The upcoming Call of Duty: Warzone 2 is understandably generating huge amounts of hype in the run-up to its release. With just how popular its predecessor was combining with the wide range of ambitious new changes that are set to come with the title, it will be fascinating to see how the game is eventually received by fans.
A huge part of the new gameplay experience that is set to come with Call of Duty: Warzone 2 comes with the AI-controlled stronghold locations that will be scattered throughout the map. While the risk versus reward factor of these new locations is an already interesting prospect, the level of skill and threat offered by the AI inhabitants of strongholds will largely determine how the new mode will be received by fans.
The Basics of Call of Duty: Warzone 2
Call of Duty: Warzone 2 is the latest upcoming installment to the franchise's wildly successful foray into the growingly popular gaming medium of battle royales. Set to officially launch on November 16, Warzone 2 is set to reimagine how its predecessor operated by introducing a huge amount of core gameplay changes and new game modes.
For example, Warzone 2 will allow things like underwater combat, 2v2 gulags, splitting end-game circles, and a brand-new mode known as DMZ based on scavenging gameplay against hostile AI enemies. The addition of AI enemies is not restricted to DMZ, with the core battle royale gameplay of Warzone 2 additionally offering PvE gameplay via the addition of stronghold points of interest.
Strongholds in Call of Duty: Warzone 2
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Strongholds will reportedly be scattered around the brand-new Al Mazrah map in Warzone 2. Given the fact that Al Mazrah is supposedly even larger than the original Warzone's expansive and beloved Verdansk map, there is likely to be no shortage of stronghold locations across the newer game's map. These strongholds will be heavily reinforced and fortified, being home to large forces of hostile AI that will defend the locations with their lives. Infinity Ward incentivizes players to tackle these imposing structures with the attractive loot and rewards that come with successfully taking over a stronghold, so the presence and difficulty of the AI need to be proportionate.
That being said, Infinity Ward has been proudly vocal regarding the level of strategy and intelligence behind its brand-new AI, who reportedly possess a commendable level of threat on the battlefield that should not be underestimated. Supposedly, the new AI in Warzone 2 will dynamically react to how a player approaches a stronghold takeover, adapting their strategy to best counter an attempted coup.
While this is a much preferred level of AI, as opposed to more basic and predictable patterns of behavior, it is imperative that Infinity Ward finds the correct balance in just how much of a threat Warzone 2's AI will pose to players. Infinity Ward's comments suggest that the stronghold AI will be fairly difficult to deal with, however this difficulty should also not exceed a logical level of effort and commitment, especially considering the fast-paced and high-stakes nature of battle royale games even without the added AI element.
This sweet spot of AI difficulty will likely have to be fine-tuned by Infinity Ward over the course of Warzone 2 and Modern Warfare 2's two-year post-launch life cycle, with this unprecedented amount of time allowing for plenty of adjustments. While the prospect of AI-controlled strongholds will always be met with excitement by some fans, it remains that the quality of the AI is absolutely key to the new gameplay factor's reception.
Call of Duty: Warzone 2 launches on November 16 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
