Raven Software has released a new Call of Duty: Warzone update for August 28, introducing major weapon balance changes alongside adjustments to underwater survival, gas-edge play, killstreaks and public events.
The update is part of the Black Ops 7 Season 05 Reloaded patch cycle and is rolling out across all supported platforms.
One of the most immediate gameplay changes targets underwater movement.
Raven has reduced the total amount of time players can remain underwater by 25%. Breath regeneration now also waits 1.5 seconds after a player returns to the surface before beginning.
The developer says players were able to use underwater routes and escapes for longer than intended. The new values are designed to make diving a more deliberate tactical decision with greater risk attached to extended underwater rotations.
Resurgence also receives a significant gas-boundary change.
The distance that counts as “deep gas” has been reduced by 30%, limiting how much room players have to operate around the edge of the circle before harsher gas behavior applies.
Raven says the previous grace distance allowed players to exploit too much space near the boundary on smaller maps, particularly during rotations.
Redeployed players will now also see a dedicated HUD icon while Spawn Protection is active, giving clearer feedback on exactly when that protection expires.
Killstreaks have been retuned as well.
The RC-XD and Sniper Drone now deal increased damage to vehicles, while the Death Machine and War Machine deal less vehicle damage.
Precision Airstrike and Napalm Strike warnings have been improved so their notifications better reflect the actual area affected by the incoming strike.
On Avalon, the UAV detection radius has been increased by 15%, while the Counter UAV radius is now 11% larger.
Public Events are becoming less common after Raven determined that some high-impact events were appearing too frequently.
The Juggernaut event has dropped from a 23% appearance rate to 9% in Resurgence and from 25% to 11% in Battle Royale.
Classified Weapon events have also been reduced, from 19% to 11% in Resurgence and from 22% to 13% in Battle Royale.
The weapon meta is receiving an extensive balance pass at the same time.
Raven specifically singled out the MXR-17 as having remained near the top of the long-range meta for too long.
Its maximum damage has been reduced from 48 to 46, medium-range damage falls from 41 to 38 and minimum damage drops from 38 to 34. Its second damage breakpoint now begins at 45 meters instead of 52 meters.
The MXR-17 also receives 10% more recoil in Battle Royale and Resurgence, while bullet velocity has been lowered from 900 meters per second to 880.
Raven is attempting to create more alternatives by strengthening several competing weapons.
The AN-94 receives a substantial damage and range buff, with maximum damage increasing from 38 to 41 and its maximum damage range moving from 40 to 45 meters.
Several SMGs have also been adjusted.
The CBRS-3 has been nerfed, with maximum damage falling from 42 to 38 and its effective ranges being shortened.
By contrast, the Gremlin receives higher close- and medium-range damage, while the MPC-25 now deals 42 maximum damage instead of 40 and 37 damage in its middle range instead of 36.
Raven says its goal is to reduce the dominance of a few standout weapons while creating more competitive options across both long-range and close-range fights.
Black Ops 7 received a much smaller August 28 update alongside Warzone, primarily addressing issues in Free Run: Descent and adding stability fixes.
For Warzone players, however, the patch is considerably broader and directly affects rotations, survivability, killstreak utility and several of the current meta weapons.
