The release of Call of Duty: Vanguard has received relatively mixed reviews, but now players can look forward to two new perks and a grenade in the Season 1 Battle Pass. Further options are unlockable across all Call of Duty: Vanguard loadouts, so players can explore new perks rivaling current aggressive options.
The point of having "perks" in the Call of Duty franchise is to help players as they traverse maps and slay one another in the multiplayer FPS. Said perks are customized abilities that players can use during matches, abilities that give them advantages towards a team win and making Play of the Game.
In this case, the Call of Duty: Vanguard Season 1 Battle Pass is introducing two new perks to the roster. The first perk unlocked at Tier 1 is Serpentine, which allows players to receive reduced damage from ballistics and explosives when sprinting. The second perk unlocked at Tier 44 is called Intuition, in which "your vision pulses when enemies are nearby, even through walls." Lastly, the Special Incendiary Grenade is a new edition to lethal equipment used to "obscure an area in a white fog and burns those who come close."
According to developers, when using this new tactical sprint, players can "cut damage by more than a quarter of its normal value" compared to regular sprinting, which only slightly reduces incoming damage. Regarding Intuition, players who equip this perk can "perceive threats before they round corners or burst through doors." Like High Alert in the previous Call of Duty games, "this is done without the need to suppress them like Piercing Range, making it a more passive option for those looking for more close-range engagements," with short-range vision. The grenade rivals the Thermite and Molotov Cocktail by extending the damage scale and lasting longer.
With the addition of these perks and the grenade, it gives more options for players loadouts to be customized to their playing style. Call of Duty: Vanguard offers multiple slots for players to rearrange and create loadouts for specific matches, such as an SMG loadout for Shipment to increase hip-fire kills on the small, chaotic map. The right perks with suitable guns and tools can make a player unstoppable on the field.
These perks come across as exciting and pose as great advancements for their rival options. While there are many loadout options, with the level of customization, Call of Duty: Vanguard players will be able to make the battlefield their own.
Call of Duty: Vanguard is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
