Best MW4 Loadouts at Launch (2026)

M4 and ISO Nightshade are the AR and SMG to unlock if you take just 1 of each. Those 2 names still sit at the top of live meta lists. Kastov 762 sits beside M4 on those same lists. Han 86 sits in that AR cluster.

ISO Nightshade is yours at player level 4, the moment Create-a-Class opens. M4 unlocks at Level 14 and Kastov 762 at Level 34. Until Level 14, Han 86 is your AR.

Full class list: MW4 weapons list. Maps those guns will live on: 2026 maps.

There is no official launch tier list and no attachment code to paste. Gunsmith on a gun you own is the attachment source that matches the client.

Live meta lists still open on the same 6 names. Each line gives the official class, unlock level, max weapon level, fire rate and Apex Attachment.

• M4, assault rifle: the lead AR. Unlocks at Level 14. Max weapon level 72. 810 RPM from a 30-round magazine. Apex: M4 Hurricane, a top-loading, high-capacity 5.7x28mm conversion.
• ISO Nightshade, SMG: the lead SMG. Unlocks at Level 4. Max weapon level 64. 923 RPM from 30 rounds. Apex: ISO Trace, rounds that tag a target and show its movement on the optic.
• Kastov 762, assault rifle: the AR beside M4. Unlocks at Level 34. Max weapon level 68. 600 RPM with heavy per-shot impact and firm recoil. Apex: Kastov ARC, a radio-frequency pulse barrel with an integrated optic.
• Type 73, LMG: the lead LMG. Unlocks at Level 9. Max weapon level 65. 821 RPM from 60 rounds, built for medium and long range. Apex: Type 73 Assault, a top-mounted magazine of Explosive Rounds.
• X-58 Nyx, SMG: the SMG under ISO Nightshade. Unlocks at Level 46 in the unlock tables. Its weapon card shows Level 34. Max weapon level 53, the shortest primary track. 800 RPM from 40 rounds with a built-in suppressor. Apex: X-58 Void, a quieter subsonic kit that hides enemy skulls.
• Oris 8.6, marksman rifle: the lead marksman. Unlocks at Level 11. Max weapon level 70. Bolt-action 8.6 Blackout with 10 rounds. Apex: Oris 8.6 Razor, a receiver module that holds up to 3 throwing knives.

Han 86, PPSh-41, Rezi 12, MAR-9, FiNN LMG, Signal 50 and KG-7 Vulcan sit in the band under that top row.

Han 86 is the AR that opens with Create-a-Class at Level 4. It fires 740 RPM from 30 rounds and maxes at weapon level 72. Its Apex, Han X20 Skybreaker, adds a targeting optic with a 20mm airburst launcher.

PPSh-41 unlocks at Level 30. Its weapon card shows Level 27. It has the top fire rate in its class at 1,110 RPM, with 71 rounds loaded.

Live ranks move with patches. This page rechecks them after launch on 23 October.

Each class has its own ranked page with builds: best assault rifle in MW4, best SMG in MW4, best sniper in MW4 and best LMG in MW4.

Here is the launch kit in 1 block.

• 33 weapons: 24 primary, 8 secondary, 1 melee, across 9 classes.
• 9 tacticals, 11 lethals and 12 field upgrades.
• 17 killstreaks. Each loadout carries its own killstreaks and its own Operator.
• 18 perks on Pick 3: 1 from each of 3 categories.
• 28 Apex Attachments: every gun except the 4 launchers and the knife.

Create-a-Class opens at player level 4. Before that you deploy with premade default loadouts.

Each attachment unlocks once. Every other gun that takes that piece has it from then on. A weapon level that would grant a piece you already own becomes a Bonus Level Up. The more attachments you hold, the more a new gun starts with.

Apex Attachments are the final reward for maxing a supported gun. They equip separately from standard Gunsmith pieces and take no attachment slot. Some Apex pieces block other attachment types. M4 Hurricane blocks barrels and magazines.

Gunny sits in Create-a-Class and the DMZ Gunsmith. It builds from the attachments you already unlocked. 1 input cycles close-range, balanced and long-range builds. Those builds grow as you unlock more pieces. Gunsmith still lets you set every slot yourself.

Gunsmith shows Damage, Range, Accuracy, Mobility and Handling on every build. The Details menu goes deeper. You can slide an optic along the rail, then aim in the Firing Range to check the spot.

Attachment types: optics, lasers, barrels, muzzles, underbarrels, stocks, rear grips, combs, ammunition and magazines. Lasers tighten hip-fire spread and support a Canted Stance. Some lasers can give away your position.

Killstreaks build from kills plus objective play. Launch costs run 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 kills. MW4 has no published tactical-nuke number yet. See the nuke guide.

Overkill swaps your secondary for a 2nd primary. With Lethal Reach, a weapon butt becomes an attack with your melee weapon.

