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Warzone Pacific SMG tier list - Every submachine gun ranked from best to worst for Season 1

What is the best SMG on the new Warzone Pacific map Caldera? If this question bothers you, we've performed extensive testing of both new and old SMGs available in Warzone Pacific Season 1.

By Nikola Savic |

Page Updated December 9, 2021, 22:16 | First Published December 8, 2021, 09:05

Warzone Pacific SMG tier list - Every submachine gun ranked from best to worst for Season 1

Warzone Pacific Season 1 is now live, marking one of the biggest milestones for Call of Duty's battle royale.

Warzone Pacific is moving players from the gloomy city of Verdansk to the sunny island of Caldera, the arsenal is getting richer with over 40 new Vanguard weapons, there will be dogfights with WW2 fighter planes, those who fight their way out of the Gulag will keep their weapons, and several other core gameplay changes were introduced with the update.

It's like a whole new game, and while exciting, it's also rather daunting for both new and old players alike. No matter how experienced you are in Warzone, a new battlefield means we are all starting from scratch in some way, at least until you learn all the ins and outs of the map, and your muscle memory starts to kick in.

Quick learners and early adopters are the ones who will dominate Caldera in December, and knowing what are the best submachine guns is crucial if you want to be among them.

No matter if you use them as your primary or secondary weapon, SMGs will play a pivotal role on the Caldera map, as the map features many densely built-up areas that necessitate close-quarters combat.

Once you master these complicated layouts and learn to manoeuvre around them, your SMG skills will help you gain the upper hand in the heat of battle, but you still need to know which SMGs will work best on Caldera, and that's where we've got you covered.

Warzone Pacific SMG tier list for Caldera

With the arrival of the Warzone Pacific update, the battle royale now features a total of 27 submachine guns; 21 from the previous games, and six brand new SMGs coming from Vanguard.

While we are fairly confident in our tier list, it should be noted that Warzone Pacific represents the biggest change in the game's history, and with such transition, things will undoubtedly change in a lot of ways and will continue to shift throughout Season 1 until the player base figures out the most efficient ways to play the new map.

With that said, let's jump straight into our SMG tier list.

Description of the tiers

S-Tier: The best of the best. Even with mediocre attachments, these guns are powerhouses that will blast enemies into smithereens.
A-Tier: These weapons are incredibly powerful and may closely rival weapons in the S-Tier if paired with the right attachments.
B-Tier: The middle of the pack SMGs for Warzone Pacific. Using the perfect loadout allows you to compete with players boasting the A-Tier weapons. These are great for specific situations or playstyles.
C-Tier: These SMGs shouldn't be your primary weapon and should be used circumstantially with another weapon or require adept level skill to shine.
D-Tier: This is labelled the "trash tier" weapons list. You should not include SMGs in this tier in your loadout at all.

S-Tier

The MAC-10 remains the top dog in the SMG category due to the weapon's superb hip-fire accuracy paired with reasonably low recoil and a very high rate of fire, which makes it perfect for both mid-range and close-quarter combat.

The MP-40 joins the top tier straight from Vanguard, as this weapon will dominate popular landing locations such are the Mines, the River Village, and the Capital.

A-Tier

The M1928, popularly known as the Tommy gun, has one of the highest rates of fire in the SMG class, which will be quite useful when you find yourself in fight-or-flight situations, especially when there are multiple targets in crowded areas that need to be eliminated as soon as possible.

If you are landing in hot spots such are the Peak, the Mines, or the Resort, consider picking the LC-10 or the MP5. Both offer high damage and solid recoil control.

The Milano boasts incredible firepower and excellent hip-fire accuracy, and it might be a good alternative to our Tier SMGs if you tweak it with the right attachments.

B-Tier

AK-74u
Fennec
Tec-9
PPSh-41 (Vanguard)

This is what we call the "washed-up stars" tier. These SMGs were once powerhouse weapons, but due to nerfs and shifts in the meta, they are simply not as effective anymore.

The Fennec, for example, has one of the fastest fire rates, but it has abysmal range, and that's simply not going to cut it on Caldera. On the other hand, the TEC-9 boasts improved accuracy at longer ranges and it has noticeably low recoil but at the cost of a slower fire rate. This combination worked relatively well on Verdansk, but it's not as good on Caldera.

C-Tier

Uzi
CX-9
AUG
P90
PP19 Bizon
Type 100

Not the worst of the worst, but only good if you have nothing better at the moment. The PP19 Bizon, for example, has very low TTK and poor damage, and while it will be okay-ish in the early game, it is not worth keeping later into the game.

The same goes for the CX-9, with its small magazine and a relatively poor damage range, it's simply not something you want on Caldera.

D-Tier

ISO SMG
Nail Gun
Striker 45
Sten
KSP-45

These were some of the worst SMGs on Verdansk, and that remains true on Caldera as well. They are underperforming in every single aspect compared even to the C-Tier weapons, let alone some of the best SMGs in the game. Don't pick up unless absolutely necessary.

So there you have it, our full tier list for all SMGs at the start of Warzone Pacific Season 1. Disagree with our list? We don't care. To be more disappointed, check out our AR, Shotgun, LMG, Tactical Rifle and Sniper Rifle tier lists.

Read more: Best weapons in Warzone Pacific Season 1 - most broken guns on Caldera

Excited about Caldera? Check out our dedicated Call of Duty: Warzone hub for all the latest news and guides.

Featured image courtesy of Activision Blizzard.

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