Getting Started

Getting Started

Your First Hour in Call of Duty: Warzone

Welcome to Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0. This guide will walk you through everything you need to survive your first hour, avoid common pitfalls, and start climbing the leaderboard.

#### 1. Character Creation (Operators)
Warzone doesn’t have a traditional character creation. Instead, you choose an Operator – predefined characters with unique skins and voice lines. You unlock operators by:

• Starting with a few default operators (e.g., Mil-Sim, König, Stiletto).


• Purchasing bundles from the Store (Cosmetic only, no gameplay advantage).


• Completing battle pass tiers (free and premium).

Tip: Pick an operator whose skin blends into the environment (e.g., dark shades for shadows, ghillie suits for bushes). Avoid bright or flashy skins early on.

#### 2. Platform-Specific Controls
Familiarize yourself with the default controls. You can customize them in Settings > Controller/Keyboard & Mouse.

Important: To plate armor quickly, double-tap the assigned key. In the heat of battle, this can save your life.

#### 3. UI Overview (HUD)
When you enter a match, you’ll see:

• Health Bar (bottom center): White segments – full health. When damaged, segments turn red and slowly regenerate. Use Stim (Tactical) to heal faster.


• Armor Plates (below health): Up to 3 plates can be equipped. Yellow indicators show empty slots. Plates can be found on the ground or purchased.


• Cash Counter (top right): In-game currency used for Buy Stations (Killstreaks, Self-Revives, Loadout Drops). Start with $0, earn by looting, completing contracts, and killing enemies.


• Minimap (top left): Shows nearby enemies (red circles when they fire unsuppressed), teammates (blue/green dots), and points of interest.


• Compass (top center): Shows cardinal directions. Use for callouts (e.g., “Enemy at 270 degrees”).


• Active Contract (left side): Shows objective when you pick up a contract (e.g., Bounty, Most Wanted, Intel, Safecracker).


• Ammo & Equipment (bottom right): Current weapon, reserve ammo, lethal/tactical count, killstreak slot (e.g., UAV, Cluster Strike).


• Teammate Status (left side): Health bars, down indicators, and distance.


#### 4. Essential Early Objectives (What to Do First)

Phase 1: Landing & Looting (First 2 minutes)

• Don’t hot drop (e.g., Al Mazrah City, Observatory) as a beginner. Land at off-center locations like small compounds, farms, or villages (e.g., Sawah Village, Oasis Gate, Cemetery). Use the Tac Map (M) to find unmarked buildings.


• Loot priority: Armor Plates (equip 3), a weapon (any, but AR/SMG preferred), Cash ($1000+ is good), Self-Revive, Gas Mask, and Killstreaks (UAV is best for beginners).


• Open every loot box (brown wooden crates) and search floor loot. Yellow boxes contain higher-tier items.


• If you find a Buy Station (marked with a dollar sign icon on map), you can purchase: Armor Plates ($500), Self-Revive ($4000), Gas Mask ($3000), UAV ($4000), Loadout Drop Marker ($10,000 – save for mid-game). Don’t buy early – loot first.


Phase 2: Complete a Contract (Minutes 3–10)

• Contracts are orange circles on your minimap. They give cash, XP, and reveal enemies.


• Best beginner contracts:

- Most Wanted (also called Bounty): Marks a random enemy player. Survive and kill them for big cash. Risky – skip until you’ve played a few matches.
- Safecracker: Crack safes. Easy cash and straightforward.
- Intel: Grab intel and upload. Low risk, good reward.

• Avoid the Most Wanted contract (marks you on map for everyone) until you understand rotations.


Phase 3: Survive the Circle (Mid-Game)

• Watch the Circle Timer (top left of minimap). When it shrinks, you must move inside the safe zone or take continuous damage from the gas.


• Always check your Gas Mask – it protects you from gas damage. Equip it from inventory (press Tab on PC, Up on D-pad to open backpack).


• Use vehicles (ATV, UTV, Truck) to rotate quickly. Be careful – vehicles are loud and attract enemies.


