15 Call of Duty Warzone tips to help you win
Make sure you're the last one standing with these Warzone tips
These Warzone tips can be a huge help if you're trying to improve your game and win more. You might think it's all about perfect aim and laser-like reactions but some good strategic thinking and tactical awareness can go a long way to giving you an edge in Call of Duty Warzone. Natural instincts and skill only go so far, so by learning more about positioning, cover, engagement distances and other things you can easily control you can boost your changes and better understand how other players think and what they might be trying to do.
These Warzone tips will hopefully help you see the game differently and provide you with the information that can help you better understand what you can and can't - or shouldn't - do in many situations. By making more decisions, and thinking about the outcome any actions before you fire a shot you'll increase your changes of being the one that walks away. You'll still have to put the work in, obviously - there are no guarantees here. However, these Warzone tips will help you make better decisions and when you fight. And, perhaps more importantly, make sure you avoid easy mistakes.
These are 15 Warzone tips and tricks to help you survive in Battle Royale.
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1. Prioritize acquiring your loadout...
Using floor weapons and gear works okay at first, but you’ll likely perform best with your specific loadouts. Make sure you aim to get $10,000 in cash right away so you can buy a Loadout Drop from the nearest (or safest) Buy Station.
That way, you’ll have your own custom weapon, equipment, and perks, which will prove to be invaluable as the match goes on. Acquiring the loadout should be of the utmost priority, whether you’re playing Solo or with squads.
2. ...but don’t stop looting after you get your loadout
However, even after you’ve acquired $10K to get your loadout, we recommend you continue looting to gather more cash and gear. Specifically, your goal should be to get an armor satchel (which gives you a maximum of eight plates instead of five), ammo, and more cash.
It’s best to get around $20K including the money for the loadout so you can buy a Self-Revive, a gas mask (if you haven’t found one already), and a killstreak of some kind such as a UAV or Precision Airstrike. Getting fully stocked up will help you win the match.
3. Play to your strengths
We’ll be frank - Warzone is hard. Not everyone can pull off back-to-back headshots with a sniper, and not everyone can wipe an entire squad with just one clip of their weapon. It takes hours of practice to get to that point, so until then, play to your strengths.
Some players are better with SMGs, others tend to play more aggressively, and so on. Learn your play style and own it. It takes time to figure it out, but once you do, you’ll find that the flow of matches will start to lean in your favor.
4. Do not shoot unless you’re sure you’ll secure the elimination
This is a big one. Even veteran players make the mistake of shooting an enemy as soon as they appear on screen. It’s easy to see why, but in many situations, all this does is alert the enemy of your position, allowing them to take cover, plate up, and prepare for retaliation.
Instead, wait until there’s less cover for the enemy to hide behind and be certain there are no other teammates nearby who will come in for backup. Unless you’re an experienced player, we highly advise to avoid taking shots unless you’re absolutely certain you can pull off the kill.
5. Landing in the right spot can set you up to succeed
While it’s definitely important to be accurate when shooting, it’s equally important to pick the best landing spot (ideally an area that works with your playstyle). Places like Superstore or Hospital tend to be busier, while other areas like the edges of the map are often less populated.
Some spots are home to many Contracts (which we’ll go over below). Scavenger Contracts are often the most frequently used, so keep that in mind when selecting your landing spot. It helps to base your starting location on the trajectory of the plane in relation to the first circle.
6. Use the gas to rotate around, rather than heading straight to the center
Speaking of the circle, players often tend to work in a linear fashion, making their way from one ring to the next. This is sometimes unavoidable, but if you can help it, we recommend to rotate around in a pinwheel motion instead. The reason for this is so you can use the gas as a shield of sorts - as it prevents enemies from taking you out from behind.
As you continue to rotate in a spiral motion, you can ensure that you won’t get taken out from the sides or behind (as opposed to blindly running to the next circle).
