Warzone 2 and Modern Warfare 2 make the drill charge even better at killing campers

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2022) screenshot
(Image credit: Activision)

After the release of Warzone 2 and Modern Warfare 2 season 1, the beloved camper-countering drill charge is better than ever. 

The drill charge became a fan favorite practically overnight for its ability to punch through walls and easily reach players who've holed up in a corner somewhere, and today's big update makes it even better at killing exceedingly defensive players. As Infinity Ward detailed in the full patch notes, sticking a drill charge to someone's riot shield will now "always kill the player ... even if they have the Bomb Squad perk." 

This might sound like a small change, but the Riot Shield is both emblematic of turtle strategies and one of the few counters to the drill charge. Just days ago Modern Warfare 2 players were lamenting that the riot shield effectively shuts down the otherwise lethal explosive. 

sticking_a_drill_charge_to_riot_shield_does_not from r/modernwarfare2

Not anymore. The drill charge can now officially punch through basically everything, including whatever indestructible alloy the friggin' riot shield is made of. On top of that, it's now part of the Warzone 2 sandbox. 

If you could go back a year and ask fans of Call of Duty's original battle royale if they'd like a handheld, riot shield-piercing, wall-puncturing, camper-killing powerhouse, roughly 99% of them would say yes, with the other 1% being campers quivering in fear of their new god. This thing was already destructive in traditional Call of Duty multiplayer, and the tense, close-quarters chases and shootouts of Warzone 2 are absolutely perfect for it. 

The Modern Warfare 2 update today also brings heavily requested SP-R nerfs and M16 buffs. 

Austin Wood

Austin freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree, and he's been with GamesRadar+ since 2019. They've yet to realize that his position as a senior writer is just a cover up for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a focus on news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible.