The Tonfa melee weapon hasn’t quite become popular yet, but it’s emerged in Asian lobbies and might spread like wildfire soon.
The Tonfa is a melee weapon first introduced to Modern Warfare 2 in Season 4. As part of the carry forward program, the weapon came over to MW3, but most melee weapons go unnoticed in Warzone, as SMGs and shotguns are usually better for short-range engagements. However, a player claimed on Reddit that there had been a surge of Tonfa users in Asian lobbies since the Season 3 Reloaded update went live on May 1.
One user pointed out that the automatic tactical sprint bug helped increase popularity because players don’t need to reload while using a melee weapon. As a result, players could still have the automatic tactical sprint setting on without worrying about their weapons being unable to reload. Raven Software fixed the bug, but there are also other advantages worth noting.
According to that same player, the Tonfa can kill faster than any other weapon within a three-meter range, which gets even deadlier with a smoke grenade. If a player tries to fire their weapon through a smoke grenade, they lose aim assist, making it harder to hit an enemy. But with a Tonfa equipped, users can blindly swing around and get a kill. To add insult to injury, players can also equip the Combat Scout perk so the enemy will be highlighted in orange after taking damage, so it would be even easier to get a kill with a Tonfa.
And for the cherry on top, a riot shield and Tonfa combination provides cover while they get closer to finish the kill off with the melee weapon. It’s unclear if this trend will extend outside these anecdotal matches, but lobbies are in trouble if players catch wind of how powerful the weapon can be.
