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The best Warzone CX-9 loadouts - the SMG finally makes its debut (again)

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By Joseph Yaden published 5 August 2021

The CX-9 made an appearance in 2020 and is now usable in Warzone

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warzone cx-9
(Image credit: Activision)
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The Warzone CX-9 SMG is finally here. Again. The CX-9 has been in the game since December 2020, when it was usable for some players in Survival mode and would appear as floor loot. But it was never properly usable within a loadout until now.

There was some concern the Warzone CX-9 would be broken or overpowered upon its release, but thankfully, it’s a well balanced Call of Duty Warzone weapon that is absolutely worth using. It has a fast fire rate, lots of great and versatile attachments, and is a blast to use. It won’t work well in long-range engagements, but that’s to be expected with an SMG. In this Warzone best CX-9 loadouts guide, we’ll go over a few builds that are worth checking out for many play styles.

These are the best Warzone CX-9 loadouts.

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Warzone CX-9 all-around loadout

Warzone CX-9

(Image credit: Activision)
  • Barrel: CX-38S
  • Stock: CX-FR
  • Underbarrel: Merc Foregrip
  • Ammunition: 50 Round Drums
  • Perk: Sleight of Hand

Let’s kick things off with a well rounded loadout that works in many situations. This best Warzone CX-9 loadout is balanced and is suited to a variety of playstyles. The one cool thing about this weapon is that - much like the Modern Warfare MP5 - it has a barrel that also doubles as a suppressor, which frees up an attachment slot.

This is the CX-38S Barrel, and we recommend equipping it for this build. It boosts your damage range, improves recoil control, bullet velocity, and grants you with sound suppression. You’ll find this attachment helpful when taking those mid-range gunfights. After that, go with the CX-FR Stock for improved movement speed and aim down sights (ADS) speed. This will make up for the CX-38S Barrel, which slows the weapon down considerably.

After that, we advise equipping the Merc Foregrip Underbarrel, which increases recoil control and improves hip fire accuracy. This will help you keep your crosshairs lined up at medium range, as well.

As always, we recommend utilizing the largest ammo capacity with the CX-9, in this case, the 50 Round Drum. In Warzone, the time to kill (TTK) is a lot slower than in multiplayer, so you’ll need as much ammo as possible, especially for those larger squad modes.

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Finally, we advise utilizing the Sleight of Hand Perk to help offset this weapon’s fast rate of fire. Due to its high fire rate, you’ll blow through ammo quickly, and sometimes, you might get caught reloading in the middle of a gunfight. The Sleight of Hand Perk works wonders to counter that.

You’ll find this build to work best in Trios or Quads. If you’re playing Solos, you can probably adjust the attachments slightly to improve mobility and ADS times. For instance, a Solo player can likely get away with a 30 round magazine in this case, which will improve your movement.

Warzone CX-9 mid-range loadout

Warzone CX-9

(Image credit: Activision)
  • Barrel: CX-38S 
  • Optic: Operator Reflex Sight
  • Underbarrel:Commando Foregrip
  • Ammunition: 50 Round Drums
  • Rear Grip: CX-9 Clutch Grip

You can actually build the Warzone CX-9 to work well at mid range, though engagements past 22 meters will be tough for you since it’s an SMG (according to  TrueGameData). For the mid-range build, keep the CX-38S Barrel for the reasons mentioned above, as this will help you win firefights from afar.

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Then, we like to use an Optic with this loadout, so go with what you’re comfortable with. The Operator Reflex Sight Optic works great, but as long as you pick something with less than 2x zoom, you’ll be good. After that, we highly suggest the Commando Foregrip Underbarrel, as this will improve your recoil and aiming stability, which is essential at mid-range.

Once again, equip the 50 Round Drum to ensure you have as much ammo as possible. Finally, finish the weapon off with the CX-9 Clutch Grip, which also improves recoil control. You’ll find this build to be a little slow, but effective at taking out enemies up to around 22 meters. This also works well as a sniper support class if you’re experienced with handling SMGs with high fire rates.

Warzone CX-9 close-range loadout

Warzone CX-9

(Image credit: Activision)
  • Muzzle: Lightweight Suppressor
  • Barrel: CX-23
  • Laser: Tac Laser
  • Ammunition: 50 Round Drums
  • Perk: Sleight of Hand

Lastly, let’s dive into a Warzone CX-9 loadout that works well up close - after all, it’s an SMG and close quarters is a specialty. For this loadout, we’ll want to prioritize movement and ADS speeds, so we recommend starting with the Lightweight Suppressor to keep you from appearing on the minimap while firing. It also preserves your mobility and ADS speeds, which is key with this build.

Follow that up with the CX-23, for improved ADS speeds, movement speed, and recoil control. This attachment will hurt your range, but with a close quarters build, that won’t matter. Alternatively, you can use the CX-23S instead, which has a built-in suppressor, though it won’t give you the best movement. Ultimately, it comes down to personal preference.

After that, you’ll want to use the Tac Laser, which boosts your ADS speed, aiming stability, and aim walking steadiness. All of these bonuses are great, but ADS speed is the most important up close. 

Stick with the 50 Round Drum in this case, and then go back to the Sleight of Hand Perk. This Perk will save your life up close, especially if you’re an aggressive player. There’s nothing worse than dying because you ran out of ammo in the midst of a gun fight. 

With this build, you’ll be able to zip around the map and quickly aim down sights to stomp out your opponents up close. 

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Joseph Yaden
Joseph Yaden
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Freelance Writer

Joseph loves Nintendo and horror games. With the Nintendo Switch, he's ready to get spooky anytime, anywhere. He specializes in covering Call of Duty: Warzone and action RPGs like Dark Souls, so you can bet he's looking forward to Elden Ring, the brainchild of George RR Martin and Hidetaka Miyazaki. You can find Joseph's work at GamesRadar, Digital Trends, Inverse, and PLAY Magazine. When he's not writing about video games he can usually be found petting his cats and listening to some Progressive Metal. He thinks Meshuggah is tight.

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