Best Warzone loadout perks to use in Season 5

Theo Salaun

If you’re new to Warzone or simply wish to get a competitive edge in Verdansk, then it’s worth exploring all of the best Warzone perks that you can equip with your loadouts.

Warzone has revolutionized the Battle Royale genre with its fresh take on its in-game economy system, killstreaks, and custom loadouts. While players have grown familiar with the game’s mechanics, there are still a lot of options to consider when creating the best loadout.

Loadouts are the most critical part of Warzone, whether they’re obtained from a public drop or purchased at a Buy Station. No matter how you secure one, you’ll want to make sure that the perks it grants you suit the type of style you’re trying to play.

Of course, fully customized weapons are a pivotal decision when it comes to sifting between your loadout options, but you’ll still need to utilize the best perks in Warzone if you wish to increase your survival in Verdansk.

Here, we’ll break down the differences between the perks and how you can make the most out of your classes.

Players defending Custom Loadout in Warzone.
Custom loadouts can be purchased via Buy Stations, which are dotted all around the map.

In your Warzone loadout, you can select two weapons, two pieces of equipment, and three perks. Not only do those perks impact your experience on Verdansk, but they also affect the weapons and equipment you pick and how you use them.

Since every perk has its use given the right circumstances, we won’t ignore any of them here. Instead, we’ll go through all six perks from each slot and rank them, in descending order, by overall utility.


Contents


Perk 1 slot: The best Warzone options

6. Kill Chain

Kill Chain perk in Warzone.

While the regular use of Kill Chain doesn’t necessarily have a place in Verdansk, the Warzone-specific added bonus of increasing your chances of finding a killstreak could end up saving you some money and offering some fun options during gunfights.

UAVs, Cluster Strikes, and Precision Airstrikes all cost a good chunk of change. But they are incredibly useful, whether for reconnaissance or, for the latter two, to disrupt campers and snipers, or simply to finish off a faraway foe that you’ve already downed. If you like calling in special favors from the sky, but don’t like spending too much money to do so, then Kill Chain is a fun perk to have equipped.

With recent Season 4 Reloaded buffs, Kill Chain is now more effective than ever. It may not be the strongest perks in Warzone as a whole, but it certainly has its place.

5. Scavenger

Scavenger perk in Warzone.

There’s nothing worse than going on the hunt for ammo when you’re all out. Sneaking around and avoiding gunfights is a near-impossible task when you’re in a 150-player lobby. If only you had the opportunity to eliminate an enemy and resupply your ammo reserve from their corpse, right?

Well, Scavenger allows you to do just that. Regardless of the ammunition that your foe was carrying, you can replenish your stocks just by running near the scene of the crime. If you find yourself constantly running low or are very dependent on unique equipment, this could be an essential perk for you. But, if you’re running meta weapons then chances are your enemies will usually have the ammo you need anyway, so this isn’t a critical perk.

4. Cold-Blooded

Cold-Blooded perk in Warzone.

Ever been targeted by an enemy Recon Drone? Or shot down from afar by a thermal scope? Cold-Blooded helps put a stop to that, protecting detection by AI targeting systems (although Recon Drones will see you, you won’t be marked).

In the early days, this was actually pretty useful since a lot of people ran thermal snipers. Now, it’s mostly helpful in case you run into someone with a thermal that they’ve found from ground loot. It’s fine to have, but fairly unnoticeable of an advantage until you’ve seen yourself glowing brightly for a sniper on a couple kill cams.

3. Quick Fix

Quick Fix perk in Warzone.

One of Warzone’s unique aspects is the automatic health regeneration system which provides a seamless transition from a traditional Call of Duty experience into the Battle Royale mode. With Quick Fix, your health automatically starts regenerating every time you get a kill, instead of being delayed slightly.

While there are Medical Syringes littered around the map, they take up your valuable Tactical Equipment slot — which players will prefer to use for a stun grenade or, more prominently, a Heartbeat Sensor. But, if you often find yourself frequently having to out-gun enemy teams, Quick Fix will help you avoid getting taken down by the second or third opponent, who only killed you because you were already weak. If you’re typically the initiator for your team, this could be a  very useful option.

2. Double Time

Double Time perk in Warzone.

