The first season of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and Warzone is live, and the update integrates MW3 guns, movement, and several features with the addition of the new Urzikstan map. Perks work differently than past years of Warzone, and here’s everything you need to know.
Season 1 of Warzone has over 30 perks. There are 10 new and 19 returning options you can choose from when equipping perks to your loadout, and there will be five enabled by default, meaning you’ll have this specific set of perks active from the moment you drop into the match.
Default perks
- Tac Pads: Improves slide distance and allows for full ADS while sliding, along with increased stance transition speeds
- Commando Gloves: Enables reloading while running
- Quick-Grip Gloves: Increases your weapon swap speed
- Climbing Boots: Increases climbing and mantling speed aspect
- Overkill: Allows you to pick two primary weapons
Season 1’s new perks
- Irradiated: Move faster and take less damage while in the gas
- Tempered: Tempered allows you to refill armor plates to full with two plates instead of three
- Combat Scout: Bullets you fire briefly ping an enemy for you and your squad. Hitting the enemy from farther away increases the ping time
- Resolute: When taking damage from gunfire, this grants a short bonus to movement speed
- Shrouded: Drop a smoke grenade when downed
- Mountaineer: Reduces fall damage
- Stalker: Increased strafe and aim down sight movement speed
- Escapist: Increased downed, prone, and crouch speed
- Primed: Accuracy and time to aim down sight is improved while jumping
- Faculty: Delays triggered explosives while sprinting, warns of nearby enemy equipment, and reduces combat noise
Best perks to use
Perk packages remain in Warzone, allowing you to customize your own packs with up to four perks for each loadout.
Slot one and two
These first two slots share the same pool of twelve perks. There are a few solid choices here, including E.O.D., Battle Hardened, Sleight of Hand, and the new Irradiated perk. These can vary in usefulness depending on your playstyle.
If you’re an aggressive player, you might want to consider Sleight of Hand for faster reloads. Season 1’s Irradiated perk allows you to move faster and take less damage while in the gas. This is going to be a handy perk for fleeing the circle collapses and also for those late-game situations where you might be forced to fight another team or player in the gas.
Additionally, you can use E.O.D. to help reduce damage from enemy equipment such as grenades and breacher drones, and Battle Hardened will reduce the effect of enemy equipment such as flash grenades, stuns, and shock sticks.
Slot three
For the third slot, Tempered and Primed are solid picks. Tempered lets you be fully-plated with just two plates instead of requiring three. Primed is a brand-new perk which can be helpful if you’re a player who likes to bunny hop (jump around) in gun fights, as this perk grants you improved accuracy and ADS time while jumping.
If you’re someone who enjoys the Plunder cash mode or just wants to earn cash faster in your battle royale matches, you might consider equipping Payout. Payout is a new Season 1 perk that awards more cash for completing contracts and gives discounts to UAV Towers.
Slot four
The last slot has some of Warzone’s most powerful and popular picks, forcing you to choose between perks like Ghost, High Alert, and Combat Scout.
Ghost will keep you off enemy radar, but it’s been changed to only work when you’re actively moving. If you’re someone who plays a bit more tactical and campy, you might want to choose a different perk here.
High Alert is good for knowing when an enemy has you in their sights, and Combat Scout is great if you’re someone who likes to be a team player and provide additional intel to your squad, as Combat Scout will briefly highlight any player your bullets hit.
The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors.
GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.
