Summary
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6is one of the most high-octane titles within recent memory of the franchise. Thanks to its fast-paced nature and innovative mechanics like omnidirectional movement, the battlefield has never felt this dynamic since the glory days. These new tools open the door to various strategic play styles, with players quickly discovering creative ways to climb the leaderboards.
Thus, one of the most popular weapons to counter these tactics has been SMGs, which have remained meta-defining for several prior Call of Duty titles. In Black Ops 6, they’re back at it again, and with six of them in total, finding the best one can help you dominate even the fastest of opponents.
6PP-919
Unlock Requirement: Level 37
The MP5 and PP-19 are some of the most beloved SMGs in Call of Duty history, soseeing the PP-919 perform so poorly in Black Ops 6 is truly a letdown.Almost every SMG in the game has specialties in certain areas while lacking in others to maintain balance. Unfortunately, the PP-919,due to its slow nature, is rendered obsolete in almost every scenario.
On top of having the worst time-to-kill,it has the weakest movement speed, ADS speed, and reloading speed, by a significant margin.The questionable horizontal bullet spreaddoesn’t do it any favors either, so, at its base, the PP-919 is just too slow and regularly gets outclassed.
5Tanto .22
Unlock Requirement: Level 16
Had it not been for the Tanto’s design, the weapon might have confused you with an assault rifle. Despite its high single-shot damage,its fire rate is so slowthat it barely qualifies as an SMG. It’s actually so bad that it forces the Tanto .22 to havethe second-worst average time-to-kill in its class.
The only redeeming factor about this weapon is its rather high magazine size, which is usually enough to eliminate at least two players. Overall, though, it seems likethe Tanto suffers from an identity crisis, and even as an assault rifle or semi-automatic, it’s not as consistent.
Using the Rapid Fire attachment can substantially improve this weapon, so be sure to equip it once you unlock it.
4Kompakt 92
Unlock Requirement: Level 49
If you can keep your crosshairs on the target,the Kompakt 92 is easily the best SMG Black Ops 6 has to offer.Thanks to its unbelievably high fire rate,it has the fastest time-to-kill of any weaponin this class. It’s also fairly lightweight compared to other SMGs, so your movement speed is fast and fluid.
However, despite that bloodthirsty aggression,the Kompakt 92 keeps a modest mag size with a high recoil, meaning you’ll often find yourself reloading before the enemy’s down. As such, when looking for suitable attachments,you should prioritize recoil control and magazine extensions.
3C9
Unlock Requirement: None
Although the C9 may look like a new weapon on paper, it’s just a carbon copy ofthe dominant MP5 from previous titles.It’s one of the best early-game weapons you can unlockbecause of its solid time-to-kill, but the damage output quickly falls off at long distances.
Besides its effective range, the C9 barely has any flaws.It has a good mag size, stability, and DPS, and its familiarity makes it easy to pick up. Additionally, unlocking at the beginning of the game meansyou can unlock attachments for it far quicker than any SMG.
2Jackal PDW
Unlock Requirement: Level 43
After dominating the beta, the Jackal PDW remains popular because of its ease of use and well-rounded stats.It offers an exceptional time-to-kill in mid-range firefights and, unlike the Kompakt 92,has enough bullets to finish the jobeven if you miss a few shots.
SMGs historically dominate mid-range maps, and with the Jackal PDW,you can almost always claim MVP on maps like Vorkuta, Vault, and Protocol.The semi-decent recoil and ADS mean you don’t have to focus purely on making the gun steady,letting you branch off to other buildsthat are unique and viable.
1KSV
Unlock Requirement: Level 7
The KSV is similar to the C9 in many ways, but it comes withbetter DPS, range, and accuracy, with a slight trade-off to its fire rate.This is arguably the most consistent SMG in Black Ops 6,having a time-to-kill that prevails in short mapswith an effective range that can handle its own in longer ones.
Maps like Payback and Babylonreally highlight how good this weapon can be—whether you’re fighting indoors or in an alley on the map’s edge, the KSV will usually come out on top. Furthermore, like the C9, you can unlock it early on, sothere’s ample incentive to get it to max level.
