Warzone 2 Strongholds and Black Sites are new to the battle royale, and the loot you can acquire by capturing them can give your team the edge needed to win the match. Strongholds and Black Sites hold the greatest concentration of AI enemies than anywhere else in Al Mazrah, and while they may not be human, they’re certainly no pushover.
Warzone 2 Strongholds and Black Sites are entirely optional, and you can choose to ignore them if you prefer to focus your attention on enemy players in the multiplayer game. However, the rewards you can receive for capturing one are the cream of the crop in the Warzone 2 map. Here’s everything we know about Strongholds and Black Sites in Warzone 2.
How Warzone 2 Strongholds and Black Sites work
Warzone 2 Strongholds are activated after the first circle collapse that occurs during a match. You can spot all three of them on your Tac-Map once you receive the notification that they’re available for capture, represented by a green castle icon. Taking the first Stronghold of the match requires you to disarm a bomb before its countdown reaches zero, whereas subsequent Strongholds task you with eliminating a certain number of defenders.
Warzone 2 Black Sites are far deadlier when compared to Strongholds, and their location is fittingly represented by a skull icon on your Tac-Map. They require a Black Site key to access, which can only be acquired by taking the first Stronghold of the match. If you’re having trouble, our guide on how to get a Warzone 2 Black Site key should steer you right.
Taking a Stronghold or Black Site in Warzone 2 necessitates engaging with the AI enemies standing guard, each with their own lethality level and weapons kit to contend with as you make your assault. Infinity Ward’s blog post also confirmed that AI enemies will react and respond differently according to the tactics used against them, providing a degree of variation when tackling Strongholds or Black Sites.
However, it’s not only AI enemies that you have to worry about. Hitting a Stronghold or Black Site also carries the risk of giving away your position, since the noise and movement caused by engaging the AI will likely attract enemy players in the vicinity. It’s important to note that Warzone 2 will recognise enemy players as defenders of the Stronghold or Black Site, and are taken into account when eliminating enemies for Stronghold Operations.
Warzone 2 Stronghold and Black Site rewards
As mentioned, capturing the first Warzone 2 Stronghold will grant you the key required to access a Black Site. However, that doesn’t mean they’re entirely worthless if the opposing team has got there first. Regardless of which Stronghold you take, you can expect a variety of rewards, including a Warzone 2 loadout and a temporary UAV effect applied to the immediate vicinity.
Once you’ve taken both the first Stronghold and a Black Site, your hard efforts are rewarded with a permanent weapon blueprint, along with an assortment of legendary items that can help turn the tide in the battle royale game. A UAV is also applied to the Black Site once taken, though unlike Strongholds, this effect remains in play until the circle collapse.
That’s everything you need to clear Warzone 2 Strongholds and Black Sites with ease. If you’re looking for things to do in Al Mazrah, check out all the Warzone 2 contracts you can expect to complete during a match, as well as what you can expect to face in the Warzone 2 gulag. We also have a variety of loadouts for best Warzone 2 guns, including the best sniper and best Warzone 2 AR, among others.