The best Warzone players have a combination of aim, game sense, and movement skills. Double Time directly helps with the latter two and is, therefore, one of the most practical, helpful Perks you can use.

By doubling your Tactical Sprint time and increasing your crouch movement speed by 30%, Double Time is crucial to positioning and repositioning in Verdansk. While other perks are dependent on specific situations, this one is literally useful all of the time. Whether you’re trying to traverse dangerous terrain quickly or simply going for that hyper-aggressive flank, Double Time ensures you have the speed for the job.

1. E.O.D

E.O.D perk in Warzone.

While RPGs aren’t as popular in Warzone as they once were, there are still plenty of explosives that could send you reeling back to the Gulag. Semtex and incendiary round shotguns can quickly chew through your health bar if you’re not careful, particularly in late-game zones where ordnance is commonly used.

Since E.O.D. limits both fire and explosive damage, you will be harder to kill with equipment like Semtexes or Thermites. That means you can take fights more comfortably, knowing that you might not be downed as quickly as others.

Perk 2 slot: The best Warzone options

7. Pointman

Pointman perk in Warzone.

Pointman is one of the best options for teams who want to make money and be prepared by the end game. It doesn’t help you in fights at all, but it can help you earn a ton of cash while completing a series of Recon or Supply Run contracts.

If you want to get a second loadout quickly or just want to get a bunch of killstreaks for the final circle (without needing to fight other people for money), then Pointman could be your best choice.

6. Restock

Restock perk in Warzone.

The correct use of Tactical Equipment will greatly enhance your chances of winning an engagement with an enemy squad. Whether it be a well-timed Stun or the use of Semtex Grenades to finish off downed enemies, Restock will replenish your stocks over a 50-second period after one is used.

While this is most popularly used by Riot Shield-wielders, who are very reliant upon a supply of Thermite Grenades, it can be useful for anyone who really enjoys using their equipment.

5. Hardline

Hardline perk in Warzone.

Ever gone to snag an item from a Buy Station, only to find you’re a couple of hundred dollars short? Well, Hardline gives you a permanent 25 percent off the going rate for Killstreaks, Field Upgrades, and Armor Plates.

This could be a useful perk for one member of a team to run, but really depends on how your squad likes to play things out.

4. High Alert

High Alert perk in Warzone.

With up to 149 other players in Verdansk at one time, Warzone is about gaining an advantage by any means necessary. Equipping High Alert will make your HUD pulse when enemies are looking at you, but aren’t directly in your line of sight.

In a mode where intel means everything, the ability to have what is essentially a ‘Spidey-sense’ could be the difference between carrying on or being eliminated. Much like Wraith’s passive ability in Apex Legends, this gives players a consistent casual advantage but isn’t nearly as impactful as Perk 2’s big two options.

3. Tempered

Warzone-Tempered-Perk

As one of the only Warzone-exclusive perks, Tempered stands out as a powerful recent addition to the battle royale. Implemented in Season 5, this unique buff makes your Armor Plates more efficient.

Rather than having to armor up with three separate plates, Tempered drops it down to two, with each plate absorbing 75 points of damage.

While it can be an effective pick with the right build, Tempered isn’t top-tier just yet. Perk 2 is an extremely competitive slot and for most loadouts, you’d be better off with some of the more popular options.

2. Ghost

Ghost perk in Warzone.

Heartbeat Sensors and UAVs are the most used items in Warzone for a reason, particularly in the end-game, when players are looking to get the jump on unaware squads. This is when Ghost becomes an absolute must-have perk, since it renders you completely invisible to both.

With Ghost equipped, a team will need to see you with their own eyes, secure an Advanced UAV, or guess where you are based on a fortunate Bounty contract. As an added bonus, teams with UAV will likely be distracted by non-Ghost teams, giving you an excellent opportunity to surprise them. Just being able to deny someone else their intel makes Ghost the most important perk to the end game.

1. Overkill

Overkill perk in Warzone.

Picking Overkill on your first loadout is essential if you wish to utilize two primary weapons across both slots. Not only does it enable you to carry two kitted out meta primary weapons, it also ensures you’re covered across all engagement ranges.

That’s why some of Warzone’s elite (current world record holders for most squad kills in a single match) run Overkill as their go-to Perk 2. Still, once you’ve gotten Overkill and equipped your two favorite guns, you’ll need to get a second loadout so that you can equip Ghost.

