Most players seem to be in agreement that the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 725 shotgun is a particularly powerful tool and an asset to almost any player’s arsenal. A portion of the player base would go a step further and call it overpowered (OP), however, with the word “broken” even being thrown out there. With that in mind, is there a Modern Warfare 725 shotgun nerf on the horizon? Here’s what we know on this divisive topic.
Is the 725 Shotgun getting nerfed in Modern Warfare 2019?
The 725 is a break action, over-under, semi-automatic shotgun with a two-shell capacity. According to the weapon’s in-game description, its “long back-bored barrel and cylindrical choke” tighten pellet spread and make this a shotgun that’s lethal over longer distances than most. Herein lies much of the problem, as the inherent stopping power of a shotgun is usually counterbalanced by its short range. Removing this limitation likely accounts for a sizeable portion of the belief that the 725 needs to be nerfed, regardless of whether or not the gun’s abilities are grounded in reality.
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Modern Warfare 2019’s 725 shotgun is unlocked at just level 17 and proves to be incredibly versatile owing to its extra range, making it a top-tier pick that’s effective in most players’ hands. Its a prevalent weapon as a result—often encountered coupled with the M4A1 assault rifle—so part of the reason people are seeking a nerf is likely related to the frequency with which they come up against it.
Currently, with it still being early days for the new Modern Warfare release, developer Infinity Ward is opting to fix major issues like crashing before worrying too much about adjusting weapon balance. Once all players on all platforms are up and running smoothly, then they’ll pivot to focus on the game’s comparative minutia.
This means that there aren’t currently specific plans for a Modern Warfare 725 shotgun nerf, but it isn’t out of the question in the future. If feedback overwhelmingly seems to suggest that they should do so, it’s entirely possible that the development team could balance this firearm through a future patch.