Warzone 2 reportedly bans thermal optics in Ranked Play

Ryan Lemay
taq-56 with Teplo Clear Shot thermal optic attached in MW2 and Warzone 2 practice range.

Treyarch listened to community feedback and banned thermal optics in Warzone 2 Ranked Play after players discovered an exploit with the Cold Blooded perk.

The Cold Blooded Perk in MW2 and Warzone 2 is supposed to make users undetectable by AI targeting systems and thermal optics.

However, JGOD discovered a thermal optic capable of locating enemies through smoke grenades even if they have Cold Blooded equipped. Warzone 2 community members demanded a ban for the attachment, as players abused the exploit in Ranked Play matches. The developers seemingly stepped in and acted quickly.

Thermal optics banned in Warzone 2 Ranked Play

On May 24, multiple sources confirmed a ban for thermal scopes in Ranked Play. Reliable Call of Duty, insider CharlieINTEL also reported the news.

The ban comes at a perfect time, as the 2023 World Series of Warzone NA and EU Qualifiers start on May 31. The WSOW uses similar rules to Ranked Play and shares the same restrictions.

Before the restriction news, WSOW EU competitor TheTacticalBrit claimed: “The World Series of Warzone is not going to be a good viewer or player experience if thermals are allowed. Nobody will want to rotate or move.”

Al Mazrah’s desert landscape features large open spaces that make smoke grenades essential for rotating in the final stages. There would be no counter to thermal optics if Cold Blooded didn’t work as intended.

Many members of the Call of Duty community praised Treyarch for providing good communication.

One player responded: “I love how Treyarch actually monitors player feedback. They really are the backbone of COD.”

Warzone 2 streamer MuTeX added: “F**k yeah, thermals are banned! They are listening and it’s honestly so attractive.”

Treyarch has not yet released an official statement, so we will provide an update when the developers reveal more information.

About The Author

Ryan is a former games writer for Dexerto. Ryan graduated from Ithaca College in 2021 with a sports media degree and a journalism minor. He gained experience as a writer for the Morning Times newspaper before joining Dexerto as a games writer. He mainly writes about first-person shooters, including Call of Duty and Battlefield, but he is also a big FIFA fan.