Specific details on the Call of Duty: Black Ops PS4/PS5 ports are a mystery, with its supposed $40 price tag and the apparent need to re-buy BO1 DLC essentially just rumors and its exact launch date in July still under wraps. However, what’s not up in the air is the meta for the game’s multiplayer mode.
Balancing wasn’t nearly as much of a priority as it is for modern multiplayer games, so in older CoD titles like MW2, loadout options like the akimbo Model 1887, Commando Pro, and One Man Army were ludicrously broken. While Black Ops didn’t have anything quite that bad, it did have a few very powerful guns — guns that will remain OP since the PlayStation re-release won’t be making balancing changes. For players looking to dominate the battlefield, or trying to avoid broken gear to prove they don’t need it, an outline of what to expect can prove useful.
Even More Classic Call of Duty Games Leaked for PS4 and PS5
Call of Duty may be planning even more ports of older games in the near future, potentially bringing a pair of classic games to PS4 and PS5.
The FAMAS: Black Ops 1’s Most OP Assault Rifle
Call of Duty games tend to favor either Assault Rifles or SMGs, with one of these two main weapon classes housing the best guns. The original Black Ops was undoubtedly an AR-driven experience; the Commando, especially suppressed, is a beloved gun due to its distinct look and satisfying reload animation, the Galil is similarly popular due to its perfect accuracy, and the AUG is a viable three-round-burst option for players who love fighting from a distance. However, the FAMAS is the best of the best for an obvious reason: its fire rate.
Despite its frankly absurd 900 RPM fire rate, the FAMAS’ time to kill is shockingly low, with just 3 bullets needed to take out an opponent. Usually, when a gun is this strong, players can expect some kind of drawback; if it’s not the time to kill, then a weapon that fires as fast as the FAMAS does is almost guaranteed to kick like a mule. However, there’s very little recoil on this Assault Rifle at all, and what is there is manageable. With the FAMAS’ default iron sights being excellent, Black Ops fans on PS5 can spend their attachment slot on a fast or extended mag, which is a wise idea since said magazine will be getting emptied fast.
Scratch & Peek
Identify the cover art while scratching off as little foil as
possible.
The AK74u (With Rapid Fire) Will Be a Menace
Though it’s a known fact that most Black Ops SMGs are lackluster, the AK74u is a different story. Though the base weapon is quite decent, the rapid fire attachment ensures it melts everything and everyone standing in front of it. Unlike other SMGs, it rivals the Assault Rifles available in the original Black Ops game when it comes to range, meaning it’s viable in every situation players will find themselves in. And while it has returned in 2020’s Black Ops Cold War (as pictured above), that version of the gun is a far cry from the original, a weapon that will surely blow players away when they first start using it.
For any players that may be new to the original Black Ops, it’s important to note that attachments worked differently 16 years ago. Call of Duty’s Gunsmith didn’t exist, and weapon customization was limited to a single attachment per gun (or two with the Warlord perk). This means that players looking to create the strongest possible gun will have to choose very carefully when it comes to their attachment slots. For the second best AK74u attachment, players need look no further than a grip.
Picking up dropped weapons is extra useful in Black Ops 1 since players can then access guns equipped with two attachments without wasting a perk slot on Warlord.
What’s That Weapon?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)
Viable Alternatives to the AK74u and FAMAS in Black Ops 1
As mentioned earlier, there are other great weapons in the game that started the Black Ops franchise, such as:
- Galil — Super accurate AR
- AUG — 3-round burst AR for long range combat
- Commando — Mid-range powerhouse AR with fast reloads
- Stoner 63 — Fast for an LMG with a good rate of fire
- L96A1 — One of the most iconic bolt-action Snipers in CoD history and a one-shot kill from waist up
- Python — A deadly revolver, best in-class weapon for the secondary category
While some will surely be picking up Black Ops on PS5 to recreate memories within classic Zombies maps like Call of the Dead, or replay the nostalgic (and still brilliant) campaign, multiplayer will always be the biggest draw. Whether players are having fun in wager matches or dominating a normal 6v6 lobby with one of the weapons listed above, fans of old-school CoD are sure to have a good time in July 2026.
