8 things Warzone 2 needs to get Call of Duty BR back on top
ActivisionCall of Duty: Warzone 2 already has unbelievable levels of hype as the next proper sequel in this sub-franchise looks to deliver the ultimate CoD battle royale experience possible. To do so, we’ve picked out a few things it can look to nail down.
Activision probably couldn’t have imagined how popular Warzone was going to be, despite being a CoD title. For months it dominated Twitch, had millions of players across most major platforms as they all sought to conquer Verdansk and Rebirth Island.
The game then faced a dip following the serious emergence of hackers, with no adequate anti-software in place, the subsequent revitalization of Apex Legends, and a divisive new map in Warzone Pacific’s Caldera.
It’s already established that Warzone 2 is in the distant future, and here are some things we’d like to see for a glorious sequel.
Activision1. More than one main map
One of the reasons players keep going back to Apex Legends is because you get a different experience with each of the game’s four, yes four, main battle royale maps. This is in addition to its several Arenas maps too.
In the two years since Warzone’s inception, players have only had Verdansk, Caldera, and Rebirth Island. If Apex players don’t like a particular map, then there will always be others to fall back on. If you don’t like Caldera in Warzone Pacific, then your CoD battle royale enjoyment is instantly ruined.
Fortnite has only ever had one official map, but Epic Games regularly make big changes to it to make it feel fresh. We definitely need more maps in rotation for Warzone.
2. Avoid game-ruining metas
There’s been a lot of solid weapon balance in Warzone for the most part, and even when there have been strong guns, they generally haven’t been so powerful that everyone has to feel the need to use them.
But, we have had two or three damaging metas, namely, the bore that was DMRzone and the Burst Rifle/MAC-10 meta that made Verdansk mind-numbingly stale for a while. Not only that, but there was a time when the AMAX simply dominated every other gun in the game.
The devs really need to work hard and manage the game’s weapons to ensure barely viable weapons have a chance, and OP guns are managed carefully.
Activision3. Keep Perks balanced and fresh
Something that was overlooked by Raven Software for the longest time was the lack of Perk options. Whilst the game did have plenty of Perks to choose from, only a handful were truly meta.
Perk 1 was typically E.O.D, Perk 2 was Ghost or Overkill, and Perk 3 was Amped. However, as the seasons progressed, new ones were added and old ones tweaked. The likes of Cold-Blooded had special new properties to boost its potential, and Combat Scout was a game-changer offering literal wallhacks.
The devs need to stay on top of Warzone 2’s Perk meta.
4. No pay-to-win Skins or Blueprints
It goes without saying that we simply don’t need these kinds of things happening in Call of Duty: Warzone. Yes, skins and bundles will always be a constant as it’s the game’s primary money-making tool.
On the other hand, we shouldn’t have skins that make players blend in with the environment to appear invisible, skins that make players actually turn invisible, or Blueprints that give guns secret, broken, pay-to-win advantages.
Conversely, we also shouldn’t have paid items making a gun pay-to-lose either as it should all be tested thoroughly.
Activision5. Don’t remove fan-favorite playlist options
I understand that the devs want to rotate the playlist options to keep all of their content being played, but removing obvious favorites is lunacy.
Instead of spreading the player base out across your different offerings, you’re actually putting off your fans and risking having them not play at all either out of spite or because they’re missing the only mode they enjoy.
Maybe a community vote could settle things each week? There’s always a solution.
6. FOV on console
Both Black Ops Cold War and Vanguard featured a Field Of View slider option on consoles, and yet, Warzone, or Warzone Pacific, still don’t. The worst thing is there’s still no reasonable explanation as to why.
For Warzone 2, a FOV slider on console is almost non-negotiable at this point to prevent the wrath of CoD players and end the supposed tyranny of the PC master race.
Activision7. An iron-clad anti-cheat system
Let’s face it, RICOCHET has not been a success.
Has it cut down on the number of cheaters in Warzone? Yes. Though, this isn’t saying much when you consider the final days of Verdansk were simply overloaded with hackers and cheaters. It’s been said before, but Activision is a multi-billion dollar company that can plow resources galore into a state-of-the-art anti-cheat system, and Warzone 2 needs next-to-no people spoiling tournaments and standard lobbies.
8. Warzone Ranked
Not to harp on about the comparisons, but two of Call of Duty’s biggest rivals both have ranked for their battle royale — Fortnite and Apex Legends.
Meaning, people who want more casual games of Warzone can still be put with players way above their skill level and not have their session of CoD sullied. Not only that, but players love the thrill of ascending ranks to see how far they can go and maybe face the absolute best competitors on the planet.
The only way to do that at present is for the pros, in tournaments. A Ranked mode would add some variety to proceedings and make it more competitive for players of all skill levels.
