The Anti-Tank Gorenko Sniper Rifle might be the best sniper for the final season of Call of Duty Warzone. The EU division of the World Series of Warzone kicked off with a sleeper pick no one was expecting. The Gorenko was picked almost 20% of the time across teams. This equals to about one in the hands of nearly every squad.
According to Warzone Ranked, the Gorenko was only picked about .74% of the time across all players. An abysmal pick rate over something like the Vanguard PPSH with a 9.95% pick rate.
So why now, and why at the biggest tournament of the year? Well, due to recent buffs on the season 5 update, the Gorenko is finally in the Meta. Boasting an incredible 1615 m/s bullet velocity (Sym.gg), a 120 Round per minute fire rate (2 shots per second!), and a huge 10-round magazine. The Gorenko Sniper Rifle is about to appear everywhere in the coming weeks on Caldera and the small maps alike. Even if you struggle to hit a headshot now and then, it only takes three shots anywhere on the body to deal the required 300 damage for a fully plated kill.
Now I got a chance to use the Gorkeno when it came out in season 3 of Vanguard, and it was actually kind of bad. Being semi-auto did not help it, as the recoil was too much to make quick successive shots. And in Warzone, all the other big contenders like the Kar98k and Swiss outshined it. It wasn’t until the huge Season 4 sniper overhaul update that nerfed all the “quick” snipers’ one-shot potential that the slower, heavier snipers could have a chance in the spotlight. Once forgotten, snipers like the HDR, ZRG, and AX-50 were quickly picked back up by seasoned players trying to find the next meta sniper. And while it may have taken several seasons to get the Gorenko Sniper Rifle “just right,” it looks to be the most dominant sniper in the final season of Call of Duty Warzone.
Recommended loadout for the Gorenko Sniper Rifle
- Muzzle: Mercury Silencer
- Barrel: 420mm Empress
- Optic: SVT-40 PU Scope 3-6x
- Stock: Reinforced Stock
- Under barrel: Bipod
- Magazine: 13mm AM 10 Round Mag w/ FMJ Rounds
- Grip: Stippled Grip
- Perks: Focus + On Hand
The MX Silencer is not required for this build, as the one-shot headshot potential works on any range. There is no need to add to your ADS time. Stippled Grip and the Reinforced Stock help with your initial shots firing recoil, and as this is a semi-auto weapon, that’s every time you pull the trigger! Leather has been the go-to grip for all vanguard snipers for a while, but the Gorenko is unique, being the only vanguard Semi-Auto sniper. And as for the perks, On-hand is the best perk for helping your ADS time, and Focus will help you effectively challenge an Assault Rifle in a long-range gunfight without your screen shaking like crazy. If you want to drop Focus, Discard Is a fine second choice helping you reload an empty magazine 50% faster.
