Best Warzone Loadouts (Season 5 Reloaded): Meta Guns Ranked
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Best Warzone Loadouts (Season 5 Reloaded): Meta Guns Ranked

3 September 2026 · 4 min read · Gaming

The best all-round loadout in Warzone right now pairs the MXR-17 assault rifle with a KOGOT-7 or Carbon 57 SMG — one gun for range, one for close quarters. In the current Season 5 Reloaded meta the top-tier guns are the FG42, Strider 300 sniper, VST SMG and Rev-46, with the AN-94 and MK35 ISR leading the assault rifles. Cover mid-to-long and close range and you are set.

Below is the meta tier list for Season 5 Reloaded as of 2026, ranked S to B, plus the best two-gun loadout combos. Warzone’s meta shifts with every seasonal update and weapon tuning pass, so this is the current snapshot — expect the S-tier to change at the next patch.

MXR-17
Best all-round AR

VST
Top close-range SMG

Strider 300
Best sniper

S5R
Season this meta covers

The Warzone meta weapon tier list

Ranked for Season 5 Reloaded as of 2026, weighted for Battle Royale and Resurgence. “Range” is the band each gun wins.

Weapon Tier Class Range Why
FG42 S Assault Rifle Mid Dominant all-round damage this season
Strider 300 S Sniper Long Top one-shot sniper of the meta
VST S SMG Close Fastest close-range time-to-kill
Rev-46 S Support Mid High-value S-tier support weapon
AN-94 S Assault Rifle Mid-long Best long-range AR; reliable recoil
MK35 ISR S Assault Rifle Mid-long Strong damage with practical control
MXR-17 A Assault Rifle Mid Best all-round AR for a two-gun loadout
Ryden 45K A SMG Close Fast-firing close-range alternative to the VST
Carbon 57 A SMG Close Reliable secondary for AR loadouts
Kogot-7 A SMG Close Pairs with the MXR-17 for a rounded kit
AK-27 A Assault Rifle Mid-long Safe long-range pick if you miss the meta AR
Dravec 45 B SMG Close Solid close-range backup
VS Recon B Sniper Long Second-best sniper behind the Strider 300
The best Warzone loadout: MXR-17 assault rifle paired with a Carbon 57 SMG
The safest two-gun kit — a meta AR for range and an SMG for close quarters.

Why the two-gun kit wins

Warzone fights swing between long sightlines and close-quarters rushes, and no single gun wins both. The standard meta loadout answers that with a mid-range assault rifle for opening damage and rotations, plus a fast SMG for finishing the push or defending a room. Get comfortable swapping between the two and you cover every fight the map throws at you.

Best loadout combos

Two guns, every range covered. Pick a row and run it.

Loadout Best for
MXR-17 + Carbon 57 The most well-rounded meta combo
MXR-17 + Kogot-7 All-round kit with aggressive close range
AK-27 + Dravec 45 One safe do-everything loadout
AN-94 + VST Long-range AR with the top SMG
Strider 300 + VST Sniper support plus close-range cleanup

Best gun by category

Locking a role in your loadout? These are the current best-in-slot picks.

Category Best pick
Assault Rifle (long) AN-94
Assault Rifle (all-round) MXR-17 (or FG42)
SMG (close) VST
Sniper Strider 300
Support Rev-46

If you play other shooters, the loadout logic will feel familiar from our best guns in Apex Legends and The Finals best weapons guides. Warzone is free to play, so it also sits on our best free PC games in 2026 list.

Best Warzone loadouts FAQ

What is the best gun in Warzone right now?
In the Season 5 Reloaded meta the FG42 leads the assault rifles, while the VST is the top close-range SMG and the Strider 300 is the best sniper. For a single all-round AR to build a loadout around, the MXR-17 is the safest pick.

What is the best loadout in Warzone?
The MXR-17 assault rifle paired with a Carbon 57 or Kogot-7 SMG is the most well-rounded combo — the AR handles range and rotations, the SMG wins close fights. If you want one do-everything kit, the AK-27 with a Dravec 45 covers both bands safely.

What is the best SMG in Warzone?
The VST has the fastest close-range time-to-kill in the current meta, making it the top SMG for pushing and defending rooms. The Ryden 45K and Carbon 57 are strong alternatives if you prefer a different handling feel.

What is the best sniper in Warzone?
The Strider 300 is the best one-shot sniper this season, with the VS Recon a close second. A sniper pairs best with a fast SMG like the VST so you can cover both the long sightline and the close follow-up.

Does the Warzone meta change every season?
Yes. Each seasonal update adds weapons and retunes existing ones, so the best guns shift regularly. This list reflects Season 5 Reloaded as of 2026; the two-gun principle — one AR for range, one SMG for close — holds even when the specific guns change.

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The EverythingEdinburgh Gaming team covers esports, PC, console and gaming industry news.