Black Ops 7 has officially settled into its early multiplayer life cycle, and players are grinding nonstop to unlock camos, master challenges, and discover which weapons truly dominate. After spending several days leveling every gun in the game, completing mastery camos, Call of Duty Black Ops 7 Bot Lobbies and reviewing the latest balance patch, we now have a clear picture of the weapon meta-and it's one of the most balanced COD arsenals we've seen in years.

Using the community meta rankings as a baseline and combining that with extensive hands-on testing, this guide breaks down every weapon category in Black Ops 7. From absolute meta picks to niche low-tier choices, this is the definitive look at what you should be leveling, what you should avoid, and what may rise in the coming patches.

Let's dive into the full weapon-by-weapon breakdown.

Assault Rifles-A Surprisingly Diverse and Balanced Category

The AR class is traditionally the backbone of any COD meta, and Black Ops 7 continues that trend. This year's rifles are impressively diverse, each offering distinct handling, recoil patterns, and engagement strengths.

MOD Rifle-Recently Nerfed, Now a Strong Contender

Just days ago, the MOD was the uncontested king of rifles. After a swift nerf, it has dropped from "absolute meta" to "borderline contender."

 Still excellent in core modes thanks to high mobility and hybrid SMG-like handling

 Underwhelming in Hardcore, now requiring multiple hitmarkers

It remains good, but no longer a must-use.

Peacekeeper-One Buff Away From Top-Tier

The Peacekeeper thrives in mid-range engagements-perfect for BO7 map design.

 Fast fire rate

 Noticeable recoil

 Strong damage profile

A meta contender with the potential to become meta with minor tuning.

MXR7-The New King of Rifles

The MXR7 stands out as one of the most satisfying rifles in the game.

 Extremely high headshot multiplier

 Manageable recoil with compensator + recoil spring

 Slower fire rate but deadly accuracy

If you hit even one headshot in a duel, the TTK is unmatched. This is an absolute meta rifle and arguably the most consistent AR in BO7.

AK-27-A Classic Done Right

A well-rounded, reliable rifle that survives nerfs thanks to a powerful damage profile.

 Mid-to-long range consistency

 Slight control nerf but still very manageable

A solid meta contender.

Mirage-A Weaker AK Alternative

The Mirage suffers from awkward handling and brings little that the AK-27 doesn't do better. It's viable but not recommended unless you simply enjoy the feel.

Maverick-Burst Lovers Only

The Maverick is one of the cleanest burst rifles COD has seen.

 Laser-accurate bursts

 Good consistency

 Limited range damage

If you love burst rifles, it's a meta contender. If you don't, you'll likely avoid it.

SMGs-Fun, Fast, But Still a Bit Underwhelming

Surprisingly, SMGs in Black Ops 7 aren't as powerful overall as in past COD games. Still, several standout options exist.

Dravik-The Easiest SMG to Use

A top contender thanks to:

 Low recoil

 Strong mid-range performance

 High accuracy

Not absolutely broken, but very reliable.

RK9-Burst SMG Dominance

The RK9 is one of the most lethal close-range SMGs ever:

 Insane burst potential

 High skill ceiling

 Prestige attachment removes auto-burst for spam-fire fun

If you're accurate, this is absolute meta. For less experienced players, it may feel inconsistent.

Carbon-A Casual-Friendly SMG

A spiritual successor to the classic Cordite.

 Easy recoil

 Decent fire rate

 Middling TTK

A solid choice, but overshadowed by the Dravik and RK9.

MPC-The Most Divisive SMG

Players either love this MSMC-inspired SMG or hate it.

 Strong headshot potential

 Inconsistent recoil pattern

It's a meta contender, but far from universal.

Ryden 45K-Mid-Range But Awkward

This weapon struggles up close but finds a niche in mid-range fights. Ultimately, it lands in the general contender tier.

Razer-Good on Paper, Awkward in Practice

The Razer has potential but feels unreliable without heavy recoil attachments. A decent but unremarkable contender.

LMGs-Strong But Slow

There are only two LMGs at launch, and both land in the same place: consistent but slowed down by mobility.

XM325

 Fast fire rate

 Good TTK

 High but manageable recoil

MG Variant #2

 Slower but more stable

 Great for holding chokepoints

Both weapons are meta contenders, but mobility-heavy players will likely prefer ARs or SMGs.

Shotguns-Surprisingly Balanced and Very Fun

Shotguns in BO7 avoid the traditional "broken or useless" extremes.

Akita-Close-Quarters Only

The definition of a close-range specialist.

 Only strong point-blank

 Viable but limited

Great on small maps; weaker elsewhere.Breacher-Gung-Ho Monster

Pairing the Breacher with Gung-Ho creates one of the most hilarious rush setups in the game.

 Charge, sprint, hipfire

 Fast, aggressive, satisfying

A strong contender, though limited by range.

Echo 12-The Most Reliable Shotgun

With solid one-shot potential and good aggression, the Echo 12 is a well-rounded shotgun. Some sprint-to-fire tuning would push it even higher.

Marksman Rifles-High Skill Ceiling, High Reward

M8-A Laser-Accurate Burst Rifle

Incredibly stable bursts make the M8 a meta contender.

Not as damaging as ARs, but far easier to control.

Warden-Powerful, But Hard to Master

 High damage

 Tricky recoil

 Easy to overshoot when firing fast

The Warden sits between contender and meta but requires practice.

Novaline-A Surprisingly Strong Hybrid

This marksman rifle may be the best of the category.

 Two-round burst or semi-auto

 Consistent damage

 Good control

A high-tier meta contender with strong versatility.

Pistols-Functional, But Not Game-Changing

Koden 9-Pocket SMG Lite

Easy to use and spray, but damage is average.

Jagger-Standard Semi-Auto

Nothing special. Falls into the viable tier.

V-locks-The Burst Pistol That Hits Hard

The V-locks is the only pistol with real punch:

 Strong burst potential

 Good as a backup for aggressive players

A solid contender.

Launchers and Melee-Purely Niche

Launchers fall straight into the "trash/niche" category-not because

they're bad, but because they are strictly for challenges or destroying streaks.

Melee weapons follow a similar pattern:

 Flatline is far better than the knife

 Knife suffers from terrible lunge and frequent whiffs

Fun for camo grinds, not practical in standard play.

Snipers-Two Winners and One Catastrophic Miss

The sniper data is still being compiled, but after using all of them extensively, the rankings are clear.

Recon-The Best Sniper in BO7

 Fast ADS

 Great one-shot potential

 Excellent prestige attachment

This is an absolute meta sniper-clean, fast, and reliable.

Shadow-High Damage, High Skill

As a semi-auto, the Shadow sits in the meta contender tier.

Powerful but inconsistent if you miss shots.

Ion-Possibly the Worst Gun in the Game

The Ion sniper is universally hated:

 Massive burst delay

 More CoD BO7 Bot Lobbies

 Awful ADS

 Clunky handling

 Inconsistent accuracy

It is easily the bottom-tier sniper and arguably the worst weapon in Black Ops 7.

A Surprisingly Balanced Meta

One of the most refreshing aspects of Black Ops 7's early meta is how many weapons are viable. There's no single "use this or lose" dominant gun, and most categories have multiple solid options.

The top-tier weapons-MXR7, RK9, Recon-shine without completely overshadowing others. Burst weapons have high skill ceilings, SMGs need slight tuning, and shotguns feel fair.