The Swordfish A1 is finally here in Black Ops 7 and Warzone, and it has a fast fire rate and very low recoil, which can easily dominate enemies at medium to long ranges.
The Swordfish A1 is a four-round burst marksman rifle that trades off some mobility and handling, and the catch is that you can’t just buy it or unlock it through a normal weapon level grind.
Instead, you’ll need to play a limited-time event, complete some specific challenges, and then get your hands on it. Here’s everything you need to know about unlocking the Swordfish A1 in BO7 and Warzone.
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How to unlock Swordfish A1 in BO7 and Warzone
The Swordfish A1 is a free event reward in the Counter Skies event pass. To unlock it, you must complete all nine challenges in the free track of the Counter Skies pass and then claim the Swordfish A1 tile.
Progress is shared between all game modes, since the event is live across all four modes. In Warzone, there’s no separate unlock requirement. You earn event XP by playing BR matches, getting kills, completing contracts, and surviving longer, which all feed into the Counter Skies progression bar.
Once you have enough progression to complete the challenges, you simply claim the reward for the gun to appear in your Warzone weapons list. If you mostly play this mode, you can still unlock the gun without touching 6v6 or Zombies. The only downside is that it just may take a bit longer, depending on your match performance.
What is the Counter Skies event
Counter Skies is a limited-time event that runs during Season 02 Reloaded of BO7 and Warzone. The free track of the event offers the Swordfish A1 and the Echo 12 Backlash Launcher Kit as its key rewards.
There is also a paid track with extra weapon blueprints like the “Waylay” DS20 Mirage AR and “Field Hunt” RK-9 SMG, but the Swordfish A1 itself is on the free side.
Best modes to unlock Swordfish A1 fast
Multiplayer is usually the fastest way to clear event challenges because of its short match times and high kill counts. Warzone Resurgence and standard BR also work well if the challenges favor long-range kills or armor damage, since engagements are more drawn out.
Zombies lets you farm kills safely, so pick the mode that lines up with the current objective. For example, use MP for headshot or multi-kill challenges, then swap to Warzone when you need long-range damage.
Is the Swordfish A1 worth unlocking?
The Swordfish A1 stands out thanks to its very low recoil and strong burst damage, letting you delete enemies quickly if you land all four shots. It has 39 weapon levels, and with the Penta Burst Prestige Attachment unlocked later, you can add an extra shot to each burst, pushing its kill potential even higher in longer fights.
It fits perfectly into the current meta as a flexible, mid-range marksman that can double down as a pseudo-AR with the right build. You can use it across core multiplayer, Zombies, and Warzone once unlocked, with camos and skins shared through the standard progression systems.
If you enjoy weapons that reward precision, the Swordfish A1 is absolutely worth grinding, especially for those who like precise, burst weapons that reward accuracy over just spraying and praying. You can also check our guide on how to unlock the Voyak KT-3 Assault Rifle in Black Ops 7 and Warzone.
