The best assault rifles in Black Ops 6 — Meta ARs in BO6 multiplayer

Assault rifle players are just built different in Call of Duty. They’re the field generals, the commanders of the battlefield, and those who lock down entire areas of the map with their long-range precision.

In Black Ops 6, assault rifles have a tougher job than usual thanks to omnimovement. SMG players are feasting on the new movement abilities, sliding and diving around AR gunners like never before. But that doesn’t mean it’s over for ARs. Quite the contrary.

Here’s our picks for the best ARs in BO6 so far.

Best assault rifles in BO6

The best AR in BO6 right now is the Model L. Proficient in both firepower and range, it’s the best of the strongest all-rounder in this weapon class.

Model L

In the earliest days of BO6, the Model L has quickly become the favorite gun of pro players in scrimmages and tournaments. There is already talk of it being banned from pro play, so that means you should definitely fill up multiple loadouts and classes with it.

The loadout below is perfect for mid-range gameplay, gunning down enemies before they get a chance to come close and use omnimovement against you.

XM4

Adept at mobility, accuracy, and ranged damage, the XM4 is a jack of all trades thus far in BO6. It can hold its own at range or up close, which is what sets it apart from other ARs on this list. Other ARs may lose out to SMG users in close quarters, but the XM4 has the ability to out-gun them, too.

This weapon is a massive improvement on the version in Black Ops Cold War, and it’s one that should be on every player’s radar for using.

Ames 85

The Ames 85 is not far behind the others when it comes to best ARs. In fact, I think they are interchangeable often, as I find myself able to get kills in similar situations with both guns. I don’t think either weapon has a huge glaring weakness, making it a toss-up dependent on personal preference as to which weapon you think you want to use in a given scenario.

Stats-wise, the Ames 85 only lags slightly behind the XM4 in accuracy and mobility, but it’s not much. And since the Gunsmith can be used to rectify inequities with the weapons, the faults are pretty negligible.

AK-74

The AK-74 is a formidable weapon on its own because it’s a powerhouse of firepower, but it falters when it comes to ranged damage thanks to its recoil. If you can rein it in, however, it’s a beast and a problem to be dealt with for sure.

This article will be updated as weapons are added, nerfed, or buffed over time.