There was no mention of any STB-556 buff in the previous two Warzone weapon balancing patch notes, but the MW2 AR mysteriously got stronger.
In an interview with COD content creator Repullze on Nov. 17, 2023, Sledgehammer Games senior development Director Adam Iscove promised that the team would start looking closer at MW2 weapons and “balance them across the board” during Season One.
The devs followed through with that vision in the MW3 mid-season update, as 33 MW2 weapons received significant buffs. Those changes were only supposed to apply to multiplayer; however, it appears that the STB 556 buffs snuck into Warzone also.
STB-556 secret Warzone buff explained
In the Season One Reloaded update, the STB-556’s maximum damage range increased from 15.2 to 30.5 meters, equating to a 100 percent difference. The AR’s near-medium damage range also improved by 34 percent, and the medium damage range bumped up 16 percent. All three changes finally made the previously thrown-aside gun compete in MW3. Then, on Jan. 23, CoD stat source Warzone Meta claimed to test the STB-556 and discovered that the weapon buffs also applied to the battle royale.
The STB-556’s incredibly easy-to-control recoil pattern and fast time-to-kill speed make the AR a compelling option and possibly one of Warzone’s best sniper support weapons.
Warzone Meta also expressed interest in testing other MW2 weapons to see if their buffs also applied elsewhere. Other weapons to keep an eye on that could have been secretly improved include the Victus XMR, Kastov 74-u, Tempus Razorback, and Kastov 762.
