Infinity Ward has disclosed that Call of Duty: Warzone 2 will have AI combatants and specific AI hotspots dubbed Strongholds, which will house critical endgame-tier elements such as bespoke guns. The developer appears to be intent on revitalizing this form of COD in various ways, and the future adjustments may be far more significant than most people have anticipated.
While Call of Duty: Warzone 2 is the first COD to explore hybridized PvPvE on such a big scale, the original Warzone did flirt with special events and map functions. The popular battle royale’s sequel will have big swaths of territory with legions of AI foes should make the game more dynamic and fascinating, though it’s all voluntary.
The presentation of the Al Mazrah map for Warzone 2 also introduced the concept of Strongholds, which are miniature AI-infested dungeons with which players can choose to interact or not. In particular, while capturing a Stronghold does loot and unlocking the particular Gunsmith shop with modified weaponry, players may discover that dealing with a Stronghold is more work than it’s worth in some situations. While the AI guarding Strongholds will not actively seek out combat, it has the potential to be highly aggressive, not to mention other players taking advantage of the opportunity.
Players should be able to put together a clear picture of what awaits them in the game now that AI opponents have been revealed. However, the primary Warzone gameplay loop is just part of the picture here, as COD: NEXT also stated that Warzone 2 would have a DMZ mode at launch, delivering an experience comparable to Escape From Tarkov. Because AI bots will be a significant element of DMZ, Infinity Ward was probably inspired to add them in other sections of Warzone.
AI bots will also be present in Warzone 2’s Gulag, giving them a critical gameplay component across the board.
