Warzone 2 Black Site Key and Stronghold guide

Warzone 2
(Image credit: Activision Blizzard)

To get a Warzone 2 Black Site Key, players will have to complete a Stronghold, for which the key is one of the rewards when you defuse the bomb. They're a difficult thing to do though, with numerous NPCs to kill, both in the Stronghold and the Black Site itself, including a giant Juggernaut who serves as a sudden and vicious boss fight. For the best chance at success, here's how to get the Warzone 2 Black Site key and guide to making it through safely.

 How to get a Black Site Key in Warzone 2

Warzone 2 Black Site Key Stronghold guide

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Get the best loadout for the job

Modern Warfare 2 loadouts

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If you are going to take on a Black Site you'll want to take in one of the best Warzone 2 guns in Modern Warfare 2. So check what the options are and gear up. 

To get your hands on a Warzone 2 Black Site Key, you need to complete a Stronghold, which in itself requires you find a Warzone 2 Stronghold key. These appear shortly into a match, and spawn in three random locations around the map. Look out for the 'Strongholds Open' icon you can see above on the map to find them. Remember, Strongholds appear for everyone in the match, so it’s likely each one will be contested. This means you’ll probably have to deal with players to capture one. The best Warzone 2 sniper rifles might be handy here if you can get one, to help thing out the field from a distance instead of a more dangerous close range battle. 

Completing a Stronghold involves defeating enemy AI and defusing a bomb. Doing so gives you access to loot, a Loadout, and the Black Site Key. It’s best to go in with a full squad and decent weapons to increase your chance of survival. The AI won’t be too difficult, but it’s easy to get overrun, especially with real players in the mix.

You can find the key right on the ground in front of the bomb and Loadout, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled as you complete Strongholds. Do your best to complete the Stronghold quickly so you can grab the key as soon as possible. If another team grabs the Black Site Key first, you won’t be able to unlock the Black Site, so keep that in mind. You’ll still gain access to the Loadout, but once another team collects the Black Site Key, you can no longer acquire it.  

Warzone 2 black site

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After you’ve acquired the Black Site Key, you’ll get a notification that a Black Site is now open. One will spawn in a random location on the map, likely far away from where you are. Look on the map for the icon shown above to find the Black Site. It looks like a more fortified version of a Stronghold. Much like Strongholds, Black Sites spawn in different locations each match.

Make your way to the Black Site (preferably via a vehicle to get there quicker) and use the Black Site Key to open any of the doors that lead into the structure. By default, the doors leading inside will be locked, so only those who gained access to a Black Site Key can open them. 

How to complete a Black Site in Warzone 2

Warzone 2 Black Site Key Stronghold guide

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Black Sites are essentially more difficult versions of Strongholds and are home to even more enemy AI. Typically, these Black Sites are multifloored and are much more complicated than standard Strongholds. As soon as you open the door, you’ll receive an objective that requires you to eliminate a target. So not only do you have to deal with tougher AI, you also need to fight a deadly Juggernaut, which is much easier said than done.

How to beat the Black Site Juggernaut

Warzone 2 Black Site Key Stronghold guide

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Juggernauts in Warzone 2 Black Sites function a lot like they do in the Gulag, and will fight back with a minigun. Thankfully, many of the fights against these Juggernauts often give you plenty of cover to hide behind, allowing you to maneuver around and pop out to take shots.

It’s recommended to use explosives on the Juggernaut such as rockets or grenades. We also advise each player to take shots individually, rather than everyone firing away at once since it’s easy to get wiped. If one player goes down, have them crawl back behind cover for a revive. Try not to get greedy with your shots and do your best to communicate with your team as you fire away. 

The Juggernaut can easily take you down in just a couple of shots. It’s also important to pay attention to standard AI enemies that will frequently appear while battling the Juggernaut. They’re easy to defeat but can take you down quickly if you aren’t paying attention.

Warzone 2 Black Site rewards 

The rewards you get for defeating the Juggernaut and completing the Black Site are major. Here are some of the items you gain access to for completing the objective:

  • Large backpacks
  • Armor boxes
  • Munitions box
  • Durable gas masks
  • Self-Revive Kits
  • Minigun
  • Advance UAV
  • Killstreaks

Warzone 2 Black Site Key Stronghold guide

(Image credit: Activision)

Completing one Black Site also gives you access to the Phantom’s Call Vaznev-9K blueprint, which features a curious 9-digit code etched into the side of the weapon. This code might be tied to an upcoming Easter Egg, so it’s worth getting your hands on it, just in case. 

Joseph Yaden

Joseph loves Nintendo and horror games. With the Nintendo Switch, he's ready to get spooky anytime, anywhere. He specializes in covering Call of Duty: Warzone and action RPGs like Dark Souls, so you can bet he's looking forward to Elden Ring, the brainchild of George RR Martin and Hidetaka Miyazaki. You can find Joseph's work at GamesRadar, Digital Trends, Inverse, and PLAY Magazine. When he's not writing about video games he can usually be found petting his cats and listening to some Progressive Metal. He thinks Meshuggah is tight.