Few weapons in Call of Duty history have carved their name into the community's memory quite like the MSMC. If you played Black Ops II, you remember it. If you grinded Black Ops III, you remember it under its remake name, the XMC. Now, over a decade later, the iconic SMG has returned in Black Ops 7-and the question immediately follows: is it still that monster we used to fear, or is the comeback purely nostalgia bait?

What should have been just another unlock turns out to be a full-blown experience. Not only did the MSMC drop as a level 55 unlock-clearly positioned as the prestige weapon of pre-prestige play-but the first true stress test happened when a player dropped his new all-time record: 100+ kills and a nuke in the same session. For a gun that reviewers initially called "bouncy," "zip-gun shaky," and even flat-out "bad at range," that's a massive turnaround.

So, what happened? Was the weapon secretly buffed? Did its damage profile finally get fixed? Or did the perfect attachment formula finally land?

The truth: it took five absolutely essential attachments to unlock the MSMC's real potential-and once they were slapped on, everything changed.

Blueprint Perfection: Thunder Coil + Tempest Camo

A weapon can perform-but when a gun both performs and looks like a mythic heirloom, that's a different type of motivation.

Blueprint: Thunder Coil

 Unlocked at Prestige 6, Level 50

 Metallic power-cored chassis, reactive ion surfaces

 Make Call of Duty Black Ops 7 Bot Lobbies

Camo Applied: Tempest

 Third-to-last universal unlock

 Electric sheen, storm-pulse gradients

This isn't just another weapon skin-it's an aesthetic identity. The player running the setup described it best:

"The Tempest camo looks so, so good on it. I've been running Singularity, but Tempest on this build just hits different."

You don't grind to level 55 and prestige six just to use a basic default model. You want the historical weapon to feel legendary-and visually, it finally does.

The Gameplay Proof: 100+ Kills, Two Nukes Possible, One Secured

Once the build was fully aligned, the results spoke loudly:

 100+ kill match

 101-4 record line

 One confirmed nuke

 Choke on second nuke by just a few kills

 Double streak rotations achieved through Looper

 Harps stacked back-to-back to keep constant vision

Not only was the MSMC viable-it became the centerpiece of one of the best stat lines recorded so far in BO7's launch window.

The player summarized the new experience perfectly:

"This MSMC isn't as bad as I remember when I was camo grinding. With recoil control attachments and no headshot forcing, it actually feels great."

That statement matters because camo grind MSMC feedback was harsh. Early impressions were universal:

 Zero range

 Too much kick

 Lost every duel past 20 meters

 Felt like a downgrade from previous generations

But with the optimized SMG setup, the MSMC finally reclaims its throne-not necessarily as the best weapon in BO7, but absolutely as a true successor to its BO2/BO3 legacy.

Post-Patch Matchmaking Shift and Why the Gun Now Works Better

Once playlist adjustments dropped, the environment shifted dramatically. Fewer prestige sweats, less cracked SBMM lobbies, and noticeably reduced camo grind chaos.

For the first time since launch week, you can run and gun without feeding headshot grinders.

This alone is why SMG mobility weapons finally breathe. When every lobby used two snipers and five meta LMG campers, MSMC range weakness felt even worse.

Now? Players push, rotate, peek, and challenge-and that's where the MSMC thrives.

Final Verdict: Worth Unlocking? Worth Maining?

If you hit level 55 and ignore the MSMC, you're doing yourself a disservice.

It's:

 not the best ranged SMG,

 not the hardest hitting,

 not the most forgiving weapon…

…but with the right loadout, it becomes one of the most rewarding SMGs in BO7.

Strengths

 Absolute shredder inside 15m

 Smooth recoil with optimized build

 Elite blueprint & camo style premium feel

 Cracked streak cycling when paired with Looper & Vigilance

 Perfect for objective pressure slayers

Weaknesses

 Range drop-off is real

 Requires specific attachments to feel usable

 Loses to snipers, high-cal AR beams in open lanes

Conclusion

The MSMC's comeback isn't a cash-grab nostalgia stunt. It's a full evolutionary revival-balanced, modernized, visually upgraded, and tuned for high-skill play.

With the correct attachments, make CoD BO7 Bot Lobbies, thoughtful perk synergy, and streak support, the weapon absolutely can reach its former glory, just not in the same identity as BO2. It's less raw recoil power and more tactical precision.

For anyone who lived through the BO2 XPR spam, the BO3 XMC meltdown, or the sweaty diamond-grind lobbies of old, this weapon is pure Call of Duty nostalgia-but refined into a modern BO7 arena.