If the existing Warzone 2 loadouts, looting, and gulag systems have been frustrating you so far, and you yearn for the halcyon days of Call of Duty Warzone 1, the upcoming Modern Warfare 2 Season 2 update is set to transform the CoD battle royale game into something closer to its classic style, as Infinity Ward and Activision outline some sweeping changes.
First up, let’s talk loadouts. Getting your hands on the best Warzone 2 loadouts is already easier than it was at launch, thanks to an update by Raven Software which restores loadout drop markers and makes them easier to obtain.
With Season 2, loadout drop markers are being reduced in price, so you can get the best Warzone 2 assault rifles easier and faster. There’s also a second public loadout drop event being added – the first and fifth circles of each Warzone 2 game will now offer you the chance to get your personalised gear.
The Warzone 2 looting system is being overhauled as well. Instead of collecting gear and guns via menus, containers will now spill the loot on the ground in the form of floating collectibles, minimising the time spent navigating Warzone’s fussy item screens. Customisable perk packages are also making a return, so if you’ve got a carefully curated list of abilities to complete your best Warzone 2 TAQ-56 loadout, you can finally carry those into Al-Mazrah.
Activision and Infinity Ward say the feature will be rolled out over time, with a limited number of perks at first, and the rest being gradually introduced and made available. If you miss the more personalised and varied gameplay from Warzone 1, where everyone is competing with their own unique gear, this, again, is a welcome revision.
The biggest nod to Warzone 1 however is the new gulag system. Rather than the existing 2 v 2 gulag, Warzone 2 will now revert to the classic 1 v 1 system, and also remove the Juggernaut-inspired Jailer in place of the old capture-the-flag mechanic. The gulag map is being replaced as well, to introduce an arena more suitable for one-on-one battles.
Other changes include more buy stations – each of which will contain an unlimited quantity of loadout drop markers – and an increased cash from ground loot. The lowest amount you will now find while looting containers is $800, while cash registers now yield a minimum of $500.
The cost of primary weapons at buy stations is also going down. Essentially, it’s easier to get cash, find a buy station, and phone in your loadout drops, arguably bringing Warzone 2 even closer to Warzone 1. At the same time, when Season 2 launches on February 15, everyone will start with a three-plate armour vest, so you carve into combat with more confidence.
Warzone 2’s new features and twists on old mechanics have been a worthy experiment, but it’s good to see Infinity Ward and co. acknowledging where they’ve fallen short and addressing players’ concerns. Warzone 1 gameplay but on the Warzone 2 map? That sounds like a good deal to me. You can see the more detailed changes coming to CoD here.
With all this new money spilling around the latest CoD, you’ll want to know how to find all the Warzone 2 strongholds and black site keys. Nevertheless, take a look at how to get Warzone 2 Twitch drops if you fancy a few extra goodies.