Skip to main content

7 glaring issues Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 needs to fix ASAP

To say Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 is in rough shape is an understatement. Aside from all the technical issues and missing features, the battle royale mode is filled with odd design choices that have pushed fans away and are specific steps backward from the original game in many cases. Some are simpler, quality-of-life issues, while others are a bit more complicated, but deserve to be addressed nonetheless.

Warzone 2.0 isn’t beyond help, though. A handful of key tweaks could help restore the battle royale juggernaut to a stable position — it’s just a matter of figuring out what to prioritize first. Based on my time with it, there are seven issues in particular that stand out. Addressing these could go a long way toward fixing Warzone 2.0‘s quality of life in early 2023.

Inability to plate while running

Characters wearing armor in Warzone 2.0.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Gunfights in Warzone 2.0 are frequently over in a matter of mere seconds. That’s why it’s important to be able to step back to apply armor plates, allowing you to reset the engagement. The problem is that plating actually disables your ability to run, meaning you’re basically a sitting duck while applying armor. This can often be a difference-maker during a particular battle. The original Warzone felt snappier due, in part, to the ability to run while plating — so it’s a bit odd that Warzone 2.0 removed that feature.

Lack of cash on the map

Even if you win your Gulag, it can be hard to make a full comeback in Warzone 2.0, especially if you’re playing with a squad. That’s because there isn’t enough cash to go around throughout the Al Mazrah map, which is frustrating since the odds are already stacked against you. Having at least twice as much cash to go around would give players a fighting chance to come back after an untimely elimination.

No detailed weapon stats

Custom loadout screen in MW2.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

With so many weapons, it’s easy to get overwhelmed when picking your loadouts. While many expert players tend to follow popular YouTubers and content creators to find out what the meta weapons are, the majority of the community picks their guns based on the in-game stats. The problem is that these stats are wholly inaccurate and misleading, causing casual players to be at an even greater disadvantage. Having detailed stats — down to the exact millisecond — would be greatly beneficial, allowing players to make more of an informed decision when picking their weapons and their attachments.

Broken perks

A list of Perks in Modern Warfare II.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Perks are a Call of Duty staple, but in Warzone 2.0, they don’t work as you’d expect. The issues are twofold: Bonus and Ultimate Perks straight-up don’t work half the time (they simply do not activate). In addition, you aren’t actually able to select the individual Perks you want across all four tiers. Instead, you only have access to the default Perk Packages, which feature four preset Perk options that, in many cases, aren’t that useful. It’s unclear if you’ll ever be able to add the exact Perks you want, but as it stands, this system undermines one of the best aspects of the series.

Lack of one-hit kill snipers

The Victus XMR in Warzone 2.0.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Yet another controversial change is the lack of any one-hit-kill snipers (to a fully-plated enemy). This change is somewhat understandable, but the way it’s executed is frustrating, making snipers feel practically useless. The idea is to prevent players from being instantly deleted for simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time. However, in the original Warzone, only certain snipers could get a one-hit kill to the head, and you had to be within a specific distance for it to work.

Lightweight snipers such as the Kar98k were only able to earn one-hit kills within a short distance, while heavier rifles like the ZRG could one hit-kill at any range. Warzone 2.0 could do well to adopt the same system, allowing lightweight rifles to secure one-shot kills within 60 meters or so, while heavy snipers could be sluggish to balance them out, but still powerful enough to down an opponent in one hit.

Too few players

Al Mazrah in Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Another major issue has to do with Warzone 2.0’s pacing. While the early and end-game are often action-packed, the majority of the middle section of the game is downright boring. This is because the new map is too large for the 150-player count, making a major portion of each match feel slow. Bumping the player count up to 200 could help mitigate that problem, creating more opportunity for action throughout the match.

Blisteringly fast time to kill

Character running on highway in Warzone 2.0.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Warzone 2.0 is criticized for its absurdly fast time to kill (TTK). Many weapons can delete opponents in half a second, which is frustrating, especially after spending upwards of 20 minutes in a match. Players would likely have more time to react if the TTK was slower, just like it is in other battle royale games. This could also improve the pacing, which is one of the game’s greatest issues, as players are often too scared to move around the map since they can get eliminated so quickly.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Joseph Yaden
Joseph Yaden is a freelance journalist who covers Nintendo, shooters, and horror games. He mostly covers game guides for…
6 months after launch, is Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 worth playing?
is warzone 20 worth playing six months after launch 2 0

Six months after its initial release, Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 has evolved tremendously, with many new features added as part of major updates. Despite this, the game still feels slightly unfinished in ways, lacking some of the features that made the original so great. Warzone 2.0 is a complex beast that may steer newcomers away, but if players can learn to master it, the battle royale can be a lot of fun, especially with a team.

But with so much competition in the battle royale space, is Warzone 2.0 worth your time six months later? Here's the current state of the popular shooter after a lot of retooling from Activision.
Slow trickle

Read more
Turn this Warzone 2.0 rifle into a powerhouse with one easy trick
Character holding Cronen Squall battle rifle in Warzone 2.0.

There are a handful of midrange to long-range meta weapons in Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0, with nearly all of them performing in a balanced way. Some, like the Kastov 762, hit like a truck, but are hard to control, while the ISO Hemlock deals less damage, but has virtually no recoil.

But the Cronen Squall, a battle rifle that launched during Season 3, is immensely overpowered, and has almost zero recoil. It has the ability to take down an opponent in three to six shots, making it grossly unbalanced, but the weapon does not perform this well by default.
Overpowered Cronen Squall build

Read more
Warzone 2.0’s ranked mode fixes my biggest battle royale pet peeve
Characters from Warzone 2.0 in the ranked mode.

As part of the Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 Season 3 Reloaded update, Activision finally added a long-awaited Ranked mode. While the mode plays almost exactly like standard battle royale on Al Mazrah, it has a number of minor differences that give it an edge. Though there's one feature in particular that stands out, as it fixes one of my biggest pet peeves in the battle royale genre.

In Ranked, players are discouraged from quitting partway through a match, giving squads a better chance of coming out on top. Placement is key in the mode, and you aren't going to place high if your squad leaves you partway through. To support that idea, players are heavily penalized for quitting a match early. The whole premise of the mode is to climb the ranks, so it's not worth losing Skill Rating (SR) points for quitting before the match is over.

Read more