Games

Best perks in Call of Duty: Warzone

Perks can win matches in Warzone. These are the best to use.

By Josh Brown

5 min readPublished on 09/18/2020 · 11:41 PM UTC

The perks you pick in Warzone can have massive implications for your final standing in a match. From ways to see where your enemies have been, to disappearing from radars like a ghost; the right perks for your playstyle can make a huge difference to your performance in-game. Here are the best ones around for the new Season 4 guns.

It’s worth noting that Specialist can’t be used in Warzone. That’s the three extra perk slots you can equip by removing Killstreaks from your loadout. For that reason, we’ll only be listing three slots worth of perks below, with loadouts supplied at the bottom based on their strengths and weaknesses.

Best Warzone Perks - Slot One

E.O.D

Nobody ever wants to take defensive options, but the recurring Warzone meta of spammable RPGs makes this one a must-have. E.O.D reduces the damage you take from non-killstreak explosives, making an RPG blast far less likely to end a good run, giving you the opportunity to fight back against those who do nothing but camp rooftops and pepper players who dare climb the 14 flights of stairs needed to reach them.

It’s not going to save you from Airstrikes or any other killstreak-obtained explosive assault, but once you’re comfortable with the windows E.O.D affords, seeing a Grenade icon pop into view won’t suddenly send you into a panic.

Double Time

Call of Duty has always been what’s known as a run and gun shooter. Nobody takes things slowly in this game. We’re not walking on walls like entries from a few years ago, but it’s still far from the tactical gameplay Counter-Strike: Global Offensive or Valorant players pride themselves on.

For that reason, Double Time is a must-have for anyone not planning on running an RPG build later in the match. This first perk in the game doubles the duration of Tactical Sprint, giving you plenty of breath to get in, out, or deeper into combat. It’s the kind of perk that organically reduced the time between fights, keeping the action flowing and your senses on high alert.

Better yet, it’s useful for the tactical players, too. Crouch movement speed is increased by 30%, so paired with something like Tracker, skulking around buildings with an SMG in tow feels more like general gameplay as opposed to a slow crawl.

Best Warzone Perks - Slot Two

Ghost

Another semi-defensive perk on first inspection, Ghost actually allows for far more aggressive gameplay. It stops you from being spotted by enemy trackers like UAVs and the dreaded Heartbeat sensor. You’re told when there’s an enemy UAV pinging you on someone else’s map and typically switch to a more cautious playstyle in response. But heartbeat sensors and radar drones are far harder to anticipate.

With Ghost active, you won’t ever have to live with the fear of someone spotting you with a fancy bit of tech. Surprises in Warzone are never good, and this perk works to eliminate them from the tactical equation.

Overkill

A stable of Call of Duty’s illustrious past, Overkill is for those who have no interest in paltry pistols or advanced RPG tactics. It’s for those who can’t decide on their favorite weapon or playstyle.

Overkill allows you to equip two primary weapons: one in each slot. But forbids the use of secondary weapons. Make the commitment, and you can build classes that snipe from the roof one minute, and parachute down to become a close-range monster with an SMG the next.

Twice the guns, twice the firepower, sort of
© Activision

Hyper-aggressive playstyles are facilitated by Overkill, but the versatility it affords can lead to some dangerous plays.

Best Warzone Perks - Slot Three

Amped

Amped has likely lead to your death more times than you can remember. Its primary benefit is faster weapon switching, but given it doesn’t work on side-arms, its use depends on Overkill--a skill the pros don’t use much these day. As a bonus, it decreases RPG reload times. There’s your ticket.

Amped facilitates infamous RPG builds. Whether they’re in an approaching vehicle or not, the RPG can take out whole squads in a flash. It’s particularly powerful when used to defend corridors and rooftops.

Tracker

Unless you’re playing in a squad that sticks together, taking Tracker for yourself gives the kind of key intel you need to make the right call time and time again. Tracker displays enemy footsteps on the ground so you can see recent movements in your area.

Having concrete evidence of an enemy’s movements can give you a very strong advantage, but you don’t have to take their exact path when hunting them down. That’s what they’d expect. Instead, use the footprints as a reference and find a back entrance to their position. The element of surprise is key.

As a bonus, Tracker also displays enemy death markers and hides those of your own kills. So while you can’t use Tracker to hide your whereabouts from other users, it can be used to work out if prey you’re stalking have it, too.

Best Warzone Perk Loadouts

Now that we’ve identified the two best perks for each slot, it’s time to match them into the perfect loadout. If you’ve read the point carefully, you should have no issue working this out for yourself.

The All-Rounder

This loadout should serve you well as an all-rounder
© Activision

Slot One: E.O.D

Slot Two: Ghost

Slot Three: Amped

This build works for those who swear by their primary weapon and know exactly when to rely on a side-arm. Ghost allows you to focus on the task at hand, while Amped gives the speed you need to use things like RPGs and C4 in a pinch. E.O.D cuts the risk of dying to similar builds.

The Hunter

Go big or go Gulag with this loadout
© Activision

Slot One: Double Time

Slot Two: Overkill

Slot Three: Tracker

With the ability to run for days, sneak like a cougar, and carry two incredibly powerful secondary weapons, this Warzone perk loadout is for those who love the big guns. Sneak up on prey with ease or go for collateral damage. It’s up to you.