Apex Attachments do not use an attachment slot and change how a weapon plays. Full list with unlock requirements and effects.
MW4 Apex Attachments Explained
Apex Attachments are the final reward for fully levelling a supported weapon. They are equipped separately from your normal Gunsmith build, they do not consume an attachment slot, and they change how a weapon behaves instead of adding incremental stats. Modern Warfare 4 launches with 28 Apex Attachments across the arsenal; the Open Beta exposed 19 of them.
The key points:
- Unlock by maxing out a supported weapon's level, not by a challenge or a purchase.
- Equipped in their own slot, so a five-attachment build plus an Apex is possible.
- They introduce bespoke effects, not generic stat bonuses.
- Not every weapon has one: launchers and melee have no Gunsmith at all.
What an Apex Attachment is
Infinity Ward describes Apex Attachments as a new tier of optional weapon customization tied to weapon progression, unlocked as the final reward for maxing out a weapon. The official wording is explicit that they are equipped separately from standard Gunsmith attachments and that they do not consume an attachment slot.
The second half of the design is more interesting than the first. Standard attachments nudge attributes: a barrel changes damage range and bullet velocity, a muzzle reduces recoil, a rear grip changes ADS and sprint-to-fire speed. Apex Attachments are described as fundamentally changing how a weapon performs. Some transform a familiar platform into an entirely new combat role, some add alternate fire modes, some bolt on integrated equipment that Gunsmith cannot provide.
A five-attachment build still has five attachments. The Apex sits in its own separate slot, so equipping one never forces you to drop a barrel or an optic.
That is why the practical advice from the official guide is to choose your weapon first and then chase its Apex. The Apex is the payoff for the weapon you already like, not a reason to grind a gun you do not.
Official source: Modern Warfare 4 Open Beta: Weapons Guide
The full confirmed Apex Attachment list
Every Apex Attachment is unique to its weapon, and a few weapons carry two options instead of one. This is the list confirmed by the official weapons guide for the 22 Beta weapons.
| Weapon | Class | Apex Attachment | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Han 86 | Assault Rifle | HAN 86 X20 SKYBREAKER | Targeting optic plus 20mm airburst shell, highly effective at flushing cover |
| M4 | Assault Rifle | M4 HURRICANE | Top-loading 5.7x28 conversion fed from a P90-style magazine, plays like a high-velocity SMG |
| Hyeon Burst | Assault Rifle | HYEON AUTO | Converts the rifle to fully automatic fire for sustained output |
| Hyeon Burst | Assault Rifle | HYEON HYPERBURST | Overclocked receiver: blinding-fast three-round burst followed by slow controlled auto fire |
| Kastov 762 | Assault Rifle | Kastov 545 | Rechambers to 5.45x39 for smooth handling and rapid follow-up shots |
| Kastov 762 | Assault Rifle | Kastov ARC | RF pulse jammer that incapacitates infantry and disrupts enemy Killstreaks and equipment |
| Patriot XMR | Assault Rifle / Battle Rifle | PATRIOT XMR VOLT | Underbarrel launcher firing 50,000V darts, non-lethal but overrides fine motor control |
| Axion | Assault Rifle | AXION CRUSADER | Receiver conversion into a compact high-mobility variant with saw stock and side grip |
| ISO Nightshade | SMG | ISO TRACE | RFID-tagged ammunition feeds tracking data to the optic, showing target movement and direction |
| PPSh-41 | SMG | PPSH-41 EMBER | Underbarrel launcher firing pyrotechnic projectiles that burn for a short time |
| X-58 Nyx | SMG | X-58 VOID | Exceptionally quiet report, hides skulls on enemy deaths, minimizes directional hit indicators |
| WZ.55 Striga | SMG | CLASSIFIED | Not published by Infinity Ward |
| Rezi 12 | Shotgun | REZI 12 ENFORCER | Enables pump-action cycling and adds a side-saddle for hot-loaded explosive slugs |
| FiNN LMG | LMG | FINN ADVERSE | Unthrottles the rate of fire beyond the weapon's limits, sustained fire overheats it |
| Type 73 | LMG | TYPE 73 ASSAULT | Adapts the receiver for a top-mounted magazine loaded with explosive rounds |
| MAR-9 | Marksman Rifle | MAR-9 AUTO | Bruen full-auto conversion with a significant increase in stopping power |
| Oris 8.6 | Marksman Rifle | ORIS 8.6 RAZOR | Receiver-mounted blade module housing rapidly deployable kunai |
| KG-7 Vulcan | Sniper Rifle | KG-9 DRILLCHARGE | Side-mounted drill charges that bore into a surface before detonating |
| Signal .50 | Sniper Rifle | SIGNAL 50 INFERNO | Loads .50 incendiary rounds, big increase to vehicle and Killstreak damage |
| Karit P68 | Pistol | KARIT P68 COMMANDO | Icepick-grip CQB knife that improves melee damage and lunge range |
| .50 GS | Pistol | GS MAGNA | Fully automatic .50 with a thunderous rate of fire and an official accuracy warning |
| Sang 9mm | Pistol | SANG 9&12 | Underbarrel single-shot 12-gauge breaching chamber |
| PILA | Launcher | None | No Gunsmith is available for this weapon |
| Combat Knife | Melee | None | No Gunsmith is available for this weapon |
The August systems blog adds one more confirmed example outside the Beta table: the Mojave .357 revolver equips the Outlaw, a custom single-action hammer that enables rapid fan-firing from the hip.
