The current version of Call of Duty: Warzone, much like its predecessor, is a complicated beast of a game, full of little intricacies that even veteran players might not be aware of. Of course, winning a match often comes down to luck, but there are many things you can do to increase your odds of being the last squad standing.
In this guide, we’ll go through eight essential tips and tricks to help you survive and excel in Warzone.
Communicate effectively
Communication was key in the original Warzone and that hasn’t changed in the sequel. This is arguably the most important thing to consider, as so many gunfights are lost due to poor planning and comms. Make sure to call out when and where you see an enemy, and try to use your pings as effectively as possible.
One new feature in the latest version of Warzone is proximity chat, which can be extremely useful when approaching a new point of interest. You’ll be able to hear enemy players talking with one another, and if you do, try and keep quiet so they don’t hear you — this will allow you to sneak up on them with ease. Likewise, you can also use proximity chat to force an enemy player to give you all their cash and gear, which is a fun little feature.
Adjust your settings
Before you even jump into a match, we recommend adjusting your settings so the game feels and plays how you expect. There’s no shortage of settings to adjust, so make sure to visit our dedicated guide for more details. The main things you want to change are the sensitivity, button layout, armor plate behavior, and your field of view.
Stick with your team
For whatever reason, players like to drift away from their teammates, which is almost always a recipe for disaster. Whether you’re playing with random players or a consistent team, you’ll want to make sure you always stick together, even right from the start of a match. Specifically, if you mark a landing spot, and someone else pings another one, it might not be a bad idea to pivot to the other location to ensure everyone is together — even if the new location isn’t ideal. Likewise, if your team is ready to move on from a particular spot, always try to go with them. With that in mind, it’s smart to consistently check your map so you’re always aware of your squad’s location.
Do not quit
Speaking of sticking with your team, we recommend staying in the match, even after you’ve been eliminated. You’d be surprised how often players are willing to buy back teammates during the end portion of a match. The thing is, it’s not too difficult to regain in Warzone, so your chances of coming back and winning — even with fewer teammates — aren’t as low as you’d think. This is because enemy squads will likely be missing players, as well (due to players quitting), evening the odds.
If you’re going to snipe, use these rifles
Sniping in the new version of Warzone works differently than in the previous game. With the exception of a handful of rifles, it’ll take multiple shots to secure one-hit eliminations to the head. The rifles you’ll want to use are the FJX Imperium, Victus XMR, or the MCPR-300. So long as you equip them with explosive rounds, they will down a player in one hit to the head. Keep in mind, explosive rounds tank your weapon’s bullet velocity.
Stock up on the right supplies
Even veteran players can lose certain gunfights if they aren’t prepared. That’s why it’s recommended to stock up on items before the end of a match. These include a Durable Gas Mask, a Self-Revive Kit, a UAV, and plenty of ammo and shields for the final battle.
One thing you should be aware of is that your stored gas masks actually lose durability while in the gas (even if you aren’t wearing one), so it doesn’t pay to keep several of them stored. You can, however, drop them off and come back to pick them up without them losing durability, but that doesn’t always work out in a practical sense.
If you use your Self-Revive Kit or some of your items, you should do your best to restock them as safely as possible, as they can save your life.
Suppressors aren’t as useful
Unfortunately, suppressors are often a hindrance in Warzone. This is due to a number of factors, mainly because they hurt aim down sights (ADS) speed and cause smoke to come out of the weapon, obstructing your view. Instead, we advise picking a muzzle break to help reduce the smoke, while also providing some long-range benefits. You still won’t appear on the mini map when firing an unsuppressed weapon, so there aren’t many downsides to skipping this attachment type.
Change your ping colors
One of the major flaws of Warzone is that the default ping color is white, and can often be hard to track across buildings and other assets in the environment. Instead of sticking with the default ping, we advise swapping over to something brighter. To do so, visit Color Customization from the Interface menu, and change Neutral to something like pink or purple, allowing you to see your pings more clearly.
Practice on Resurgence maps
The standard battle royale mode is fun, but it can be off-putting, especially to newcomers. Thankfully, the game offers a popular Resurgence mode that allows players to continuously respawn (so long as at least one teammate remains alive). This can be invaluable to players looking to experiment with different weapons and playing styles, as the risk is much lower than in standard battle royale. There are two Resurgence maps — Vondel and Ashika Island — and both are extremely fun to play.
Try an alternate route
Oftentimes, two opposing players will notice one another from afar before firing at each other. When this happens, don’t make the obvious choice by running directly at your opponent. Instead, find a different route — possibly one that leads behind or above your enemies — to get the drop on them. Even if your aim isn’t the best, you’ll likely win the gunfight if you start firing at your opponent’s back.
Hold your fire
Most players’ initial instinct is to fire at anything that moves, but in Warzone, that’s often a mistake. The time to kill in this game is slow, meaning it takes a lot of bullets to fully down an opponent. This means you likely won’t be able to fully secure the elimination from afar when your opponents are around cover. Instead, wait for your enemies to be in an open area, or hold your fire until you can get in close. Alerting your foes to your presence by firing early will do you no good.
Watch the pros
Playing Warzone will only get you so far. If you want to excel and push your skills, we recommend following some of the best Warzone YouTubers and streamers, as they often provide the community with important weapon stats, gameplay tips, and much more. There’s no shortage of content creators out there, but we highly recommend JGOD, TrueGameData, and WhosImmortal.