Perk 3 slot: The best Warzone options

7. Shrapnel

Shrapnel perk in Warzone.

If you love to use explosives, then this is the perk for you. Whether you’re still rocking C4 or have moved on to Semtex or Thermite Grenades, Shrapnel lets you spawn with an added explosive and that means you can be a lot more effective from the get-go when chucking your boom booms around.

While this is an interesting perk and should have some spots where it’s useful, it usually makes more sense to simply stock up on cash and try to buy a Munition’s Box instead. Although, the delay to health regeneration can make it more effective to storm second-story campers after lobbing some nades up there.

6. Battle Hardened

Battle Hardened perk in Warzone.

In regular multiplayer, Flash and Stun Grenades are tossed around the map left, right, and center.

But in Warzone, the story is pretty different. Heartbeat Sensors are everywhere. That makes Battle Hardened a less exciting option than some of Perk 3’s other options. It can still be an absolutely pivotal perk during a fight, but its utility is limited to rarer opportunities than some of the others available to you.

5. Spotter

Spotter perk in Warzone.

Lethal Equipment plays a big part in Warzone. Whether it be a well-placed Claymore or Proximity Mine (or even if it’s just an enemy Trophy System), the ability to scout out enemy equipment could give you the tactical advantage before engaging.

This perk can be shared among your squad too, highlighting enemy equipment for your teammates simply by aiming at them. Also, being able to hack someone’s equipment just seems like an incredible way to mess up a camper’s day.

4. Tune Up

Tune Up perk in Warzone.

Often the last alive in your squad or are the designated medic? Tune Up is a must-have perk. Not great in a solos match, it can be the embodiment of camaraderie in any of the squad modes.

Tune Up allows you to get your teammates back in the action 25% faster than the standard time. If you manage to make it past Gulag closure, Tune Up can be the difference between taking on your enemies as a pack as opposed to being a lone wolf. Still, the top two options are for those who would rather not be downed in the first place.

3. Tracker

Tracker perk in Warzone.

A really interesting perk, Tracker essentially ensures that enemies won’t be able to sneakily run away from you without you knowing about it. If you find yourself often wondering where someone went, then this perk will solve those issues.

By marking recent enemy footprints in bright red, this perk temporarily reveals the movement of an opponent. Whether someone is Ghosted or you don’t have time to use a UAV or Heartbeat Sensor, Tracker gives you all of the intel you need to secure kills and avoid trickery.

2. Combat Scout

Warzone-Combat-Scout-perk-1024x576

The second Warzone-exclusive perk added as part of the Season 5 update, Combat Scout was initially seen as one of the more ‘broken’ perks in the game. Upon damaging your target, the enemy is outlined and pinged for all teammates to see.

Obviously, Combat Scout isn’t all that great if you’re a solo player or often splitting from your squad. Though for a team that sticks together, it certainly provides a huge intel boost in the heat of combat.

It’s not the single best Perk 3 option, but if you’re looking for some easier wins as part of a bigger team, Combat Scout can definitely help get you there.

1. Amped

Amped perk in Warzone.

Amped may not seem very impactful, but it’s one of the best perks in the game. Not only does it allow you to swap between your weapons more quickly, it also enables you to use most equipment in the game faster as well. Like EOD, this makes Amped a perk that is consistently useful and simply improves your own gameplay regardless of what people are using against you.

If you’re taking down a ranged target with your AR but find yourself in a close-quarters fight, then Amped will quickly enable you to switch out your SMG.  Similarly, it can make sure you get your lethal equipment thrown out before someone rushes you. If you’re a slow, methodical camper who likes to run Claymores and snipers, then this might not be for you, but if you enjoy the hyper-aggressive run and gun approach, then Amped is a must.


There you have it, all of Warzone’s perks ranked in descending order. It’s important to understand that all of these perks will suit individual play styles in a different way. Be sure to head on over to our Call of Duty hub for all the latest loadout guides and Warzone news.

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About The Author

Théo is a former writer at Dexerto based in New York and built on competition. Formerly an editor for Bleacher Report and philosophy student at McGill, he fell in love with Overwatch and Call of Duty — leading him to focus on esports for Dex.