, and even at medium range, both shotguns could be fired at once to down enemies in a split-second. Developer Infinity Ward eventually whipped out the nerf hammer and put a stop to their dominance. But for a time, high-tech modern rifles could only look on with envy as they were outclassed by their century-old senior.
Locked in the vault, these overpowered Call of Duty weapons are to be flaunted no more. But you can still secure an edge over your opponents by picking up Call of Duty gaming gear from HyperX.