• Don’t stay in one building too long. The circle forces you to move; getting caught outside costs HP and plates.


Phase 4: Buy a Loadout Drop (Late Early Game)

• When you have $10,000, find a Buy Station and purchase a Loadout Drop Marker. Throw it in a safe area (inside the circle, behind cover). This drops your custom weapon classes (weapons, perks, equipment).


• Create a custom loadout in the main menu: Choose a primary weapon (e.g., M4, Kastov-74u), attachments for recoil control and ADS speed, and perks like Overkill (two primaries) or Ghost (invisible to UAVs). For beginners, use Overkill with an AR and a shotgun/SMG.


• If you can’t afford loadout, you can buy a personal UAV ($4000) to scout enemies.


#### 5. What to Avoid (Beginner Traps)

• Looting for too long: Many beginners spend minutes looting every container. Loot only the first 30 seconds, then move toward the circle. You can loot dead enemies later.


• Engaging without full armor: Always equip 3 plates before a fight. Even one plate missing makes you easier to kill.


• Standing still in the open: Use cover constantly. Move from tree to rock, building to wall.


• Ignoring audio: Footsteps, gunshots, and vehicle sounds are critical. Use a headset. Lower your own movement (walk, crouch) when near enemies.


• Reviving teammates in open area: If a teammate goes down, throw smoke first, then revive. Don’t rush into a line of fire.


• Using killstreaks carelessly: UAV reveals you on minimap when you deploy it (but shows enemies). Cluster Strikes and Airstrikes have a long animation – don’t use them in close quarters.


• Dropping your cash: Always use a Buy Station before dying. Cash disappears on death.

#### 6. Early Resource Priorities
#### 7. Common Beginner Mistakes

• Not checking the minimap – you miss enemies, contracts, and circle position.


• Using the wrong weapon for range – SMGs at long range do little damage; snipers at close range are slow. Pair an AR/SMG or AR/Sniper.


• Reloading after every kill – This gets you killed. Reload only when safe or behind cover.


• Not pinging enemies – Use the ping system (D-pad Up on console, Alt on PC) to mark enemies, locations, or loot. Your team will thank you.


• Ignoring the gulag – When you die for the first time, you enter the Gulag (1v1 fight). Win it to redeploy. Practice there – it’s a free second chance.


• Buying everything at the Buy Station – Prioritize Self-Revive > Gas Mask > Armor Plates (if you have none) > UAV. Only buy Loadout when you have decent cash.


#### 8. Day-One Checklist

• [ ] Complete the tutorial (Main Menu > “Training” > “Warzone Basic Training”). This teaches looting, plating, contracts, and the gulag.


• [ ] Play 2–3 matches in “Plunder” mode (if available) – It’s a respawn mode with no elimination pressure. Great for learning map, looting, and weapon handling.


• [ ] Customize your controls – Adjust sensitivity (start at 5–7 on console, 800 DPI with 6–7 in-game on PC). Faster is better after you adapt.


• [ ] Create one custom loadout – Use a meta weapon (check [WarzoneMeta.com](https://wzstats.gg) for current meta). For example: Kastov-74u (similar to AK-47) with attachments for recoil, ADS, and magazine size.


• [ ] Open your first loot box and equip armor plates.


• [ ] Buy a Self-Revive from a Buy Station in your first match (you’ll likely die – but you’ll learn the location).


• [ ] Win your first Gulag fight – even if you lose, try to get a feel for the map and weapons.


• [ ] Watch the minimap for the first 5 minutes of every match. Force yourself to glance every few seconds.


• [ ] Play with a team (invite friends or use “Fill Squad” in options). Communication is key.


• [ ] Don’t get discouraged – Warzone has a steep learning curve. Focus on surviving until the final circles, not on kills.

Summary

Your first hour is about survival, not kills. Land somewhere quiet, loot fast, complete one contract, buy a Self-Revive, and stay inside the circle. Avoid hot drops and unnecessary fights. Use audio and pings. Learn from the Gulag. With this guide, you’ll be better equipped than 90% of new players. Good luck, soldier!