The Vaznev-9K Has Been Nerfed As MW2 Ranked Is Released

After getting grips with the competitive ruleset through the halfway house CDL Moshpit playlist, players will quickly find out that the Vaznev-9K is one of the best guns in the game.

Other weapons, such as the Kastov-74U and M4 rival the SMG, but both are now stricken off the list of allowed guns in the competitive mode. With the arrival of Ranked, it was set to be a Vaznev world.

However, just a few seconds before Tryearch activated the Modern Warfare 2 Ranked Playlist, Infinity Ward rolled out its Season 2 patch notes which is bad reading for any Vaznev stan. 

The Vaznev-9K Has Been Nerfed In MW2

The SMG has been adopted by professionals as the best weapon in the game, alongside the TAQ-56 Assault Rifle, but SMG players will now have their kit nerfed.

In the Season 2 patch notes, the developers have "reduced the mid-to-long range damage" for the Vaznev-9K, meaning you're definitely not ripping that head-camper off the glitches on Zargwa Hydroelectric anymore. 

The nerfs now throw more weight on the shoulders of AR players, who will need to be dominant at long ranges.

Modern Warfare 2 Pros React To Vaznev Nerfs

Many of the SMG and flex players in the Call of Duty League - who will be dominating the MW2 Ranked Top 250 leaderboard - have now claimed that the game is definitely tailored to AR players, following the nerfs.

Benjamin "Bance" Bance of Minnesota ROKKR took to Twitter to claim "ARs truly stay blessed in this game," while Sam "Octane" Larew joked that "AR players can rejoice," in the wake of the Vaznev. 

Whether the Vaznev now remains the best gun is yet to be seen. 2013 World Champion Chris "Parasite" Duarte has concluded that the MP5 could be back in contention for SMG players now, but neither will hold a candle to the TAQ-56 anymore.