The Best Loadouts for Warzone

Image: Infinity Ward Raven Software

Human Made

I've been playing video games pretty much nonstop ever since I got my first 360. I love arena shooters, MMOs, and MOBAs, but I'll pretty much try any kind of game.

Reviewed by Benjamin Barr

Warzone 2 has been out for less than a month, but it’s already proven itself as one of the more unique battle royale games offered right now. Enough has changed since the first Warzone to make it feel exciting again, and one of those changes is the way loadouts work. In Warzone 2, loadouts can provide a serious advantage, if you know how to optimize them. Here’s a rundown of some of the best loadout combinations right now, as well as brief guide on how to get loadouts.

How to Get Loadouts in Warzone 2

Getting your loadout in Warzone 2 is not as simple as you might think. As of right now, there are three methods to get one:

Buy Stations (partial)
Loadout Drops (easiest method)
Clearing Strongholds (hardest method)

Buy Stations are by far the easiest and safest method listed here, but it doesn’t reward you with the full loadout. You can only buy individual weapons for your loadouts from Buy Stations (along with the other Buy Station loot), which means no additional perks or gear. These Buy Stations provide an excellent method of getting good weapons and some gear, but if you want your full loadout, you’ll have to use one of the other two methods.

Loadout Drops are the easiest method to get loadouts. These drop randomly on the map from time to time, so be on the watch. They’re visible on the map as yellow squares, and it’s usually very obvious when they drop. Picking up a Loadout Drop will provide your entire loadout, but be careful, because they’re usually surrounded by gunfire and other players.

Clearing Strongholds is the last method, and it is by far the hardest. Strongholds are packed with AI, and while they’re definitely worth it, they can be difficult to clear. The AI at the Strongholds are by no means the smartest, but they’re competent enough to easily kill you in close quarters areas if nothing else. However, while it might be hard, clearing a Stronghold will grant every player on your team a loadout drop. This gets even more significant the more players you have, so make sure to keep that in mind.

Warzone 2: Best Loadouts

Now that we’ve discussed how to get your loadouts, let’s take a look at some good loadout choices! As always, though, remember that these lists are subjective. If you want to tweak or change things, don’t be afraid to. There are definitely some weapons that are better than others in this game, but when it comes to the absolute best, it’s almost entirely based on opinion and preference.

With that being said, here are three loadout recommendations for Warzone 2!

1. SMG + Sniper Rifle

SMG Options: Fennec 45, FSS Hurricane
Sniper Rifle Options: Signal 50, Victus XMR
Perk Package: Weapon Specialist (required for two weapons)
Tactical Options: Stim, Smoke Grenade
Lethal Options: Frag/Semtex Grenade, Proximity Mine, Claymore

This combination is all about having the best of both worlds. You get the speed and reliability of SMGs combined with the power of snipers. Since Warzone matches tend to be chaotic and unpredictable, being ready for anything is a major bonus. The SMGs we recommend are the Fennec 45 and FSS Hurricane, both of which are great close-range options. You could use other SMGs here if you prefer other ones, but these are the recommended choices.

For the sniper rifle, we recommend either the Signal 50 or Victus XMR. The Signal 50 is recommended first because of its reliability. Since it’s the fastest firing sniper in the game, it has a major advantage in Warzone. Most of the players you’ll come across will be wearing armor, so being able to fire multiple shots quickly is important. It’s also nice if you miss your initial shot. If you don’t like the Signal 50, the Victus XMR is a great choice. It has higher damage and better mobility, but you’ll lose the ability to rapid fire shots.

2. Assault Rifle + SMG

AR Options: M4, Lachmann-556
SMG Options: Fennec 45, FSS Hurricane
Perk Package: Weapon Specialist (required for two weapons)
Tactical Options: Stim, Smoke Grenade
Lethal Options: Frag/Semtex Grenade

This loadout gives up some long-range capabilities for a stronger position in mid- and close-range fights. While the AR/SMG combo might feel redundant, it’s important not to underestimate the range of some assault rifles. We recommend either the M4 or Lachmann-556 for the AR pick here because both perform particularly well at mid and long range. (Of course, long range for an AR is not the same as for a sniper, so remember to pick your fights wisely.)

Picking an SMG with the right range is equally as important here. Since we have the AR for longer ranged fights, we recommend an SMG that focuses on short range. The Fennec 45 and FSS Hurricane are both great options for this role, as they melt through enemies nearby. The Fennec 45 is the top choice due to its fire rate and DPS, but the FSS Hurricane nearly matches it.

3. SP-08 (Marksman Rifle) + Assault Rifle

AR Options: Kastov-74U, Kastov 762, M4
Perk Package: Weapons Specialist (required for two weapons)
Tactical Options: Stim, Smoke Grenade
Lethal Options: Frag/Semtex Grenade, Proximity Mine, Claymore

The SP-08 is the strongest Marksman Rifle in the game by far, and it’s not even close. That’s why we listed it specifically here instead of just the weapon type. While the SP-08 isn’t quite as strong in Warzone as in Modern Warfare 2 since it doesn’t one-shot the chest through armor plates, it’s still incredibly strong. If you aren’t a fan of the SP-08, it’d probably be best to try a Sniper Rifle (probably the Victus XMR) in its place.

The Kastov-74U is the best overall Assault Rifle for this loadout, but the Kastov 762 is a great option too. With this loadout, you don’t have to have the most range with the AR, so these are the top picks at the moment. The 74U is perhaps the strongest Assault Rifle in the meta right now, and the 762 is almost its equal. The M4 is also a good choice because of how well-balanced it is. It’s always at least pretty decent.

Loadouts without Weapon Specialist

There’s no denying that the perk package with Overkill (the one that lets you have multiple primary weapons) is the best one. Since they only included one package with Overkill, that leaves a lot of players stuck with only one option. If you don’t want to use this perk package, though, there are other options (check out [this] article for a rundown of each perk package in Warzone 2).

If you do choose a perk package without Overkill, that’ll leave you with only one primary weapon. Here are two loadout options that only include one primary weapon.

1. Sniper Rifle + Pistol

Sniper Rifle Options: Victus XMR or Signal 50
Pistol Options: P890 or Basilisk
Tactical Options: Stim, Smoke Grenade
Lethal Options: Frag/Semtex Grenade, Proximity Mine, Claymore

This is a pretty simple option among the Warzone 2 best loadouts. It focuses exclusively on sniping, with a pistol for backup in close-range situations. The Victus XMR is really strong if you want to be a more traditional one-shot sniper or if you prioritize mobility, while the Signal 50 has a higher rate of fire so it’s easier to use and more consistent. As for pistols, both options are great. The P890 is a traditional pistol with all-round average stats, while the Basilisk is a revolver with a much heavier punch. Both are great, so feel free to try both and see which you prefer.

2. Assault Rifle + Pistol

Assault Rifle Options: M4, Kastov 762, Kastov-74U, Lachmann-556
Pistol Options: P890 or Basilisk
Tactical Options: Stim, Smoke Grenade
Lethal Options: Frag/Semtex Grenade

This might be the most “basic” loadout possible — just an assault rifle and a pistol. The assault rifles we listed are considered the most balanced, which is what you want when it’s your main weapon. The pistol options are pretty straightforward too, and for the same reasons as with the previous loadout recommendation. You really can’t go wrong with this one.

Join the High Ground

Thanks for reading this article on the Warzone 2 best loadouts! Let us know your favorite loadout in the comments, and be sure to check out our other Call of Duty content. Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter for more articles like this!

Happy gaming!