What Does "Meta" Mean in Call of Duty?
The term "meta" gets thrown around a lot in gaming circles, especially in competitive multiplayer titles like Call of Duty. But what exactly does it mean?
Put simply, the "meta" refers to the guns, equipment, perks, and playstyles that are considered to be the most effective in the current state of the game. These are the powerful setups that give players the best chance to perform well and win gunfights consistently.
So in COD, when someone refers to a "meta weapon," they‘re talking about a gun that stands above the rest in terms of stats and viability. When you hear players say that "rushing is meta," it means that aggressive, in-your-face tactics are what work best under the current game balance.
Understanding and adapting to the current meta is seen by many competitive and hardcore COD fans as critical for success. Even casual players can benefit from following the meta if they want to maximize their performance. But why?
Why Does the Meta Matter in COD?
As a diehard COD fan myself, I follow the meta closely each season. And there‘s a good reason for that – it simply works. The meta evolves because the developers at Infinity Ward and Raven Software are constantly tweaking weapons, perks, and other aspects of the game through updates and patches.
When they buff certain guns or nerf others, it shifts what loadouts can dominate lobbies and stand toe-to-toe in gunfights. The meta isn‘t some arbitrary standard – it‘s based on extensive gameplay testing and hard multiplayer data.
Weapons usage rates, average TTK (time-to-kill), recoil patterns – the developers factor all of that in when balancing guns and gear. That‘s why the consensus around the "best" COD loadouts coalesces around measurable stats. When I run meta weapon setups and strategies, I know I‘m using guns and styles optimized for the current game balance.
Of course, the meta will always change as updates shift identities of weapons and balance of attachments. But keeping up with those changes is part of what makes COD fun and challenging for me! There‘s always a new top-tier gun to master or a new tactic becoming widely-adopted. Adapting to changes and learning new playstyles prevents multiplayer from ever getting stale.
A Brief History of the COD Meta
Let‘s take a quick trip down memory lane for some meta nostalgia! The dominance of certain weapons and playstyles has evolved enormously over nearly two decades of Call of Duty multiplayer. Here‘s a high-level overview:
2003 – 2007: In the early COD titles, assault rifles dominated the meta due to versatility for all ranges and easier handling than SMGs or LMGs. Maps also encouraged slower AR-focused combat.
2007 – 2011: SMGs and run ‘n gun play became more viable on smaller maps. But limitations of engine tech prevented major leaps in weapon balance.
2011 – 2016: Modern Warfare 3 kicks off era of greater complexity in stats, attachments, and mobility. This leads to more frequent meta shifts.
2016 – Present: Introduction of Warzone accelerates meta evolution to around once per season. Meta diversifies across weapon categories but favors high TTK.
So while the meta has changed quite dramatically over 19 COD titles, the desire for versatile, lethal loadouts has been constant across generations of titles and players.
Below is a chart showing some of the most notoriously overpowered "meta" weapons in Call of Duty history and the games they terrorized:
| Weapon | Game | Year | Why It Was Meta |
|---|---|---|---|
| M16 | Call of Duty 4 | 2007 | High damage, little recoil |
| ACR | Modern Warfare 2 | 2009 | Easy handling, excellent accuracy at range |
| MP7 + Rapid Fire | Modern Warfare 3 | 2011 | Shredded up close with high ROF and mobility |
| Remington | Black Ops 2 | 2012 | Insanely fast TTK with Long Barrel attachment |
| ASM1 Speakeasy | Advanced Warfare | 2014 | Highest fire rate SMG that decimated in CQC |
| VMP | Black Ops 3 | 2015 | Large mag SMG with top TTK and ease of use |
| NV4 Fallout | Infinite Warfare | 2016 | Jack of all trades AR – solid at all ranges |
| Grau 5.56 | Call of Duty: Warzone | 2020 | Low recoil with excellent iron sights for beaming enemies at range |
And the list goes on! As you can see, every era of COD has had weapons that stood above the rest and defined the combat meta of their day.
Modern Warfare 2 (2022-23) Meta Overview
The latest entry in the series, Modern Warfare 2, has gone through several distinct meta shifts already since launching in late 2022. Let‘s analyze the current state of the meta in Season 2:
Top Meta Weapons: Kastov-74u, Lachmann Sub, M13B, TAQ-56
Meta Attachments: Sakin V76 Barrel, FSS Sharkfin 90, Schlager ULO Stock
Meta Perks: Double Time, Battle Hardened/Overkill, Fast Hands
Meta Playstyle: Aggressive Rushing & Volume Shooting
This meta favors high fire rate, mobility-focused SMGs and ARs that excel in close quarters. Long range has been extremely devalued by map design and perk balance changes. The key to winning gunfights is to leverage movement and hip fire to outmaneuver opponents.
Compared to the long range beam-fest meta we saw at launch, I‘ve had to adapt to a much more old school rushdown style lately. It wasn‘t easy to change my instincts from the MWII beta meta. But that constant evolution of the meta is part of why I love COD multiplayer so much.
Below is a weapon statistics comparison between the current meta SMG (Lachmann Sub) and a formerly meta, but now struggling AR (Kastov 762):
| Weapon | Avg TTK | Recoil | Mobility | Mag Size | Why It‘s Meta/Not Meta |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lachmann Sub | 0.216s | Low | High | 40 | Great handling and DPS make it almost unbeatable up close |
| Kastov 762 | 0.312s | High | Slow | 30 | Nerfs to ranged viability combined with poor mobility leave it non-viable compared to top SMGs |
So while the Kastov 762 shreds in longer range engagements, the CQC-focused meta and map design strongly favor the Lachmann Sub right now. This drives players toward that style of SMG to remain competitive.
The Role of the Developers
It‘s important to note that the evolution of the meta over time isn‘t random or accidental. The developers at Infinity Ward play a major role in strategically shaping the meta each season.
Through carefully calculated buffs and nerfs to weapons, attachments, and gear, they push the meta in new directions to keep multiplayer feeling fresh. Sometimes controversial changes upset players in the short term, like the recent domination of the Kastov 74u and LMGs.
But this meta shuffling ultimately enhances replay value and forces us as players to constantly adapt and expand our skills. Having a fixed, stale meta for months on end would get boring fast!
So we owe the meta twists and turns to the developers‘ commitment to data-driven balancing updates in the name of fun and dynamic multiplayer competition. Of course, they don‘t always nail the changes or communicate them well with players. But would we have 19 years and counting of epic COD multiplayer without some meta madness? I doubt it!
Final Meta Tips
Experiment and Find What Works For You: While powerful meta setups are proven to perform well, don‘t be afraid try off-meta builds that match your playstyle. An off-meta gun that you can leverage flawlessly can sometimes beat a clunky meta weapon in the right hands!
Adapt Your Playstyle: Implement not only the meta weapons themselves, but also adapt your whole gameplay flow to match the playstyles that allow said weapons to truly dominate. For example, playing extremely aggressive and mobile to complement an SMG or shotgun meta.
Follow Patch Notes Closely: Read season launch notes and mid-season updates religiously to stay on the pulse of every meta shift. Be the first to build a new meta class before enemies catch on!
So in summary, chasing and adapting to the ever-evolving COD meta is an exciting challenge for me as a passionate and competitive player. It keeps multiplayer fresh and forces me to constantly fine-tune my skills. Hopefully this breakdown has shed some light on what “meta” really means in COD and why it matters if you want to wreck some noobs!
Now enough writing – time to boot up MWII and melt some faces with the Lachmann Sub before the next meta shift hits! Let me know your thoughts on the current meta in the comments.
