Knowing your way around Al Mazrah, Vondel, and Ashika Island is one thing, but you really need to know your way around the current Warzone 2 meta if you want to make your time in Call of Duty Warzone 2 a successful one. As we all know from the first edition of the battle royale, the Warzone 2 meta is always shifting, so it’s important to stay updated, and here we’ll take you through the current meta for Season 4.
While we will certainly be highlighting some of the best Warzone 2 guns in this guide, there’s a whole lot more to the game’s meta than just your weapons. You need to be picking the most effective perks, equipment, and more to create the best Warzone 2 loadouts and you’ll also need to consider some useful strategies as well.
Warzone 2 meta
The current Warzone 2 meta is:
- Cronen Squall, ISO Hemlock, Vaznev-9K – meta weapons
- Smoke Grenades (tactical), stun grenades (tactical), throwing knives (lethal) – meta equipment
- Overkill, Bomb Squad, Fast Hands, High Alert – meta perks
Let’s take a deeper look as to why these are the top picks for Season 4.
Cronen Squall, ISO Hemlock, Vaznev-9K – meta weapons
The most important part of the Warzone 2 meta at the start of season 4 is the weapons, and arguably the strongest right now is the Cronen Squall. This battle rifle, introduced in Warzone 2 Season 3, is the king of the long-range meta right now which has persisted into Season 4. With this Warzone 2 Cronen Squall loadout, you’ll be picking off enemies with ease.
Also competing for a spot at the top of the long-range meta is the ISO Hemlock, a slow-firing but powerful assault rifle. Thanks to its steady rate of fire, you can get pinpoint accuracy, and with the decent damage it can produce, it’s an extremely effective weapon for getting mid and long-range eliminations (and a nice more consistent alternative to the Cronen Squall). Check out our Warzone 2 ISO Hemlock loadout for a great build.
The Warzone meta isn’t all about sitting back and picking people off from a distance though. For those that like close-range gun fights, the Vaznev-9K is probably more up your alley. “Why is this considered meta over some of the SMGs?”, you might ask. Well, it’s because the Vaznev is effective both at point-blank range and at slightly longer distances too. It’s extremely versatile, and this Warzone 2 Vaznev-9K loadout is one of the best out there.
While there are plenty of other strong picks, using any of these weapons in either regular or ranked matches will give you the best odds at coming out victorious.
Smoke Grenades (tactical), stun grenades (tactical), throwing knives (lethal) – best equipment
The best equipment to run in Warzone 2 Season 4 is the combination of Smoke Grenades and Throwing Knives. You could swap those Smokes out for Stun Grenades, especially in Ashika Island’s Resurgence Mode where you’ll most likely be pushed more frequently. However, in the open spaces of Al Mazrah, Smokes are very handy for moving from position to position, or for covering your team while you run and grab a loadout drop.
Throwing Knives, meanwhile, give you a chance at knocking players instantly with a well-timed throw and are useful for securing eliminations onto downed players quickly.
Overkill, Bomb Squad, Fast Hands, High Alert – meta perks
In the Warzone 2 meta, the perks you want to use are Overkill, Bomb Squad, Fast Hands, and High Alert. This essentially improves your survivability, gives you two deadly primary weapons in your loadout, and lets you swap quickly between them. This is the perk combination used by lots of high-level Warzone players, so will be perfect for Warzone 2 Ranked Play.
If you already have two excellent loadout-worthy weapons in hand though, we recommend having a class built with Tracker instead of Overkill in one of your slots, which you can pick up if Overkill isn’t required.
So, that’s our rundown of the current Warzone 2 meta. If you’re looking to secure some wins in Al Mazrah and Ashika Island, using some or all of the top meta picks is the way to go. While many will debate whether Warzone 2 should be considered one of the best battle royales of all time, what isn’t debatable is that everything in this guide is super strong out there on the battlefield.