Modern Warfare 2 players desperate for nerf to Riot Shield “turtle tactic”

Filip Krawanski
riot shield cod warzone

Modern Warfare 2 players, and by extension Warzone 2 fans, are growing increasingly desperate for a nerf or some sort of a solution to the Riot Shield problem that is persistent through both Multiplayer and Battle Royale.

Modern Warfare 2’s meta and the meta of Warzone 2 have both already somewhat solidified. Weapons like the Fennec 45, TAQ-56, and RPK perform far better than the other guns.

What you are unlikely to find it on any tier list, players will commonly find the Riot Shield as a problem to deal with in-game. And the reason is simple, they are not a weapon per se.

Despite this, they are terrorizing players enough that they started begging developers to change or nerf them in some way shape, or form in the replies to official Call of Duty tweets.

Call of Duty players are tired of going up against “turtles”

The most common tactic is to equip it as a “secondary” weapon by either running the Overkill perk in MW2 or simply buying it for the second inventory slot in WZ2. This allows you to have your back nearly entirely covered while you focus on what’s in front of you.

This creates a very unpleasant scenario where players ambushing the “turtle” from behind are at a disadvantage, something unthinkable in the realm of online shooters. Ambushing someone from behind is usually a guaranteed kill in the likes of Apex Legends, Valorant, or Overwatch.

What’s more, the developers already nerfed the riot shield once in the Season 1 Reloaded patch. But it is immune to conventional nerfs.

Things such as “decreased movement speed” or “slower weapon change” do not matter because players never take it off their back where it does exactly what they need it for, to protect them from ambushes.

While there are ways to counter this playstyle with sticky explosives such as the Drill Charge, Semtex, Molotov, and Thermite. But it’s frustrating to run into it while out of lethal grenade ammunition.

About The Author

Filip is a Belgium-based journalist who was formerly on Dexerto's UK team. He spends his free time clearing out his endless gaming backlog or burning something in the kitchen. You can contact Filip at filip.krawanski@dexerto.com