The Best C9 SMG Loadout in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

The MP5 C9 Submachine Gun in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 follows in its predecessors’ footsteps as one of the best weapons in the game. It’s not the top of the heap, but it rarely has been, relegated as it always is to just below top-tier. With the right Gunsmith build, however, you can make the C9 a monster, and the one listed here is fantastic.

The Best Attachments to Use on the C9 SMG in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

The C9 is actually a solid weapon without a single attachment, easily one of the best guns in Black Ops 6. Kitting it out with the stat boosts from the best build will take it to that next level. No, it won’t quite reach the heights the Jackal PDW can get to, but it can definitely be competitive. Especially since so many of the maps in Black Ops 6 are close quarters. Here are the attachments I recommend for the best C9 SMG build.

C9 Muzzle Attachment: Compensator

What’s great about most of the attachments in Black Ops 6 is the lack of a major downside, a major change from the Modern Warfare reboots. That means when the Compensator grants a massive buff to your vertical recoil control, you won’t pay for it with increased ADS time or an Aim Stability debuff. I think the compensator is more beneficial than a suppressor for the C9 unless you’re going for a full stealth build. The usability the Compensator provides and the speed players move in Black Ops 6 make going loud a more viable option.

C9 Barrel Attachment: Long Barrel

I think there’s a place for the other barrel attachments on the C9, but it’s hard to argue with a flat bonus to the weapon’s damage falloff range. Making an SMG more consistent to a longer range is more valuable to me than whatever bonus to bullet velocity would do for consistency within a gun’s default range. Don’t be like me and try to outshoot an assault rifle or, heaven forbid, a sniper with the C9, but with the Long Barrel equipped, you have that couple extra meters of lethality that can come in very handy.

C9 Magazine Attachment: Flip Mag

Yes, you’re losing a magazine out of the C9’s inventory with the Flip Mag attachment, but you gain that extra bit of reload quickness, ADS speed, and sprint-to-fire speed you might need to win a fight. The bonuses to the three stats are modest, but you can combine them with other attachments I’ll list shortly for a more reliable weapon in a fight, both as they start and after they finish. The animation is nice, too.

C9 Rear Grip Attachment: CQB Grip

Combining the sprint-to-fire speed bonus from the Flip Mag with the buffs from the CQB grip makes the C9 a very forgiving weapon to spring around the map with. That you also get slide and dive-to-fire bonuses is even better because you should be doing a lot of both in Black Ops 6.

C9 Stock: No Stock

It probably took me the longest to settle on a stock choice for the C9 because all of them have their benefits. However, as an SMG, mobility is king. With No Stock equipped, the C9 gains a massive bonus to both hipfire and strafing movement speed. There will be times when you come across an enemy before you’re fully prepared to ADS at them, and the C9 will want as many movement speed and hipfire buffs as possible, especially in a world where the Jackal PDW exists.

• C9 Muzzle Attachment: Compensator
• C9 Barrel Attachment: Long Barrel
• C9 Magazine Attachment: Flip Mag
• C9 Rear Grip Attachment: CQB Grip
• C9 Stock: No Stock

With this C9 build, you should have a much easier time taking on enemies in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 multiplayer. You will need to pick your battles, as SMGs aren’t the world-beaters they were in other games, but they’re probably the best weapon class in the game.

The Best Perks and Equipment to Use with the C9 SMG in Black Ops 6

As much as the right attachments can make or break a weapon’s performance, the right perks and equipment can determine how successful a class is on the whole. During the beta, we eventually got access to what I’d assume is all or almost all of the perks that’ll be available when Black Ops 6 releases in October. The same might not be said of the field upgrades and equipment, but there are still some fantastic options.

Best Perk Loadout for the C9 SMG in Black Ops 6

• Perk Slot 1: Scavenger, Ghost, Flak Jacket
• Perk Slot 2: Dexterity, Gung-Ho, Dispatcher
• Perk Slot 3: Double Time, Bankroll, Cold Blooded
• Perk Greed Wildcard Perk: Tac Mask, Fast Hands, Ninja

The combination of perks you use will depend on two factors: how you like to play and if you want to activate any Specializations. If you can hack it, having a Specialization active on every class instantly makes you a more effective combatant, but you can mix and match colors if you want something specific.

As far as equipment goes, for me, there’s only one answer: Semtex and Stim Shot. While you can’t throw a Semtex as far, and it’s easier to get it stuck somewhere you don’t want it, you will always know exactly when it will explode and where, taking out all of the potential randomness of a Thermal, Frag, or any other lethal option. Stim Shots are game changers and always have been, allowing you to quickly recover to full health after a fight. You get two of them per respawn, but with Scavenger, you can resupply them by picking up bags dropped by dead enemies. Stims also function as a supplement to the Enforcer Specialization, ensuring you have full health if you need to run from a fight to survive.

The Field Upgrade you choose is your choice, but for my money, only two are worth considering: the Assault Pack for an instant full resupply, and the Trophy System for anti-explosive protection. Between the two, the Trophy is more powerful because no matter what game mode you’re in, if you or your team need to hold down an area for any length of time, the trophy will stop up to three grenades from raining down after enemies you kill respawn and try to revenge nade you.

For one of the most powerful C9 loadouts in Black Ops 6, I suggest the following:

• Perks: Scavenger, Dexterity, Bankroll with Ghost or Flak Jacket as Wildcard
• Equipment: Semtex
• Tactical: Stim Shot
• Field Upgrade: Trophy System
• Scorestreaks: UAV, Counter UAV, Interceptors

With that loadout, not only do you and your team control the radar, but provided you can earn the 1,100 points for the Interceptors, you can deny the enemy team similar power for a duration. Timing when to use the Interceptors is key, because if you get them after the enemy calls in all their big airborne streaks, you’ve singlehandedly cost them tons of progress. Call them in for just a few UAVs, and you’ve wasted your time.

We don’t yet know if there’s a SR-71/Orbital VSAT/H.A.R.P. equivalent in Black Ops 6, but you can easily swap out the Interceptors for the always-on radar a VSAT (or its Blops 6 equivalent) provides. Swapping Ghost or Flak Jacket for Dispatcher will make it easier to get your non-lethal streaks online, but know you’re sacrificing survivability and stealth to do so.

I’ll be jumping into Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 on release in late October and will make a beeline to get the C9 online again. Expect an update to this article then.

In the meantime, for more on Black Ops 6, check out our guides hub.