The CZ-75 nerf was a step in the right direction

The CZ-75 machine pistol received a slight nerf in a CS:GO update earlier this week, but there’s still a lot that could be changed.

Valve reduced the base damage of the infamous weapon from 33 to 31, while also removing the lethality of it against helmeted players. Despite these changes, the CZ is still a viable option in the current eco round and force buy meta, contrary to what some people may believe.

Related: CZ-75 nerf and Mirage revamp among the notable changes in June CS:GO update

Upon initial testing, it seems that the one-tap potential of the CZ was removed entirely. Players can no longer kill enemies with a single bullet headshot at close range on helmeted opponents. This results in players seeing the “head bob” animation where an enemy’s player model sways backwards in response to a registered headshot.

In competitive games, the CZ-75 is still a go-to pistol during eco rounds and force buys. The slight reduction in damage isn’t enough to discourage players from using it, instead of choosing the Desert Eagle or Five-Seven CT pistol. The CZ can two bullet opponents with a headshot and another shot placed anywhere on a player model. Without a headshot, it takes about five to six bullets to kill players. So considering the skill needed to wield and control the CZ, a damage reduction requires players to be more skillful with their aim.

To make the CZ a fairer weapon against full buys, Valve could model the risk reward system of the machine pistol to be similar to the Deagle. A decrease in movement accuracy and an increased velocity reset time would encourage players to traverse the map with more caution as if it were a Deagle. Although the Deagle, in comparison, is more of a stationary pistol, this would prevent players from opting to a “YOLO” playstyle, in which they make ridiculously risky plays with no immediate punishment in place—besides dying, of course. Alternatively, an increase in economic price would also have the same effect by altering the CZ meta.

Overall, the current state of the CZ is fair, but there’s still a lot of room for adjustment by Valve. It seems that the developer intends to gradually fix the CZ, and will probably watch professional players experiment with it to see how the CZ meta changes over time.