The 5 Best SMGs for Warzone Ranked (2025)

Treyarch and Raven Software / Brett Moss

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Human Made

Penned by Brett Moss

I've been playing video games pretty much nonstop ever since I got my first 360. I love arena shooters, MMOs, and MOBAs, but I'll pretty much try any kind of game.

Reviewed by Benjamin Barr

If you’re looking to win close-range fights, there’s no better weapon type than an SMG. They’re fast, deadly, and incredibly efficient, so they’re always worth considering. Whether you’re using them on their own or to back up a sniper or other weapon, they’re always good choices. In this article I’ll take a look at the 5 best SMGs in Warzone right now, so let’s get right into it!

If you’re looking for something on SMGs in Black Ops 6 standard multiplayer instead of Warzone, check out my article on that here!

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Call of Duty: Warzone – Best Overall Loadouts

5. KSV

Recommended Attachments:

• Muzzle: Compensator
• Barrel: Reinforced Barrel
• Underbarrel: Vertical Foregrip
• Magazine: Extended Mag II
• Rear Grip: Quickdraw Grip

The KSV is a solid all-around SMG, but I put it this low (there are only 7 SMGs in BO6, so this is fairly low) because it’s just slightly worse than the C9. Both the KSV and C9 feel similar and have similar stats, so they’re hard to rank. I put the KSV lower because it has slightly lower TTK, but it does have a bit more range. Like I said, it’s hard to rank. It does have a great feel though, and it’s incredibly easy to use.

Attachments here are the basics for an SMG that’s fairly generic (not in a bad way, though). Compensator and Vertical Foregrip for recoil control, Ext Mag II for bonus ammo, and Reinforced Barrel for range and bullet velocity. Then Quickdraw Grip to counter the ADS loss from the Extended Mag II.

4. C9

Recommended Attachments:

• Muzzle: Compensator
• Barrel: Reinforced Barrel
• Underbarrel: Vertical Foregrip
• Magazine: Extended Mag II
• Rear Grip: Quickdraw Grip

The C9 is a fairly generic, yet still very strong SMG. It’s always one I’ll recommend since it has a great feel and is easy to use, but it is beaten by most other SMGs in the <20 meter range. It actually does have a strong TTK when pushed out to around 30 meters, but you don’t really want to be using SMGs too much at that range anyway.

For attachments, I chose a pretty standard selection. It’s the same loadout as for the KSV, in fact, because they’re just that similar. Compensator and Vertical Foregrip are always nice on almost every automatic weapon to help counter its recoil. Extended Mag II is a necessity here so you don’t run out of ammo during team fights, and I picked Quickdraw Grip to help counter the ADS penalty from the mag. Then of course there’s the Reinforced Barrel for some extra range and bullet velocity, which always help.

3. Kompakt 92

Recommended Attachments:

• Muzzle: Compensator
• Barrel: Reinforced Barrel
• Underbarrel: Vertical Foregrip
• Magazine: Extended Mag II
• Fire Mods: 9x19mm Parabellum Overpressured

For super close-range fights, the Kompakt 92 is your best bet. It just slightly beats out the TTK of the Jackal in the 10 meter range, but starts losing damage quickly as you get further. It’s sort of a glass cannon of an SMG. I very highly recommend the Kompakt 92 if you only plan to use it at close range along with a better long-range weapon, but even then I do feel like the Jackal is also a great choice in those situations. But due to its high close-range TTK, it’d be wrong not to include it here.

The attachments here aren’t too crazy. The Kompakt 92 has quite a lot of recoil, so Compensator and Vertical Foregrip are once again requirements. Reinforced Barrel and Ext Mag II are also just as good here as on the KSV and C9. But I did opt to go with the 9x19mm Parabellum Overpressured fire mods instead of a grip. The handling penalty isn’t too bad, and I just think that with the Kompakt having such high damage fall-off, the extra bullet velocity helps a ton.

2. PP-919

Recommended Attachments:

• Optic: Kepler Microflex (or another close-range optic of choice)
• Muzzle: Compensator or Suppressor
• Barrel: Reinforced Barrel or Long Barrel
• Magazine: Extended Mag I
• Fire Mods: Recoil Springs

While the PP-919 doesn’t stand out much in the <20 meter range that SMGs tend to excel at, it does have two important things going for it. For one, it has a huge mag size. This comes in handy in Warzone, where you might need to fight multiple players at once. Reloading can you get killed quicker than anything, and the PP-919 will let you avoid that more than any other SMG. It also has decent TTK just over 20 meters, making it one of the better SMGs for mid-range fights.

Since the appeal of the PP-919 is its high magazine and solid ranged damage, I’ve optimized the attachments for that. This is the only SMG on this list I’d recommend an optic for, since the iron sights are a bit weaker in the mid-range fights. I like the Kepler Microflex, but you can use any that you like. The recoil isn’t too bad here, so you can go for a Suppressor if you prefer it over the Compensator. I think it’s 50/50 there. Reinforced Barrel is obviously great, but Long Barrel gives you even more range so it’s great too. Then I have Recoil Springs for bonus recoil control. I like it on any build, but I’d especially recommend it if you choose the Suppressor over Compensator.

1. Jackal PDW

Recommended Attachments:

• Muzzle: Compensator
• Barrel: Reinforced Barrel
• Underbarrel: Vertical Foregrip
• Magazine: Extended Mag II
• Fire Mods: 9x19mm Parabellum Overpressured or Recoil Springs

The Jackal PDW is simply the best SMG in Warzone right now in my opinion. While it is beaten out just narrowly below 10 meters by the Kompakt, it beats it in the 10-20 meter range. It also has a really strong ADS time and sprint-to-fire speed, which is extremely important in Warzone. It’s hard to beat this gun in any situation, so I really feel like it’s the best of the best.

For attachments here I have the same set as with the Kompakt 92 since they feel similar, but I think Recoil Springs is also a great choice here. Since the Jackal PDW is a bit more well-suited for range than the Kompakt, the recoil might come into play more often. Compensator and Vertical Foregrip are fantastic for recoil control on their own, though. Then we once again have the Reinforced Barrel for damage range and bullet velocity, and the Extended Mag II to keep you in fights for longer without having to reload.