Season 2 of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has brought many new changes and additions to shake up things for players. Many of which are technical improvements to the game and welcome quality-of-life additions to the overall experience. However, on the battle royale side of the game, much buzz came from the addition of the new map to Warzone 2.0: Ashika Island.
Marketed as a resurgence map akin to previous maps like Rebirth Island or Fortune's Keep, Ashika Island is also significantly smaller compared to Al Mazarh. Since the map is fairly new, players are going to want to learn as much as possible about the new map for the best chance at success. With that, this list will provide a few tips for both Warzone 2.0 and DMZ to give operators a leg up against the opposition.
Warzone 2.0 #1 – Alternate Landing Spots
Sometimes it may not always be best to land in the most popular location on the map just to get more early kills because operators are just as likely to be said early kills for others. Even a competent player or team will struggle to make it out of Tsuki Castle alive due to it being Ashika Island's most popular landing spot. Therefore, maybe it might be best to choose a less hectic or common landing spot, but one near or on a buy station.
It is still just as important to get fully kitted out as soon as possible in Warzone, but with how small Ashika Island is, there is a greater sense of urgency for this. What players should look to do is find other POIs (Points of Interest) not too far from Tsuki Castle that have a buy station nearby and land there. Not only will it be less contested, but it will also allow for more breathing room in terms of mistakes or unfortunate teammates' deaths. With more room for error, operators can still work towards custom classes at a good pace and be just as prepared for the intense final circle battles that are sure to come.
DMZ #1 – Abuse The Strongholds
In Warzone 2.0, Strongholds are a great way to find rare loot and even "regain" after a death in a previous DMZ run. Due to Ashika Island being significantly smaller than Al Mazrah, everything on the map is closer. This is no different for Strongholds and operators should look to take advantage of that.
Often 2–3 Strongholds will spawn in a single POI, meaning operators should look to complete as many as possible. This can be used further since DMZ allows Stronghold Keycards to be taken out of a game and kept in a stash. This makes the "regain" run even easier since 3-man operators can often be fully kitted out after a few clears of nearby strongholds. It is also worth doing a "Raid Weapon Stash" contract for even more rare loot at one of the many nearby Strongholds.
Warzone 2.0 #2 – Map Control & Positioning Matters A lot
Ashika Island's small size quite literally changes the flow of gameplay in many ways, and it isn't just because the circle is smaller. In general, Ashika Island places a greater focus on map control and positioning than other maps in Warzone's history. Large maps like Al Mazrah may complement operators who prefer slower play styles, but Ashika Island is not the place for that.
Operators should look to take the high ground when possible and push engagements when necessary. Locations such as Residential with the two apartment buildings and Town Center with the city hall are great power positions to hold, especially if the buildings are at the edge of the circle. If operators see other teams taking control of these locations, it may be worth contesting to gain control of these key positions as the circle continues to get smaller.
DMZ #2 – Use The Keys
Since the launch of Season 2, keys for locked spaces in DMZ seem to have had an increase in drop rate and frequency. Keys are also a guaranteed drop from the many "HVTs" that can be found across Ashika Island. Given these circumstances, it's likely operators will have a healthy stash of keys to put to good use. The loot found in each locked space can vary with some having a higher frequency of good loot than others, but there are a few to look out for.
The "City Hall Hideout" key is easily the best one as the building has multiple crates that have a high chance of dropping rare loot. It is also, however, the riskiest since it is the biggest building and in the highest traffic area of the map due to being near Tsuki Castle and other locations that will likely be visited by other operators doing missions. Thankfully, a UAV tower has a high chance of spawning on the building which can help while operators loot the structure.
Other locked spaces such as "Drifting Supply Bag" and "Lost Room 403" have a very high chance of at least having rare items that can be sold at high prices. Do note that "Lost Room 403" is a mission requirement, so operators should be cautious when approaching the building.
Warzone 2.0 #3 – Get as Much Intel as Possible
Once again bringing attention to the small size of Ashika Island, engagements are going to happen faster and even more frequently. With this in mind, operators should look to get an advantage in any way possible; therefore, what better way than to know where players are?
Constantly buying and using UAVs when possible is only one part of this tip since this is already the meta for the game. Operators can grab a "Bounty" contract in Warzone 2.0 which will mark the general area of another operator. This can be vital information when used in conjunction with UAVs to give operators an idea of where engagements are happening and how many players may be nearby.
DMZ #3 – SAM Sites and Killstreaks
In season 2 of Call of Duty Warzone 2.0, there was a minor change to SAM sites many operators may have not noticed. Accompanying the usefulness a SAM site provides in destroying helicopters, it also can negate the use of all killstreaks from enemy operators that are within a certain range of the SAM site.
This is a big deal as previously SAM site uses were fairly limited, but now operators have more incentive to capture and defend one. There are also a few locations such as near the "City Hall Hideout" where a SAM site and UAV tower will spawn within 100 meters of each other making positions like that fantastic to hold during firefights with enemy operators.
Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.