MW4 Season 1 patch notes: 15 guns buffed, APOC-338 nerfed and faster Claymores

Season 1 is live, and the full launch notes bring MW4’s biggest weapon tuning pass so far. Almost every change is a buff, aimed at lifting guns that sat below the Hyeon Burst and Han 86. Only the APOC-338 is nerfed outright. Hardcore also gets more fragile, and Claymores and Proximity Mines arm faster.

Our earlier article on the 5 November update covered the extra fixes added on launch day. This one covers the main Season 1 notes.

Weapon tuning

Assault rifles

• Axion: longer first damage range (34.8m to 38.6m) and faster bullets (415 to 470 m/s).
• Han 86: head multiplier up from 1.25 to 1.3.
• Hyeon Burst: a small damage bump at mid range. Its Hyperburst Apex is reworked: lower top damage (30 to 23) that carries much further (24.6m to 31m), with minimum damage cut from 25 to 20.
• Kastov 762: more mid-range damage and range, plus slightly higher head, neck and upper-torso multipliers.
• M4: longer max-damage range and a 1.3 head multiplier. The Hurricane Apex also gets more max-damage range.
• Patriot XMR: longer max-damage range and slightly faster ADS movement.

SMGs

• ISO Nightshade: more max-damage range and higher minimum damage.
• PPSh-41 and X-58 Nyx: more damage at longer ranges.
• Wz.55 Striga: higher max and minimum damage and a 1.4 head multiplier.
• VEL 46: shorter damage ranges, but higher minimum damage, so it trades close-range reach for less falloff.

LMGs, shotguns, marksman rifles and pistols

• APOC-338 (nerf): minimum damage 33 to 32 and head multiplier 1.35 to 1.3.
• Type 73: a little more range and a 1.3 head multiplier. The Assault Apex gets more range and mid-range damage.
• Rezi 12: longer ranges across the board and minimum damage up from 14 to 16. The Enforcer Apex gets smaller range and damage buffs.
• Mosin-Nagant: max-damage range 36.8m to 40.1m.
• Oris 8.6: max-damage range 19m to 22.6m and minimum damage 58 to 63.
• Krait P68: more range and a higher lower-torso multiplier.

Gameplay

• Hardcore max health drops from 30 to 22.
• Proximity Mine arms in 0.75s instead of 1.5s.
• Claymore arms in 0.75s instead of 1s, triggers from further away (2.29m to 3.18m) and has a wider cone (60 to 80 degrees).
• Argonaut health rises from 800 to 1,200.
• Crossfire gets spawn protection, a smaller bullet radius, half the bullet damage and less camera shake.
• Battle Hardened now reduces Shock Stick effects instead of blocking them completely, and Birdseye no longer rotates the minimap.

New content

• Maps: Backstab and Canyon are new, Shoot House returns, and Kill Block adds a 6v6 Crash combo.
• Modes: Grind and Drop Zone return, and Kill Block gets 6v6 modes. Gauntlet, a winner-stays 1v1 Gunfight mode, is coming soon with the Wager Match event.
• Weapons: the Cronen Osprey assault rifle and the CSG-35 akimbo SMG are in now. Two more weapons arrive later in the season.
• Consoles: PS5 and Xbox Series X|S get a 120Hz Performance Mode for players with 120Hz displays.
• Anti-cheat: players running the third-party Warzone Agent app will be told to close it. If they don’t, they lose access to Multiplayer, and getting around the block can lead to bans.

DMZ

• X01, an underground facility reached through Hajin, brings new areas, threats and Orders.
• The FOB adds a 3D Printer and a new Vendor that sells weapons and gear for DMZ Cash. The Boss Board gets new Lieutenant and Commander intel.
• Possum now needs enemies to be 2.5 times further away before it activates.
• Supplied Drops now works on Dynamic Operations crates, and its chance of an extra container rises from 25% to 50%.
• Crossfire does more damage to vehicles, especially tanks. Bomb Glider has a shorter target-marker range.
• Weapon XP for vehicle kills on AI is lower, and Lieutenant Dog Tags now count towards camo challenges.
• The Threat Briefing: Battle Tank event has you destroy Battle Tanks and exfil their armour fragments for rewards.