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5 Call of Duty Warzone beginner tips you need to know before you play
From the combat to contracts, here's what you need to know about Warzone
Activision is the latest publisher to leap onto the battle royale hype train, adding an all-new – and free – last-man-standing mode, Warzone, to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.
While there's a handful of unique features you won't have seen in a battle royale before – for instance, you'll drop with 149 others in Warzone, not 99, which certainly spices things up – if you've spent any time with games like Fortnite or PUBG, it should feel very familiar indeed, from the moment you jump from the plane to when you're running from that ever-decreasing circle.
Now players have spent a little time getting to know Warzone, here are a selection of the best battle-worn tips to help you and your team better your odds of being the last ones standing. Good luck, and don't forget that Warzone is cross-play compatible, which means you can team up with your pals no matter what platforms they play on.
Take enemies on even before you land
Warzone parachute jump
© Activision
Not only can you kill enemies in the loading area before your game begins – a neat feature that helps you level up your weapons ready for when the game finally loads – but you can also shoot them from the moment you jump, too. As every player has a pistol from spawn, if you open – and then close again – your parachute, you'll equip your gun, enabling you to take cheeky shots at enemy players when they're still in the air.
The downside, of course, is that you'll be plummeting towards the ground significantly quicker than others and won't be able to glide to the outer reaches of the map, but that might be a small price to pay if you're able to do some damage before your feet even hit the ground.
Familiarise yourself with the map sooner rather than later
Warzone map
© Activision
Like any battle royale, veteran players who know every map's particular foibles and secrets will always have the upper hand. So while you're new and still getting used to Warzone, there's nothing wrong in experimenting with your landing spots and getting familiar with the terrain as soon as possible.
While it's true that this approach will see you up jumping with a lot of enemies who will likely attempt to take you down the moment your boots hit the floor, try to look at that as a positive, too – the more enemies you encounter, the quicker you'll get used to Warzone's control scheme and weapons. Exploration and experimentation is key to all BRs, and never is that truer than in Warzone.
Get up close and personal in the Gulag
Win at the Gulag and you get a second chance
© Activision
While Apex Legends was the first battle royale that enabled players to call in fallen comrades if they're quick enough to grab their banners, Warzone introduces the Gulag – yes, as inspired by Modern Warfare 2 – a close-quarters, one-on-one battle from which only the victor can be respawned.
Taking on the 1v1 match is the only way your teammates can call you back in, and it is, admittedly, a little overwhelming at first. Don't let the pressure get to you, though. Initially, you'll get to watch opponents take each other on in the CQC battles, after which it'll be your turn to take on a random fighter yourself. Make sure you plan your assault around whatever weapons you have – there's no point running in if you've got a sniper, right? – and if it looks like neither of you are going down before the 15 seconds are up, be ready to capture that flag before your opponent does.
You'll only have one shot at making it back from the Gulag, so make it count.
Spend, don't save
You can buy killstreaks or armour here, but the loadout box is king
© Activision
Even if you manage to succeed in the one-on-one Gulag fight and earn the right to return to battle, the opportunity doesn't come cheap. This means your shopping priority should be collecting $4,500 to buy a self-revive kit to ensure you can get back to a full squad. Squad buyback – which enables you to call in a dead teammate – also costs $4,500.
That said, money is lost when you die, so once you've secured enough to buy the resurrect feature, spend freely and often at the buy stations to boost your odds on the battlefield. As well as self-revive kit, you'll also be able to buy better armour, turrets, airstrikes, and gas masks, all of which might make the difference between life and death.
You'll find money secreted around the place and hidden in supply boxes, as well as earn a little from killing enemy players, too. If you're not sure where your local store is, just peek at the map and head for the nearest shopping cart.
Complete contracts sooner rather than later
These contracts are missions which will give you cash for items
© Activision
Keep an eye (or ear) out for Contracts, missions you can complete in each Warzone match. There are three you can find – Bounty Contracts, Recon Contracts, and Scavenger Contracts – and every completion will offer a little tactical reward, so the earlier you find and complete them, the greater an advantage you'll have.
They spawn randomly with every match and all three members of your team need to complete it, but they're not too onerous. Just hunt for the icons on your map; target icons will lead you to enemy bounties, flag icons lead to recon contracts that'll task you in keeping enemies at bay long enough to upload data – a domination mode in other words – and magnifying glasses send you on a scavenger hunt to one of three secret caches stashed away.
While the latter is very much its own reward, bounties offer bonus cash and XP upon completion, and successful recon contracts will drop loot, cash, and a head's up on the location of the next circle. Handy, eh?
