JGOD reveals state of TAQ-V after surprise Warzone 2 nerf

JGOD crunched the numbers and revealed the TAQ-V’s place in Warzone 2’s long-range meta after the latest weapon balancing update.

Amid a wave of Modern Warfare 3 news, the Warzone 2 devs snuck in a substantial weapon balancing update. First, the update addressed an overreliance on the Signal 50 sniper rifle in Ranked Play and the World Series of Warzone. At the start of Season 5, Raven Software argued: “We do not feel it is necessary to make changes to the Signal 50.”

However, the devs reconsidered their stance, and the sniper rifle finally saw a nerf. The update also took down Warzone 2’s most popular weapon. According to WZ Ranked, the TAQ-V currently stands head and shoulders above every other weapon with a 20.2% pick rate.

The TAQ-V saw its maximum, close-mid, and minimum damage decrease. And the king of long-range weapons had its damage multipliers decreased. Without exact numbers, it’s hard to understand how substantial of a nerf it is, but JGOD did all of the hard work for us.

JGOD uncovers new TAQ-V TTK numbers

After the most recent update, JGOD went into a Warzone 2 private match and revealed the TAQ-V’s TTK. From 45 meters, which is a common range for long-range engagements, the battle rifle’s proper TTK increased from 875ms to 993.

According to sym.gg, the Cronen Squall’s TTK from 45 meters is 884ms to put that number in perspective. Based on these findings, the Cronen Squall will most likely emerge as the new go-to long-range option.

JGOD asked Warzone 2 community members for their own opinion on how the TAQ V feels after the update.

Before Warzone update on top, after on bottom. How is it feeling so far. https://t.co/2Arp4Eh6Jd pic.twitter.com/J7zq8iA5GP

— James – JGOD (@JGODYT) August 16, 2023

Warzone Loadout responded: “Decent nerf to make it more balanced but not destroyed.”

On the opposite side of the aisle, a second player argued: “Bro, it’s destroyed. It’s not balanced.”

Meanwhile, a third player claimed: “It feels the same.”

We won’t know for sure until players have more play time with the new update in place. And while most eyes will turn to the Cronen Squall, it’s also important to note that the M16 and SO-14 received buffs to put them back in contention.

If you need a class for Warzone 2 after the update, make sure to check out our best loadout guide.