7. Make an effort to complete Contracts
Contracts are an excellent way to rack up money, kills, gear, and - if you do Recons - intel on the position of the next circle. The five main Contracts are as follows:
- Bounty - Target the general location of a specific player
- Recon - Capture a nearby point to discover the location of the next circle
- Scavenger - Open three nearby chests to acquire gear
- Most Wanted - Mark yourself on the map and survive for three minutes
- Supply Run - Reach a nearby Buy Station within the time limit to earn discounts
With each Contract you complete, your Contract multiplier goes up, meaning you’ll gain more rewards with each one you finish. Keep going for Contracts for huge bonuses to cash, XP, and weapon XP.
8. Always plate up
This is just a quick tip, but one that is highly important. If you’ve got plates, make sure you use them whenever possible so you’re full. You can have up to three plates equipped and store an additional five (or eight if you have a satchel). Even during gunfights, try to plate up if possible. And if you don’t have plates, buy some or try to prioritize looting to find them.
9. Fine-tune your settings for maximum efficiency
There are a number of settings you can alter to improve your performance, so make sure you tinker with your sensitivity and control scheme to fit your liking. Outside of that, these are some we advise to change:
- Armor Plate Behavior - Apply All
- Slide Behavior - Tap
- Parachute Auto-Deploy - Disabled
- Mini Map Shape - Square
- Music Volume - 0.00
10. Don’t revive a teammate until you’re sure it’s safe
If a teammate goes down, make sure the enemy that took them down is either dead or far away before going for the revive. When reviving, you’re vulnerable and are an easy target for a kill. Also, pay attention, as reviving makes a distinct sound that your enemy can hear!
11. Use sound to your advantage
Speaking of sound, listen for enemy footsteps, plating, coughing in the gas, the sound of an enemy loadout dropping, revives, shooting, reloading, and more. This can help you pinpoint at least the general location of a nearby enemy and can let you know when it’s safe to strike. Also, make sure you use the Dead Silence (AKA “Deddy”) Field Upgrade when sneaking up to an enemy team.
12. Make effective callouts
If you do hear or see an enemy nearby, you should let your team know! Furthermore, you should do so in as few words as possible. This can be hard to implement, but having quick, effective callouts can save time and help communicate as fast as possible.
Say “on me,” instead of “there is an enemy right next to me.” Try “enemy loadout west” instead of “an enemy team just called their loadout to the west of us.” This is especially true in the heat of battle when every second (or even millisecond) counts.
13. Coming back from the Gulag
The Gulag is your one and only chance to come back into the game (without being bought back). After the Cold War integration, the Gulag now resembles a version of Nuketown - forcing you to compete in a 1v1 to determine who will get brought back.
The biggest piece of advice is to utilize your equipment effectively. Things like flash grenades, stuns, and lethals can make all the difference, especially when spawning in with harder-to-use weapons like a crossbow. Again, play to your strengths, use sound, and try climbing up on the roofs on each side of the map to get a better view.
14. Stick with your team
One of the biggest mistakes players make is running off to face enemies by themselves. If you want to engage with another team, you should tell your teammates (and be specific about where and how you’d like to infiltrate). And your teammates should follow suit. If something happens that prevents you from moving forward, say so promptly.
If your squadmates think you’re close but are actually still in the next building over, they’re going to be outnumbered when facing off against the nearby team. Likewise, your team should pay attention and see that you aren’t with them - but in the heat of battle, sometimes this is just not possible. To avoid this, always communicate and stick together when taking on another team.
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Joseph loves Nintendo and horror games. With the Nintendo Switch, he's ready to get spooky anytime, anywhere. He specializes in covering Call of Duty: Warzone and action RPGs like Dark Souls, so you can bet he's looking forward to Elden Ring, the brainchild of George RR Martin and Hidetaka Miyazaki. You can find Joseph's work at GamesRadar, Digital Trends, Inverse, and PLAY Magazine. When he's not writing about video games he can usually be found petting his cats and listening to some Progressive Metal. He thinks Meshuggah is tight.