Modern Warfare 2: Best guns, loadouts and perks in newest Call of Duty game's multiplayer

With Modern Warfare II, Infinity Ward and Activision have returned to a more tactical style of first-person shooter, with a fast time-to-kill and more expansive maps.

We have been playing the game over the weekend – and watching some of the pros on Twitch – to help you out with your custom loadouts, weapon set-ups and more.

Taking it slow

Unless you are running headfirst into someone with a shotgun, it seems the best way to play is let your enemies come to you.

Therefore, assault rifles and snipers are dominating the meta at the moment, especially in gamemodes like Search and Destroy.

As one of the first guns unlocked, the M4 has proven to be a popular choice for new players, with a fast fire-rate and moderate recoil.

But at medium to long ranges, it struggles to compete with the Taq-56 and Kastov-74u – which is so strong that the professional players have agreed not to use it until it catches a nerf from developers.

To unlock the 74u, you need to level up the Kastov 545 assault rifle to level 13.

We recommend making the most of the 74u sooner rather than later, as weapons this strong are usually patched sooner rather than later.

As for other classes, the low recoil of the Vel 46 makes it a stand-out option in the category, and SP-X 80 appears to be the sniper rifle of choice at the moment.

Don’t get too attached

Unlocking attachments for your weapons is far more complex than in previous Call of Duty titles.

Instead of unlocking them for specific guns, many weapons progress into others – meaning you need to use all of them to unlock everything.

Attachments that help with aim down sight time and recoil control are always the best options.

This means that things like the Merc Foregrip, or the Demo Cleanshot Grip on the Taq-56, are solid choices being used by casuals and pros alike.

With more than 40 sights in the game, it’s difficult to know which one to use – but we have found that the Cronen Mini Pro sight gives good visibility without making you look through a telescope to see the enemy.

Perks of the job

The perk system – a mainstay of the franchise since CoD4 – also works differently this time around.

Players get two base perks, before earning a bonus perk and an ultimate perk during each match. These are earned based on elapsed time and overall score.

With grenades being so strong at the moment, Bomb Squad is a crucial base perk to reduce the damage you take – and Double Time helps you to reach objectives or key choke points before your opponents.

For your bonus perks, we are finding huge success with Focus, which reduces your flinch when shot, and Cold-Blooded to stay hidden enemy scorestreaks, thermal optics and recon drones.

The ultimate perks are somewhat underwhelming, but Ghost will keep you hidden from the seemingly endless UAV spam.

The best loadouts

While these are subject to change based on patches, these are the best custom loadouts that we have found so far – both from playing the game and watching some of the pros.

CUSTOM ONE

Primary: Kastov-74u with BR209 barrel, RF Crown 50 muzzle, Bruen Sync Shot underbarrel, Demo-X2 rear grip and Spetsnaz S10 stock

Secondary: Combat Knife

Tactical: Stun Grenade

Lethal: Frag Grenade

Base Perks: Double Time and Bomb Squad

Bonus Perk: Focus

Ultimate Perk: Ghost

CUSTOM TWO

Primary: Taq-56 with Mini Cronen Pro sight, RF Crown 50 muzzle, Merc Foregrip underbarrel, Demo Cleanshot rear grip and TV XLine Pro stock

Secondary: Combat Knife

Tactical: Stun Grenade

Lethal: Frag Grenade

Base Perks: Double Time and Bomb Squad

Bonus Perk: Focus

Ultimate Perk: Ghost