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How to get a nuke in Warzone 2

Did you know you can earn a nuke in Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0? It’s a nifty callback to the original Modern Warfare 2 from 2009, but it’s far more difficult to earn it in the latest release. Warzone 2.0 doesn’t tell you how the process works, but thankfully, the community has banded together to figure out how to earn a nuke in battle royale.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to acquire a game-ending nuke in Warzone 2.0. Keep in mind, this process is extremely difficult and most players will likely not be able to pull it off.

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Get five wins in a row

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The first step is to earn five wins in a row. This alone will likely prevent players from earning a nuke, as it’s often hard enough to even get just one victory. It’s also particularly difficult right now, as the game frequently crashes, causing you to lose your streak. It might be a good idea to wait until these issues are fixed before even trying. For best results, we recommend playing with a full squad and to coordinate as much as possible. Play as passively as you can to avoid being taken out and do your best to gather as much loot and cash as possible so you’re stocked up on UAVs and other useful items. There’s no easy way to guarantee wins, unfortunately.

Initiate Champion’s Quest

After you’ve secured your fifth consecutive win, load into a new battle royale match, and you’ll see a new objective labeled “Champion’s Quest.” On your map, you’ll see three new icons (indicated by the Warzone logo) denoting the locations of the quest. When you arrive at any of the three locations, you’ll see a classified briefcase appear, so grab it to initiate the quest. We highly suggest using a helicopter for the next step since you’ll need to navigate around the map quickly.

Find the nuclear materials

This next step is tough, as there’s very little room for error. After you’ve initiated the quest, you’ll be instructed to locate elements to construct the nuke. In the top-left of the screen, you’ll see three elements, each represented by a “?” icon. These all have to fill up and, once they do, they’ll appear on the map individually. Wait for the material to appear, head to its location, and pick it up.

Keep in mind, these three items all have negative effects. The first one, Beryllium puts a tracking device on you (like a Most Wanted), Plutonium causes consistent radiation damage, and Tritium scrambles your radar.

Assemble the nuke

Twitch streamer JoeWo earning a nuke in Warzone 2.0.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

You then need to wait for a timer to count down so you can assemble the nuke. In the meantime, a Jailbreak will trigger, making it even harder to survive. Do your best to wait in a secluded area with few entrances, so you can hold out until the timer reaches zero.

You’ll then get a notice of the bomb site’s location (which is different for each match), and you’ll have five minutes to reach it and assemble the nuke. Interact with the bomb to assemble the nuke and prepare for the next phase.

Defend your bomb

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At this point, after you’ve armed the bomb, you’ll have to defend it for two minutes. Keep in mind that other players will be able to see the bomb on the map, alongside your tracking device, so you likely won’t be alone. Set up claymores, proximity mines, and do your best to utilize cover so you don’t get taken out.

BOOM!

After two minutes, the bomb will explode, and you’ll win the match. You’ll get a fancy new cinematic, along with cosmetics for your troubles, including a nifty calling card.

Joseph Yaden
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Joseph Yaden is a freelance journalist who covers Nintendo, shooters, and horror games. He mostly covers game guides for…
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