Season 2 close range meta for Warzone 2 – Best SMG and Shotgun loadouts!

Today’s article will cover the close-range meta and see which guns are now best in Warzone 2. So I will divide the content into three main parts: 

• Quickly mention the meta before the update.
• Then focus on the current close-range meta in season 2.
• And finally, as usual on the channel, I will give you the best loadouts for each gun I mention. 

Season 1 Close range meta Warzone 2

So let’s have a quick look at what the meta was before the season 2 update. I will divide the meta into three main categories you are probably already familiar with if you use the website or the app for your loadouts. We will have the Absolute meta category, then meta, and finally, contenders.

Season 2 Close Range Meta Warzone 2

Let’s look now at what I believe is the current close-range meta. We must consider the nerfs & buffs and the fact that we now have a smaller map that may introduce new elements into the meta. After the slight nerf of the Fennec, it is still excellent. But now the pack is dense, and easier, more consistent smgs are available. That’s why I’m placing it between the meta and absolute meta. 

The Lachmann Sub and the Vaznev are now the best guns to use, and depending on your playstyle, you might prefer one or the other. The Lachmann Sub will be perfect for aggressive players, whereas the Vaznev is more stable and easier to use. Of course, it all depends on how you build these guns, but we’ll discuss that just after. 

In the meta category, the Chimera is now stronger than ever, mainly because we have one-shot snipers. Having an Assault Rifle sniper support usually makes sense to be more versatile. Then let’s talk about the new shotgun. It is fantastic to use, and you can destroy an entire team with a single magazine, especially on Ashika Island. It could get – it will get – very annoying soon if everyone starts using it. 

I will finish the close-range meta overview with a few honorable mentions for weapons that could have potential and are very powerful if you look at them in specific ways. I’m thinking of the MX9, which is easy to use and fast time to kill but with a small magazine capacity. Then the PDSW, or the P90, is very mobile but weak when we look at the damages. Finally, the 2 shots Basilisk is still there but is a very niche weapon to use and requires many skills to be consistent with. 

Best Warzone 2 close-range loadouts

Fennec 45 season 2 loadout

Now let’s dive into the loadouts for each weapon and start with the one you probably already know and used in season 1: the Fennec. I recommend using the Lacerta Compensator muzzle to mitigate the gun’s horizontal bounce. Having a compensator on your SMGs will make them feel easier but also more reliable, so you’ll see that I’m going to use a lot of compensators in the coming loadouts. Then you need the ADS laser, a key element to make the gun extraordinarily mobile and fast. The Agile stock for increased mobility, and finally, the Phase-3 grip underbarrel to fight the Fennec’s recoil caused by the intense fire rate.

Lachmann sub season 2 loadout

For the Lachmann sub, the recoil is primarily vertical and has a low horizontal bounce, so you should use the XRK Sandstorm that focuses mainly on the vertical recoil and the gun kick. Then the laser, for extra mobility. Finally, the lockgrip precision and the Lachmann tcg rear grip remove all remaining recoil on this gun. Even though this can feel like a loadout built for recoil control, the mobility is still excellent, and this build will feel incredible. You can directly find a more mobile loadout for the Lachmann sub on the app. 

VAZNEV-9K season 2 loadout

Let’s move to the Vaznev, which is currently my favorite SMG to use in Warzone. It is easy to use, has low recoil, has great time to kill, and has good mobility. For the loadout, start with the Bruen cubic comp, which is doing an excellent job of removing horizontal and vertical recoil. Then the usual laser, the Markeev stock, and the True-Tac grip for extra mobility. 

CHIMERA season 2 loadout

The Chimera is the only Assault Rifle in today’s video, but trust me, you will not see the difference with an SMG for close-range fights. The mobility is great and the time to kill is among the best. Use the recoil control rear grip and the VX pineapple underbarrel to handle the gun’s recoil. Then the VLK laser and the Ravage 8 stock were to maximize the movement speed and the ADS time. 

KV BROADSIDE season 2 loadout

The new shotgun is strong, and I’m not putting it in absolute meta yet because I don’t want the lobbies to be infested with it. But we know it’s coming, as many creators have already mentioned it as broken multiple times. You should focus on the range, mobility, and fire rate for the loadout. I recommend the Gunner D20 barrel, the VLK Stockless, and the Dashbolt 60. Finally, put on the Dragon’s breath and the 25-round magazine; your enemies won’t understand what is happening. 

MX9 season 2 loadout

The MX9 is a great gun, especially for solos and duos, but it’s hard to use in trios or quads due to its small capacity. It will be a real meta weapon once Ashika Island is playable solo. Use the Lacerta compensator for horizontal recoil. And then the VLK laser, the Bruen Q900 grip, and FTAC Riser comb for the best mobility and movement speed. 

PDSW 528 season 2 loadout

The last gun is the PDSW, and I’m only putting it here because I’ve seen multiple trustworthy creators mention it as very strong in season 2. This gun is relatively weak and could use a slight damage buff to be meta. Use the same loadout template as before with the XRK Sandstorm for vertical recoil and all the other attachments for mobility.