The dedicated weapons guide calls the ISO Nightshade conversion ISO TRACE and the X-58 Nyx conversion X-58 VOID. The August systems blog refers to the same two as Hunter and Shroud. Treat the weapons guide naming as the primary one and expect the in-game menu to settle it.
Which weapons have no Gunsmith or Apex
Four weapons fall outside the system in practice. The PILA launcher and the Combat Knife are listed outright with the note that no Gunsmith is available for them, so they also have no Apex Attachment.
The official guide's footnote goes further: the Axion assault rifle and the Sang 9mm pistol are available only inside a Default Loadout you choose during Player Progression, and the WZ.55 Striga is only available during the campaign mission. The footnote states these weapons have no access to the Gunsmith or their Apex Attachment, even though the same page still describes an Apex entry for the Axion and the Sang 9mm. Until Infinity Ward clarifies it, treat those three as unavailable for normal multiplayer progression at launch, and treat the Striga's Apex as unpublished since it is listed as CLASSIFIED.
How to unlock and equip one
Unlocking is level-based and nothing else. You fully level a supported weapon, and its Apex Attachment becomes available as the final progression reward. There is no challenge, no currency and no rotating store requirement attached.
Equipping happens in the weapon's customization screen, in a separate slot from the standard attachment row. Because it does not consume a slot, the correct order of operations is to finish a normal build first, then decide whether the Apex improves it or changes its job entirely. An M4 HURRICANE is not a better M4, it is a different weapon with a different effective range, and you should re-check your optics and grip after converting.
Weapon progression is shared across the arsenal, so any attachment you unlock once is available on every weapon that accepts it, as the official player progression guide explains. Apex Attachments are the one exception to that generosity: they are bound to their own weapon and cannot be transferred. The MW4 weapons list shows which weapons carry two Apex options, and the best weapons and loadouts guide explains how to pick a platform worth maxing.
FAQ
Do MW4 Apex Attachments use an attachment slot?
No. They are equipped separately from standard Gunsmith attachments and do not consume a slot, so you keep your full build and add the Apex on top of it.
How do you unlock Apex Attachments in MW4?
By fully levelling a supported weapon. The Apex Attachment is the final reward on that weapon's progression track. Weapons that only appear in a Default Loadout or in a campaign mission are the exception and have no normal unlock path.
How many Apex Attachments does Modern Warfare 4 have?
28 at launch, with 19 available during the Open Beta. Every supported weapon has its own unique Apex, and a few weapons such as the Hyeon Burst and the Kastov 762 offer two.
Do Apex Attachments give stat bonuses?
No. Infinity Ward states they do not provide generic stat bonuses and instead introduce bespoke gameplay effects specific to each weapon, such as alternate fire modes, integrated equipment or a full role conversion.
Which weapons have no Apex Attachment?
The PILA launcher and the Combat Knife have no Gunsmith at all, so no Apex either. The official guide also says the Axion, the Sang 9mm and the WZ.55 Striga sit outside the normal progression path, and the Striga's Apex is listed as CLASSIFIED.
Can you move an Apex Attachment to another weapon?
No. Apex Attachments are weapon-specific. Standard attachments unlock once and work across every weapon that accepts them, but Apex Attachments stay on their own platform.
Related Guides
- MW4 weapons list - every confirmed weapon with class, unlock level and weapon level.
- MW4 Create-a-Class guide - how the Apex slot fits alongside the rest of a loadout.
- Best MW4 weapons and loadouts - which platform is worth maxing for your role.
More Modern Warfare 4 Guides
The Modern Warfare story so far - Urzikstan, Task Force 141, Shepherd's betrayal and Makarov - recapped before you start MW4.
Operators and Killstreaks are now part of every loadout. How to build a Modern Warfare 4 class slot by slot, and what changed.
How DMZ works in Modern Warfare 4: deploying into Hajin, what to loot first, how the threat system escalates and making your first extraction.
Printer resources, ingredients and recipes in MW4 DMZ, the known first recipes with their exact costs, and what each FOB upgrade does.
DMZ early access opens October 20 for digital pre-orders. What you can do in the three days before launch and what carries into the full game.
Every Forward Operating Base station in MW4 DMZ, the level each one unlocks at, and how the Stash, Gunsmith and Vendor actually work.
Every Hajin point of interest in the Modern Warfare 4 DMZ map, with the expected threat level and the loot each type of building holds.
How to hunt Lieutenants and Commanders in MW4 DMZ, what Boss Board intel costs, and why picking up Dog Tags broadcasts your position.