Every Call of Duty era has its one weapon that feels like it was secretly built by a developer with a personal vendetta against balance. In Black Ops 2, it was the MSMC-an SMG with the perfect marriage of mobility, TTK, and recoil control that dominated nearly every map in the game. A decade later, Black Ops 7 has resurrected that legacy with the return of the NPC. And after its latest weapon tuning pass, this thing is no longer just viable-it's unquestionably a meta-breaking monster.

 

Roughly a week ago, Treyarch pushed a mid-season weapon balance update, and tucked inside that patch was a stealth buff that dramatically altered the performance of the NPC. Overnight, an SMG that once felt slightly unstable and range-restricted suddenly became laser-accurate and lethal at distances usually reserved for assault rifles.

 

To summarize the changes quickly:

 

 Damage range increased

 Recoil significantly reduced

 Mobility stat bumped

 Bullet stability improved

 

On paper that looks like a routine tuning adjustment. In game? It transformed the NPC into the most oppressive close-quarter weapon in the title-and shockingly reliable at mid-lane duels as well.

 

Within 72 hours, players were dropping nukes, stacking streaks without effort, and openly claiming the NPC "might be the best SMG in BO7." But the real proof came from back-to-back nuke game plays recorded using a custom eight-attachment loadout designed specifically to turn the buffed NPC into a recoil-free bullet hose.

 

The Loadout That Breaks the Gun

 

Buff or no buff, the weapon becomes downright unfair once kitted with the right attachments. The goal of the build is simple:

zero movement penalty, zero kick, max range, make more Call of Duty Black Ops 7 Bot Lobbies, max snap speed-and no ammo drawbacks.

 

Core Accuracy Package

 

 KN&S Compensator

 Heavy vertical recoil control boost

 Turns previous kick into stable climb

 Recoil Control Foregrip

 Horizontal recoil minimized nearly to zero

 Critical for long-lane fights

 Recoil Springs

 Dual coverage: vertical + horizontal stability

 With just these three pieces, the weapon stops behaving like an SMG entirely and starts tracking like a laser pointer

 

This trio alone maximizes the buff Treyarch already pushed into the gun. Instead of "slightly improved control," you're now operating on near-zero displacement recoil, even while firing at full RPM.

 

Damage & Pressure Package

 

1.Vast Ash Barrel

2.Massive damage range increase

3.Extends kill potential beyond expected SMG zones

 

The NPC has a high fire rate, which means burn-through is inevitable. However, ammo extensions come at a cost:

 

 50-round mag = ADS hit, sprint-to-fire loss, slower reload

 40-round mag = no penalties, perfect balance

 

So while NukeTown grinders might lean into the 50-round option, 40 is the clear meta choice for high-skill engagements and movement-heavy playstyles.

 

Speed & Mobility Package

 

 Mobile Quick-Draw Grip

 Rapid slide-cancel recovery

 Faster ADS snap

 Pedal Stock

 Enhanced strafe speed

 Critical for gunfights where left-right abuse determines survival

 

This is the movement core of the kit. The NPC becomes almost impossible to track when fully strafing, especially mid-range-where most SMGs begin losing gun dominance.

 

The Final Piece:

 

 Stable Range Laser

 Damage range increase (unprecedented for a laser attachment)

 Recoil stabilization bonus

 

This is where Treyarch broke their own system. Lasers historically affect hip-fire, sprint-to-fire, or steadiness-not damage output. With this addition, the NPC enters an entirely new weapon class:

 

 Range of an AR

 Fire rate of an SMG

 Stability of a tactical rifle

 

It's this single attachment that pushes the gun past balanced territory and into fully oppressive dominance.

 

Wildcard & Tactical Synergy

 

To fit eight attachments, Gunfighter is mandatory. The rest of the loadout intentionally directs toward streak cycling:

 

 Squad Link for streak snowballing

 Stim Shot for stun/gas cleanse and clutch survivability

 Overclock to accelerate streak/EMP regeneration

 High-density explosive as the preferred lethal

 Gung-Ho for sprint-fire fluidity

 Scavenger ensuring no mid-life weapon swap

 Looper to double-cycle streaks and secure nukes

 

Looper in particular is the underrated MVP. Two harps per life means:

 

 Infinite radar advantage

 Predictable spawn control

 Consistent hardpoint flipping

 Guaranteed nuke opportunities

 

Combined with the post-buff accuracy of the NPC, streak chaining becomes routine rather than exceptional.Live Gameplay: Proof of Meta Takeover

 

The real test arrived in live matches-not casual lobbies, but full sweat hardpoint sessions. Across multiple games:

 

 Nuke secured in first match back after 3-day break

 84–4 performance with double-nuke pace

 EMP, Harp, UAV cycling repeatedly without shutdown

 Kill chain collapses where the NPC shredded entire spawns before reaction

 

The weapon showcased not just strength but control. No panic recoil, no frantic re-centering, no headshot dependency.

 

In Black Ops titles, SMGs have historically required optimal chest-to-head flinch to secure TTK. Not anymore. Range barrel + laser + triple recoil stabilization means the NPC deletes players by chest alone.

 

Even experienced headset users and corner-sitters couldn't stop the streak momentum. EMP cycles shut down UAVs, ammo drops, and enemy momentum entirely, giving the NPC room to dictate map flow.

 

Is This the Best SMG in Black Ops 7?

 

Right now, yes-and not by a narrow margin.

 

The NPC:

 

 Beats every SMG in close-range duel time

 Out-strafes every rifle and LMG in mid-range trades

 Maintains accuracy equal to meta ARs

 Sustains mobility without penalties

 Gains range from a laser rather than losing movement speed

 

The only realistic contender is the CAP-40 in point-blank meltdown range-but even there, the NPC's consistency and ability to beam cross-lane makes it the more universally oppressive pick.

 

This weapon performs in every playlist:

 

 Hardpoint

 Domination (less smoothly due to sightline congestion)

 Kill Confirmed

 NukeTown mosh

 Ranked if tuning isn't reverted

 

Verdict: Nerf Incoming?

 

If recent Treyarch balancing patterns hold, this setup is almost guaranteed to get hit.

 

Why?

 

 Range stacking on an SMG isn't traditional

 Laser damage enhancement breaks class identity rules

 Low recoil + high fire rate means no skill checks

 Double-nuke pacing shouldn't be possible on a "submachine gun"

 

It's over-performing on every measurable front: mobility, accuracy, range, and streak snowballing.

 

Get your nukes now-before the tuning hammer swings.

Players who remember the BO2 MSMC era will feel a rush of nostalgia, but with a modern twist: this time the weapon isn't just dominant-it's scientifically stabilized, perfectly optimized, and almost hilariously forgiving.

 

For now, enjoy the most disruptive SMG in Black Ops 7. If you think you're tripping, watch the kill feeds, feel the recoil stability, you can make BO7 Bot Lobbies and check the scoreboard.