In DMZ, any gun or attachment you unlocked in Multiplayer or DMZ sits at the Forward Operating Base Gunsmith. You buy it there with DMZ Cash.

Open Gunsmith on a gun you own. Let Gunny assemble a build from the attachments you already unlocked. Pick the close-range, balanced or long-range build that fits the map.

Take that build to the Firing Range before a match. The Multiplayer range tracks kills, accuracy, damage and TTK in the top-left corner. Dummies stand at 10, 25, 50 and 100 meters, with 1 to 3 plates. A recoil plate shows your spread and recoil pattern. You can cycle loadouts without leaving the range.

Activision prints no TTK table yet. The Firing Range gives you your own number for the build you run.

Leave the Apex decision until the gun is maxed. Apex takes no slot. It can block some attachment types, so read its line before you build around it:

• M4 Hurricane blocks barrels and magazines.
• ISO Trace blocks optics and ammunition.
• Kastov ARC blocks barrels.
• Type 73 Assault blocks magazines and ammunition.
• X-58 Void blocks barrels and ammunition.
• Oris 8.6 Razor blocks underbarrels.

Pistols take attachments in Gunsmith. Launchers change only their camos, decals and stickers. The FSS Carbon Edge 1095 knife changes only its camo.

At max weapon level you can enter Weapon Prestige. It resets the weapon level and relocks every attachment on that gun, the shared ones included; they stay unlocked on your other guns. Apex and Blueprint attachments stay unlocked. Weapon Prestige pays the Pyroclast camos: mastery camos.

Double Weapon XP Tokens speed up each gun’s track: MW4 double XP.

Your player level decides which top-band guns you can equip. Here is the order they open:

1. Level 4: ISO Nightshade, with Create-a-Class and 8 more guns.
2. Level 9: Type 73.
3. Level 11: Oris 8.6.
4. Level 14: M4.
5. Level 34: Kastov 762.
6. Level 46: X-58 Nyx.

Level 4 gives you 1 gun per class: Han 86, ISO Nightshade, Rezi 12, FiNN LMG, MAR-9, KG-7 Vulcan, SANG 9mm, PILA and the FSS Carbon Edge 1095 knife. Cronen Squall comes last, at Commander (Level 55).

Level ISO Nightshade from Level 4. It is the only top-band gun you hold that early. Every attachment it unlocks is ready on each gun that takes the same piece.

Run Han 86 as your AR until M4 opens at Level 14. Type 73 at Level 9 opens for medium and long lanes. Oris 8.6 follows at Level 11 if you play a bolt-action marksman.

Overkill opens at Level 4. It swaps your secondary for a 2nd primary, so you can carry ISO Nightshade and Han 86 together.

Perks at Level 4: Quick Fix and Overkill in Perk 1, Hardline and Blood Rush in Perk 2, Lethal Reach and Combat Grid in Perk 3. High Alert follows at Level 8, Battle Hardened at 12 and Fast Hands at 20. Ghost opens at 24, Ninja at 30 and Cold-Blooded at 36.

Killstreaks at Level 4: UAV at 5 kills (4 with Hardline, per the 21 October launch patch notes), Artillery Beacon at 6 and Attack Helicopter at 10. Bomb Glider opens at Level 6, Care Package at 9 and Impact Warhead at 12, all at 4 kills. Wheelson opens at Level 16 for 8 kills.

DMZ Early Access opened on 20 October for digital pre-orders and pre-purchases. Level your weapons there to earn attachments and camos. Those are available in Multiplayer at launch on 23 October. DMZ XP also counts toward your 1-55 player level.

Classic Prestige resets level unlocks and Create-a-Class progress, so these guns unlock again. Regular Prestige keeps every unlock. Classic Prestige pays 1 Permanent Unlock Token. Activision suggests spending it on a perk, field upgrade, killstreak or equipment. Prestige guide.

On 23 October, open Gunsmith on the top-band gun your level allows. ISO Nightshade comes at Level 4. Pick attachments the client already gave you. Leave Apex until the gun is maxed.

Ranked Play has no date yet. Damage, TTK and recoil tables are not published yet.

X-58 Nyx also appears as X-58. Wz.55 Striga also appears as WZ.55.

Vault Signature you may already own: Kastov 762 / Voltspine. ISO Nightshade / La Sombra Venenosa. Rezi 12 / Shattered Code. Oris 8.6 / Volt-Edge. FSS Carbon Edge 1095 knife / Sombra Besada. Each is base plus blueprint plus Apex. Those 5 sit inside the 33. Vault weapons reach Warzone in Season 1.

BlackCell’s exclusive blueprint is a Season 1 Battle Pass grant. It waits for that pass to exist in the client.

Reserve a max on weapon leveling. A pro levels your guns from launch on 23 October.