Call of Duty: Warzone Temporarily Disables Popular Shotgun

Call of Duty: Warzone Temporarily Deactivates the Reclaimer 18 Shotgun

The popular Reclaimer 18 shotgun has been temporarily removed from Call of Duty: Warzone, with developers offering little explanation beyond a brief announcement on official social media channels. This unexpected action has sparked considerable debate among players.

Warzone boasts an enormous arsenal, constantly expanding with weapons from new Call of Duty titles like Black Ops 6. This vast selection presents balancing challenges, as weapons originally designed for different games (such as Modern Warfare 3) might prove overpowered or underpowered in Warzone's unique environment. Maintaining balance across this extensive library is a significant undertaking for developers.

The Reclaimer 18, a semi-automatic shotgun inspired by the SPAS-12, is the latest weapon to encounter these issues. Its sudden removal, without a stated reason or return date, has fueled speculation within the community.

Speculation and Player Reaction

The lack of detail surrounding the Reclaimer 18's deactivation has led to various theories, with some players pointing to a potentially "glitched" blueprint version of the weapon as the culprit. Videos and images circulating online seem to show the weapon exhibiting unusually high lethality.

The player response is divided. While many applaud the developers' proactive approach to addressing potential imbalances, others express frustration, particularly those who feel the issue should have been identified and resolved before the weapon's release. Some players even suggest reconsidering the JAK Devastators aftermarket parts, which allow dual-wielding of the Reclaimer 18, creating a very powerful, albeit potentially problematic, combination. The concern is that the "glitched" blueprint, exclusive to a paid Tracer Pack, inadvertently created a "pay-to-win" scenario. The argument is that more thorough testing should have been conducted before the Tracer Pack's launch. The nostalgia for "akimbo shotgun" builds from previous games is also a factor in the mixed reaction.