Black Ops 7 meta and best guns to use in multiplayer

The Black Ops 7 weapon meta is still forming, since the game has just released, but there are still some clear standouts when it comes to guns. Having put many hours into multiplayer already from preview sessions, it seems like all the marksman rifles are forces to be reckoned with, all capable of killing enemy players in an instant in BO7. They're followed by the usual assault rifle and SMG suspects, with the starting guns for each of those weapon types being easy to use and versatile. Below I've laid out a list of all the weapons that are currently topping the meta that you should definitely consider building loadouts around.

Black Ops 7 meta guns

While there's an extensive selection of guns to choose from, and while all of them can be good in the right hands and with the right attachments, here's what seems to be dominating the BO7 meta so far, proving to be top picks for your loadouts:

1. Warden 308: I don't know what the developers were thinking when they made this marksman rifle because it's unbelievably busted. The Warden is essentially a less unwieldy sniper rifle – even with a built-in firing delay it's pretty easy to use, capable of scoring one-shot kills to the upper chest and above.
2. M34 Novaline: The Novaline is another strong marksman rifle that fires two-round bursts and rewards accurate fire as hitting both shots almost always results in a one-burst kill.
3. M8A1: Returning from Black Ops 2 as a marksman rifle, the M8A1 still feels like a high-damage assault rifle with lethal four-round bursts, but missing any shots can be punishing
4. M15 MOD 0: Even as one of the starting assault rifles in Black Ops 7, the M15 is arguably one of the game's best. It deals relatively low damage for an assault rifle but has a good fire rate and range, along with manageable accuracy, making it versatile and easy to use.
5. Ryden 45K: The Ryden kicks pretty hard, but its high fire rate and good all-rounder stats means it's relatively easy to use and is a great base for a range of attachments focused on recoil control, hipfire accuracy, and mobility. Though it's worth bearing in mind that almost all the SMGs are quite strong in Black Ops 7 and can feel quite similar.
6. Peacekeeper MK1: The Peacekeeper is the other default assault rifle and is good for those who want something a bit more aggressive than the M15. Its recoil is harder to handle due to its higher fire rate, and its range is relatively poor but stick to shorter-range engagements and you can go toe-to-toe with some SMGs.

While these Black Ops 7 guns seem to be top choices for now, bear in mind that attachments make a big difference to the performance of any gun, and certain perks and wildcards can help too. That means non-meta weapons can still perform well when they built appropriately and are used as part of a suitable loadout and playstyle.

And obviously balance patches might radically change which guns are considered part of the Black Ops 7 meta, with underperforming guns potentially surging up while the currently dominant marksman rifles might take a hit.

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