Call of Duty: Warzone, the just-released FPS battle royale game, is now available to download. Warzone is similar to other popular battle royale games like PUBG, Apex Legends and Fortnite, however Call of Duty: Warzone also brings many unique features that set the game apart from other battle royale games. To help you survive the dangerous battlefield, we have compiled a list of early tips that you should keep in mind before jumping into Warzone.
Free To Play
Call of Duty: Warzone is a free-to-play Battle Royale, which means that you don't have to own a copy of Modern Warfare to play the game. Whether you're on PC or consoles, you can enjoy the game completely for free.
Battle Royale Mode
Warzone comes with two multiplayer modes. The first one is a classic battle royale mode. If you've played other BR games, you might be already familiar with this one. Your team drops in on the map and your goal is to be the last squad that survives out of the whopping 50 squads.
Plunder
Plunder is a new mode that is quite different than the more traditional battle royale. In Plunder, your team has to acquire the most cash by either killing your enemies or looting around the map. The team that collects the most cash will win the mode. However, if your squad ends up having the most cash, every other squad in the game will know about you and will seek to hunt you down. You can even protect your collected cash by depositing it at safe cash helipads or cash balloons.
150 Players
Each Call of Duty: Warzone BR or Plunder mode will include up to 150 people, or 50 squads of three competing for the win. The last squad to stay alive (or in the case of Plunder, has the most money at the end) wins the game.
The Map
At launch, Warzone will include one massive map with multiple locations. Many of these locations are actual places seen in older Call of Duty games. However, all of these locations have been rebuilt from the ground up and each building is completely different. Also, when you drop onto the map, you'll see floating names on the map letting you know as to where you're dropping in.
Trio Teams
You drop into the battlefield as a three-man squad. You will be put into competition against 49 other three-man squads.
Spawn With a Pistol
Unlike other BR games, in Call of Duty: Warzone you'll drop in with a pistol until you find another heavy-hitting weapon. This means you don't need to worry about being unarmed when facing an enemy as soon as you drop in.
Health Auto Regenerates
Your base health is capped at 100HP, and automatically regenerates when you are not taking damage.
Armor Shards
On top of your base health, you can wear armor plates that grant you an additional 50 HP. You gain armor by collecting armor shards and you can wear a maximum of three armor plates at a time, gaining an additional 150 HP.
HUD
The HUD in the game includes a mini-map, a timer counting down until when the ring closes, your HP, armor information, ammo information, info about your teammates, and a compass.
Zone Closing
There are eight levels of zone closings in Warzone and the zones close pretty quickly, dealing a large amount of damage to those stuck outside the zone.
Gas Mask
Warzone also allows you to buy a gas mask, which gives a short 10 to 12 second window to survive outside the zone. However, since the zone hits pretty hard, I suspect that this item will not be of great help.
Ping
You can also ping everything in the game, relaying important information to your teammates. The game allows you to ping enemy locations, weapons, ammo, and more.
Loot
Loot works similar to other BR games like Apex Legends and Fortnite. You drop in and find weapons and ammo lying around on the ground. You pick these items up and get going. Additionally, there are also loot chests that are based on rarity, granting you epic or legendary weapons.
Field Upgrade
There are also field upgrades in Warzone, but they are not earned like in classic Call of Duty games. Field upgrades are looted just like how you would loot ammo, weapons, and cash.
Weapons
Weapons are found lying around on the map or in loot chests. Weapons are based on their rarity. The common weapons are highlighted with a green outline, and the outline changes colors to blue, purple, and then orange based on rarity.
Shotguns
Shotguns do have a pretty decent range in Warzone and your shots will mostly hit your enemies when you shoot at them from a distance. Of course, they still perform better at close range.
Sniper Rifle
Sniper rifles are some of the strongest weapons in Warzone and getting a headshot with a sniper will always guarantee a down regardless of enemy armor.
No Weapons Attachments
When looting weapons off the ground, you'll notice that these weapons don't have any attachments. Attachments are only available on weapons that you find in loot chests. The attachments for a weapon also varies based on the rarity of the weapon. The least rare weapons have a single attachment and legendary weapons are outfitted with all attachments.
Ammo
Different weapons in Warzone require different types of ammo. If you're using an assault rifle and SMG, you'll need different ammo for both of those firearms.
Money
Along with the weapons, ammo, and armor that you loot in Warzone, you'll also loot money. You'll find money lying around, in loot crates, or when killing enemies. Additionally, you can also complete several challenges to get a set amount of money. Money can then be spent buying useful items from Buy Stations.
Buy Stations
Buy Stations are specific locations on the map where you can buy gear from. These stations allow you to buy an armor plate bundle, several killstreak rewards, and some new tactical support items that are new to Warzone. This includes a Self-Revive Kit, Squad Buybacks, and Loadout Drop Markers.
Create a Class
When in the Buy Stations, you can buy a dropkit. This essentially is a Create a Class loadout that you can create in the main menu of the game. Dropkits offer you weapons with all of your favorite loadouts and perks, but they are also quite expensive.
Kills
Currently, kills works quite differently in Warzone. Downing an enemy doesn't necessarily guarantee a kill. If you down an enemy and a teammate confirms the kill, your teammate will net the kill. However, Activision has said that it will be fixing this issue. We aren't sure if this will be fixed in the game when it launches today.
Deaths
You don't immediately die in Warzone if you're either shot down or outside the ring. Your teammates can still revive you. However, if you still end up dying, your role isn't completely over yet. You can still respawn!
Respawn
Respawning in Warzone works in two different ways. The first way is when you die, you are captured and thrown in the Gulag, where you have to fight One Vs One against another dead player. If you win, you will respawn back. It is also important to note that the Gulag is only active for the first 75% of the game's length, and then it is deactivated. This means that you if die after 75% of the game has been played, you're permanently dead. Another way to respawn actually depends on your squadmates. Your squadmates can buy you back using the Squad Buyback option at the Buy Stations.
Random Care Packages
There are are also random care packages that drop into the game and they contain valuable loot including rare weapons, ammo, and money. However, these care packages will also attract a lot of attention. Going after these care packages is always a high risk, high reward scenario.
Loot in Tall Buildings
To prevent people from camping in tall buildings, Activision has only placed loot on the first floor and roof of the buildings. Even if you come across a building with seven levels, you'll only find loot on the first floor and the roof.
Vehicles
Your squad can make use of vehicles around the map to traverse more conveniently. These vehicles include ATVs, SUVs, Cargo Trucks, Tack Rovers, and Helicopters. All of these vehicles have different movement speeds and none of them have any attached weapons on them.
Game Length
A typical game in Warzone will last anywhere between 20 to 25 minutes.
Warzone Updates
Infinity Ward has plans on supporting the game by adding new playlists, map updates, story updates, and more after the game launches.
Winning
You win when you have defeated the last enemy squad. Once you have won the BR, you're deported from the map via a helicopter and a small animation plays showing off your squadmates.
Crossplay
Finally, Warzone supports crossplay, which means whether you're playing the game on PC or console, you might find yourself playing against players on different platforms.
Call of Duty: Warzone launches today on PC, PS4 and Xbox One. Personally, I am excited to get my hands on the game as soon as it arrives.
