Black Ops 6 Beta Update Jackal PDW Gets a Major Nerf in New Patch

The Black Ops 6 open beta is back for a second weekend, complete with significant updates! Developers have listened to player feedback by nerfing the Jackal PDW, tweaking spawn points, and enhancing audio quality.

While the beta and its new Omnimovement system were generally well-received, players voiced concerns about the spawn logic, weapon progression rate, and the Jackal PDW’s overwhelming dominance in the meta.

The beta, which has been accessible to everyone since September 6 at 10 AM PT, requires no pre-order or Xbox Game Pass subscription. Players can level up to 30 and unlock new weapons and gear. Here’s a rundown of the changes based on early feedback from the first weekend.

Black Ops 6 Open Beta Patch Notes – Key Changes

Progression

The level cap has been raised to 30, bringing new content to unlock:

• Level 21: Explosive Trap (Lethal Equipment), Scavenger (Perk)
• Level 22: Interceptors (Scorestreak), Fast Hands (Perk)
• Level 30: Tanto .22 (SMG)

Weapon Balancing

Jackal PDW: Damage output has been adjusted to reduce its efficiency at mid-range, alongside a slight increase in recoil to balance the gameplay.

Weapon Swapping: The speed of weapon changes has been increased by reducing drop times for all weapon categories, with a 100 ms reduction for snipers.

Movements

Minor tweaks have been made to movement speeds for each weapon category. Assault rifles and precision rifles now have slightly improved movement speeds, while sprint speed for melee weapon users has been increased to enhance close-quarters combat viability.

Spawns

The developers have revisited spawn logic to reduce bad spawns (situations where a player takes damage within 3 seconds of spawning). Several maps have been adjusted to improve engagement predictability.

For more information on the improvements in Black Ops 6, check out our ultimate guide on unlocking Monster Energy rewards in Black Ops 6 or read our in-depth article on the best movement settings for optimized gameplay in Black Ops 6.

Source: Activision