Warzone 2 wishlist: 5 things the battle royale sequel needs

Call of Duty: Warzone 2 is coming later this year, and there are a lot of features we hope will come with it. While there are precious few details about the sequel to the popular battle royale, we do know that Warzone 2 and Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer will headline a big Call of Duty event this September. So, we'll likely get new information in the coming weeks about what to expect from Warzone 2. We also know that Modern Warfare 2, Warzone 2, and all future games in the franchise will be on one unified engine, which will hopefully improve the battle royale sequel's performance.

But what do we want from the sequel? A Warzone 2 wishlist will, naturally, include less bloat (something the devs admit is plaguing Warzone right now), but there are a ton of other features and quality-of-life upgrades that we'd love to see. Here's a list of ten things Warzone 2 should include to make it even better than the original game. 

1.  Console FOV sliders 

This is something console players have been asking for since Warzone's launch, and something that rival battle royale Apex Legends already provides. An FOV (field of view) slider lets PC players adjust how much of the screen they can see in the game. A higher FOV means you can see more of the map in front of you, thereby getting more information about enemy whereabouts and rotation options. PC players can crank their FOV up to 120, while console players have been stuck at 80 since 2020. Naturally, this has led to complaints that PC players are getting yet another advantage over console players. 

2.  Firing Range to test weapons 

Another example of where Apex Legends really shines in the battle royale space is in its Firing Range, where players can go to test out weapons, attachments, and abilities without getting shot at by enemies. With so many attachments available that offer countless combinations for just one weapon, it's important that we get a chance to test out our gun builds in a safe space. Without it, there's a tendency to rely on the same tried-and-true builds so as not to get ruthlessly eliminated in the first few moments after getting a loadout drop. Rumors are swirling that Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2 will include a Firing Range as part of its Gunsmith, which would not only help players expand their arsenal, but also hopefully discourage repetitive gun metas.  

3. Ranked mode 

A Warzone 2 Ranked mode has also been reported by prominent leakers, which would help make Warzone a better experience for both casual and competitive players alike. Fortnite and Apex legends offer competitive ranked modes, which from experience usually means the non-ranked battle royale matches are a bit less intense. Conversely, those looking for a hyper-competitive experience can head to ranked to avoid getting matched up with inexperienced players or those looking to throw matches just for fun. Warzone has never had a ranked mode, and the latest rumor suggests ranked Caldera matches will appear in the original game before Warzone 2 and Modern Warfare 2 launches in October of this year. 

4.  Always symmetrical gulags 

When the battle royale first launched, the gulag was the ultimate Warzone warrior test: you and another player stood on opposite sides of a completely symmetrical room, armed with the exact same weapon. When the countdown ended, the bloodbath would commence, with the winner returning to fight another day. But as Warzone grew and new maps were introduced, the gulag changed, as well – for the worse. Asymmetrical gulags meant one player always had an advantage, or at least a chance to get to the high ground faster than the other player. The gulag can't truly test your merit if it has an uneven layout, so all gulags going forward should be symmetrical.

 5. Optimize, optimize, optimize 

While this may seem slightly broad, the current state of Warzone's bloat means you can run into crashing or lag problems in its menus, during its launch process, and while playing the game – basically, anywhere. I myself find it nearly impossible to navigate the menus on console, as there's so much lag while cycling through the sections it's infuriating. And don't even get me started on trying to preview recently unlocked Operators or Operator skins, as they often just don't load in at all. Then there's the frequent boot back to the launch screen after the "update requires restart" error message, which happens at least once whenever I first start the game. Then there are, of course, the bugs and crashes encountered while playing, which often spiked to infuriating levels whenever a new integration would take place. My Warzone Pacific first impression was that I couldn't even play it due to unrendered environments and giant polygonal explosions where guns should be. A streamlined, less bloated Warzone 2 will hopefully be an optimized, smoother experience for players on all platforms.  

We don't know exactly what Warzone 2 has in store for us, aside from knowing that it will be tied directly to Modern Warfare 2, and that it will be another high-stakes, large-scale battle royale experience. We'll learn more in just a few weeks when Activision and Infinity Ward air the Modern Warfare 2/Warzone 2 showcase, and we'll update you accordingly. I know I'm already ready to drop in, how about you? Expect Activision and Infinity Ward to give us a high-stakes, intense battle royale experience,  

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