Big MTZ Interceptor nerfs now live in Warzone, WSP Swarm also hit

Warzone’s meta is bound for a significant shakeup, as the WSP Swarm and MTZ Interceptor finally had their dominant run come to an end.

As part of the Season One Reloaded update, the Warzone devs promised additional changes coming to the MTZ Interceptor and WSP Swarm coming in a future update.

Community members were left unsure of how much more they would have to endure getting killed by both weapons in every match. It turns out players didn’t have to wait too long after the Jan.17 update, as Raven Software came down with a swift deliberation.

MTZ Interceptor and WSP Swarm hit with heft nerfs

The Warzone devs released a minor update that decreased the damage values for the MTZ Interceptor and WSP Swarm.

Here is a full list of changes for both weapons.

MTZ Interceptor (MWIII)
• Max Damage reduced to 74, down from 85
• Near-Mid Damage reduced to 72, down from 82
• Mid Damage reduced to 70, down from 80
• Min Damage reduced to 66, down from 78
• Neck Multiplier reduced to 1, down from 1.5

WSP Swarm (MWIII)
• Near-Mid Damage reduced to 20, down from 24
• Mid Damage reduced to 18, down from 22
• Far-Mid Damage reduced to 17, down from 20
• Min Damage reduced to 16, down from 18

When MW3‘s Warzone iteration first went live, the MTZ Interceptor could fully down an enemy in two shots. Raven Software reeled the Battle Rifle back in the Dec. 14 update, making the weapon a three-shot kill instead. Yet Warzone community members pleaded for a third nerf, as the weapon felt “unchanged.”

It’s unclear how much of a shot-to-kill difference this change will make, but a 10-point deduction across the board should make the Battle Rifle feel like a shell of its former self. As for the WSP Swarm, the SMG was widely considered the best short-range meta option in Warzone, thanks in part to a massive 100-round mag and time-to-kill speed that made it possible to shred through entire teams of four with ease.

This update won’t completely knock the popular SMG out of the meta, but players will most likely start using the AMR9 or HRM-9 more for gunfights 10 meters or closer.