Warzone March 24 Patch Buffs EGRT-17, Swordfish A1 While Nerfing Maddox

Raven Software and Activision's Warzone team dropped a mid-season patch on March 24 that forcibly redistributes the AR meta. The update nerfs the dominant Maddox RFB across all modes while buffing the EGRT-17, Swordfish A1, XM325, and Dravec 45 to shake up the AR meta. Black Ops Royale also picks up several in-match activity changes on top of the weapon tuning.

The Maddox has been the obvious AR slot pick since Season 2 launched, and this patch is the clearest signal yet that Raven saw it as a structural problem. "The Maddox has remained a top picked AR due to its ease of use and strong damage output," the developers noted in the patch. "We've toned these down slightly to create more room for other weapons in the class to compete." The patch confirms that the dominant assault rifle has finally taken a meaningful hit, with damage range reductions applied across Battle Royale, Resurgence, and Black Ops Royale simultaneously. That kind of across-the-board nerf signals that the developers saw the Maddox as a genuine problem, not just a minor outlier.

The EGRT-17 is the clearest beneficiary. The AR is one of the biggest winners in this patch, particularly in Battle Royale and Resurgence modes. Its horizontal recoil has been reduced while recoil deviation has been tightened, making it more consistent in medium to long range gunfights. On top of that, two of its attachments received solid upgrades: the EAM Tatter Stock and Frigate Control Stock now provide better recoil control. A well-built EGRT-17 loadout compounds all three improvements simultaneously.

The Swordfish A1 marksman rifle arrives in the patch with changes that address its two biggest complaints: reach and responsiveness. Minimum and maximum damage ranges have both been extended, aim-down-sight speed is faster, and the burst fire interval delay has been shortened. The result is a weapon that feels snappier and stays competitive at the distances where marksman rifles are supposed to thrive.

The XM325 LMG gets a meaningful upgrade: increased damage range across all modes, a bump in bullet velocity, and reductions to both horizontal recoil and recoil deviation in BR and Resurgence. For an LMG class that has historically struggled to justify its loadout slot, that combination of range, velocity, and recoil improvements pushes the XM325 into genuine consideration. The Dravec 45 also receives a buff in this patch, though Raven has not detailed its specific stat changes.

The Peacekeeper Mk1 takes a hit without a single base stat being touched. The Peacekeeper Mk1 gets an indirect nerf. The Monolithic Suppressor attachment in BR and Resurgence now provides reduced bullet velocity and damage range bonuses, trimming the Peacekeeper's reach without touching the base weapon stats directly. Players running the Monolithic Suppressor for the velocity and range benefits will feel the change immediately.

Alongside weapon tuning, the latest Warzone patch also introduces several gameplay tweaks to Black Ops Royale, focusing on mobility and in-match activities. Specifically, Strongbox Crack events now feature more strongboxes spawning at the start of matches. Surprise Shipment has been expanded with more shipments and a higher drop rate for Safecracker USBs, and Surveillance Drones are more common early on, with their Safecracker USB drop rate boosted as well. Raven also adjusted Wingsuit controls for keyboard and mouse players, particularly when jumping from ledges.

If your current loadout relies on the Maddox RFB or a Monolithic Suppressor-equipped Peacekeeper Mk1, both setups are weaker after this patch. Time to rebuild. The full March 24 Warzone patch notes carry the complete stat line changes for every affected weapon.