The Best SMGs in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

In Black Ops 6 Multiplayer and Ranked Play, many SMGs are among the best weapons in the game. For their fast fire rates and high mobility, SMGs are highly effective up close, which is where you’ll find most enemies in Black Ops 6. With the customization options available with Gunsmith, attachments can even make SMGs perform well at mid-range, holding their own against Assault Rifles. Here are our picks for the best SMGS in Black Ops 6 Multiplayer, from our own testing as well as stat databases like Warzone Meta.

• #4. PP-919: A bit of an oddity among Black Ops 6 SMGs, the PP-919 is perhaps most effective at medium range. It has slower mobility and handling than most Black Ops 6 SMGs, as well as a fairly slow fire rate. That said, its huge magazine size more than makes up for it. The PP-919’s massive 64-round magazine at base outclasses ARs and nearly rivals LMGs. This is a great advantage, especially in Black Ops 6 Ranked Play, where extended magazine attachments are prohibited.
• #3. PPSh-41: This classic World War II-era SMG made a welcome return at the start of Black Ops 6 and Warzone Season 2. The PPSh plays as an SMG is expected. It has a high fire rate as well as great mobility and handling, making it excellent at close range. It also has surprisingly decent recoil control for its rate of fire, which can be made even better with attachments like the Vertical Foregrip. In standard Multiplayer, the PPSh-41 can also be fitted with its iconic drum mag for an impressive 55-round capacity.
• #2. Jackal PDW: The Jackal PDW has been a huge part of the Black Ops 6 meta since the game’s Beta back in September 2024. The weapon has great mobility, a decent fire rate, and manageable recoil. While the Jackal PDW doesn’t excel with any particular trait, its ease of use and all-around quality make it a great option for every Black Ops 6 map and mode.
• #1 KSV: This SMG will remind players of the AK74u from past Call of Duty games. It’s recently become a favorite among Ranked Play fans and pros, and it’s easy to see why. The KSV shoots fast and moves even faster. It also has clean iron sights and manageable recoil. The clean base sights leave room for an extra attachment, which can make the KSV even more accurate or its mobility even better suited for Black Ops 6 Omnimovement.

Related: How To Unlock the Full Auto Mod in Black Ops 6 & Warzone

The Best SMGs in Black Ops 6 Zombies

SMGs might just be the best weapon type in Black Ops 6 Zombies, aside from Wonder Weapons. The fast mobility and fire rates SMGs offer up can make them super effective at moving around and taking out hordes of the undead. Here are our picks for the best SMGs in Black Ops 6 Zombies.

#4. Kompakt 92: The Kompakt 92 shoots incredibly fast while still having a controllable recoil pattern. This makes it a great option for dealing lots of damage to elite enemies like Abominations and Amalgams.

#3 Saug: The Saug is an extremely situational weapon in Black Ops 6 Zombies. What makes this SMG special is its unique Akimbo attachments, allowing players to hipfire two of this SMG at once. This vastly improves DPS. The Saug has potential as an absolute bullet hose up close, pairing great with the Napalm Burst Ammo Mod for added fire damage. While the Saug’s accuracy nerf has made it fall short of its peak around the launch of Citadelle des Morts, it still has value for Black Ops 6 Zombies players who play close quarters.

#2 PPSh-41: For high capacity SMGs, the PP-919 may still be the top dog. While that weapon does have more ammo in its magazines – since Pack-a-Punch will multiply capacity by four – the PPSh outclasses the PP-919 in most other ways. While it may fall short of its World at War peak, the PPSh is still excellent in Black Ops 6 Zombies. It has an extremely fast fire rate, solid mobility, manageable recoil, and a high-capacity magazine with a good reload time. When combined with Deadshot Daiquiri and its Dead Head Augment, the PPSh has a high DPS against un-armored zombies when aimed at the head.

#1 KSV: Just like in Black Ops 6 Multiplayer, the KSV is dominant in Zombies. Its fast fire rate and solid accuracy give it a very high DPS. When fully upgraded and combined with Deadshot Daiquiri, the KSV can melt through normal zombies and Doppelghasts. Its high mobility also stacks great with Stamin-Up, giving players the ability to outrun and outmaneuver the undead.

And those are the best SMGs in Black Ops 6.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6isavailable now on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC.