Best Warzone perks, including Warzone Perks list

Perks in Warzone work similarly to their regular Call of Duty Multiplayer counterparts, only with a couple of slight differences.

If you're a player of Modern Warfare 3, you'll have a general understanding of how perks work, though it's worth keeping in mind that the perks available in Warzone differ, not just in naming but also effects too.

Below, we'll detail all the key things you need to know about them, including a list of all the perks in Warzone, what they do, and our selection for the best Warzone perks.

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If you're interested in the weapon side of things, our best Warzone weapons and best loadouts explainers might come in handy.

Best Warzone perks

The perks you choose for Warzone are going to depend, largely, on what you're trying to achieve with your overall loadout.

If you're not sure which perks to equip in your own 'Custom Packages', there are also 'Preset Packages' you'll see when on the perk selection page, and these are worth looking into if you're just getting into Warzone for the first time.

You can find what our picks for the best builds are in our best loadouts guide, but as a brief refresher on how loadouts work: the loadouts you create can only be accessed during matches via a loadout drop, which you purchase within a round of Warzone. Though you can buy any of the primary weapons equipped in your custom loadouts at various Buy Stations, the specific perks and overall build can only be fully employed once you find a loadout drop and select that loadout fully.

Whilst the perks and playstyle you build is entirely up to you, there are absolutely some standout "meta" picks that you should consider building your loadouts around. Here are our choices.

Best Warzone Perks for Perk slots 1 and 2

• Scavenger - This perk is one that's consistently been a staple of Call of Duty loadout options for many years now, and it's no surprise really thanks to its ability to provide extra ammo, loot-able after eliminating enemies. Here in Warzone however, it also has the additional bonuses of granting an extra armor plate and cash from defeated players too, making it all the more tantalising an option, and perfect for all offensive classes, particularly those led by an SMG.
• Sleight of Hand - Yet another staple in Call of Duty classes, Sleight of Hand is great for offensive playstyles. Its ability to boost reload speed is a simple one, but a bonus that'll no doubt come in handy on plenty of occasions, keeping you in the action and able to return fire much faster than you otherwise would. It's also great for any weapons that have longer reload times, such as LMGs or single-shot-loaded shotguns for example.
• Double Time - This one's a little bit more of a passive one that you won't necessarily see the effects of visually as much as say Scavenger or Sleight of Hand, but it can still prove to be useful nonetheless thanks to being a great pick for more mobility-focused playstyles. Simply granting an extended Tac Sprint duration and reduced refresh time, you'll be able to move at max speed more often and for longer too. Good for SMG and close-quarters builds especially, but can be useful for all playstyles, particularly if trying to get to safety quicker.
• E.O.D./Battle Hardened - These two perks are ostensibly the same in their general function of providing additional resistances to grenades, but each come at it from a different angle and for slightly different purposes. E.O.D. reduces the amount of damage you take from non-killstreak explosives and resets fuse timers when picking up live grenades, providing more of a demolitionist playstyle. Battle Hardened on the other hand does the exact same, but for tactical equipment instead of lethals, meaning you might actually get more use out of its effects with such a wide array of use cases. It'll also hide you from Snapshot Grenade markings, meaning it's got somewhat of a stealthy aspect to it too.
• Focus - Arguably a bit of a niche pick here, but one that'll no doubt be useful for anyone using sniper and marksman rifles thanks to its reduced flinch when aiming down sights. Not only that, but it'll let you use the 'Hold Breath' function on scoped weapons for longer, giving you more time to line up that perfect shot.

Best Warzone Perks for Perk slot 3

• Quick Fix - Introduced in Modern Warfare (2019), this is a perk that's a great pairing for any offensive playstyle, and one that, here in Warzone, has expanded benefits than its original counterpart. Not only are you getting health regeneration when killing enemies, you're also getting it when inserting an armor plate, meaning you almost have healing on demand that'll let you stock up on some extra defences whilst restoring your core health at the same time.
• Resupply - A solid passive pick here, brilliant for any playstyle leaning heavily on support or demolitions, you'll be gaining access to your chosen lethal and tactical equipment every 50 seconds, giving you the opportunity to bring some explosive heat to your enemies, or provide all manner of support your chosen equipment employs.
• Cold-Blooded - A good pairing with Ghost, a recommendation of ours for your fourth perk slot, Cold-Blooded will make you undetectable by thermal optic sights, Tactical Cameras, and Recon Drones, and it also prevents enemy perk activations of High Alert and Combat Scout. The former of those two perks would usually alert a player when an enemy outside of their view is aiming at them, whilst the latter makes it so that hitting another player marks them for teammates. Nullifying these effects thanks to Cold-Blooded really helps for making the ultimate stealth build, and lets you not only stay off the radar, but also get the drop on anyone regardless of their perks.
• Stalker - More of a mobility-focused choice here, you'll be able to stay active during gunfights with this pick, and is a really nice complement to aggressive playstyles. It can also be helpful for longer-range sniper builds too, boosting your strafing speed that might help when at risk of being hit by another player, giving you some extra wiggle room to return fire whilst being a more difficult target to hit yourself.

Best Warzone Perks for Perk slot 4

• Ghost - Essentially the perfect perk for all-stealth builds, this is yet another one of those core Call of Duty staples that has shown up time and time again across the majority of the titles since its inception. As long as you're moving, you'll be hidden from enemy radar sources like UAVs, portable radars and heartbeat sensors, giving you the edge over your enemies. Throw on a suppressor, equip Ghost, and strike from the shadows.
• Flex - Another somewhat stealthy perk choice here, albeit from a different angle with some support capabilities too, Flex lets you delay the triggered explosion from enemy equipment such as Claymores or Proximity Mines. Not only that, but it'll reduce your combat noise and let you spot nearby enemy equipment, letting you communicate to teammates where best to avoid, or perhaps to take an alternate approach into a particular building or zone.
• Birdseye - If you're noticing players using Ghost a lot, this is the perk you'll be wanting to take into your loadouts, thanks to its ability to detect players using the Ghost perk. It's the perfect antithesis to players taking the stealthy approach, and on top of that, it'll make your UAVs more precise by showing the direction an enemy is facing. On the whole, it's a solid perk, one that lets you go up against Ghost-equipped players to show them who truly has the upper hand.
• Resolute - Whilst ideally you'd go entire matches without taking a single hit, there's probably a low chance that'll actually happen. Whilst I'm quite sure someone out there has done this, for the majority of players, Resolute is a handy perk that'll actually give you a bonus for taking gunfire damage. Call it a reward if you'd like - though generally, we wouldn't advise getting hit - but when you do take damage from any enemy gun, you'll receive a short bonus to your movement speed, perfect for getting a hurry on to safety, and it's possible this might be the difference between life and death in a hectic gunfight.

Keep in mind that as with all live games, perks considered 'meta' may ebb and flow throughout the game's lifecycle, so it's always good to experiment with all available perks to see what's best for you. The more niche perks - such as the more support-focused Spotter or Combat Scout - haven't been included in the above since they aren't what we'd consider meta. That's not to say they aren't worth trying out if that's how you like to play, but ultimately, especially if you're not sure or are just wanting some great suggestions for the best perks to use, the above list should provide a pretty good starting place to give you an edge throughout all your Warzone matches.

Warzone perks list and what they do

There are 29 perks for you to choose from in Warzone, split into four 'perk slots'. The first two slots contain the same perks to choose from, whereas the third and fourth slots have their own bespoke lists to choose from.

This is different to Multiplayer as mentioned, with perks in Warzone having their own names, effects and slot placement. To compensate for this, you'll have a separate set of custom loadouts to build and customise in Warzone, giving plenty of room for you to spec out for Warzone-specific playstyles.

Keep reading for a breakdown of each perk you can equip to loadouts, and what they each do.

Warzone Perk list from Slots 1 & 2 and what they do

• Mountaineer - Reduces fall damage.
• Mechanic - Reduced vehicle repair time, increased fueling speed, and reduced fuel consumption while driving non-aircraft vehicles.
• Shrapnel - Explosive damage delays enemy health regeneration, slows enemy movement, and briefly disables tactical sprint when the enemies legs are hit.
• Scavenger - Collect ammo, an armor plate, and cash from dead players.
• Battle Hardened - Reduce the effect of enemy Flash, Stun, EMP, Gas Grenades, Frangible Bullets, and Shock Sticks. Immune to Snapshot Grenades.
• E.O.D. - Reduces damage from non-killstreak explosives and fire. Reset fuse timers when picking up live grenades.
• Strong Arm - Throw equipment farther and see a preview of the trajectory.
• Spotter - Spot enemy equipment and Killstreaks through walls. Aiming down sights highlights them for the team. Hack enemy Claymores, Proximity Mines, C4, and Trophy Systems.
• Sleight of Hand - Reload faster.
• Double Time - Increases Tac Sprint duration and reduces refresh time.
• Irradiated - Move faster and take less damage while in the gas.
• Focus - Reduce flinch when aiming down sights and extend Hold Breath duration.

Warzone Perk list from Slot 3 and what they do

• Escapist - Increased downed, prone, and crouch speed.
• Quick Fix - Killing players or inserting a plate immediately starts health regeneration. Capturing and holding objectives increases the player's health regeneration rate.
• Tracker - Enemies leave behind a footprint trail and enemy death markers are visible. Kill markers are hidden from enemy teams.
• Survivor - Faster revive speed, reduced cash lost on death, and enemies that down you are automatically pinged.
• Tempered - Refill armor plates to full with two plates instead of three.
• Resupply - Recharge equipment over 50 seconds.
• Cold-Blooded - Undetectable by thermal optics, Tactical Cameras, and Recon Drones. Does not trigger High Alert and Combat Scout.
• Stalker - Increased strafe and aim down sight movement speed.
• Payout - Contracts pay out more in cash and the cost of UAV Towers are discounted.
• Primed - Accuracy and time to aim down sights is improved while jumping.

Warzone Perk list from Slot 4 and what they do

• Ghost - Blocks detection by enemy radar sources such as UAVs, portable radars, and heartbeat sensors while moving.
• Shrouded - Drop a Smoke Grenade when entering downed state.
• Flex - Delay triggered explosives while sprinting, warns of nearby enemy equipment, and reduces combat noise.
• Combat Scout - Bullets you fire briefly mark an enemy for you and your squad. Hitting the enemy from farther away increases the mark time.
• Birdseye - Your UAVs scan faster and show the heading of the enemy for your squad. Detects Ghosted Players.
• High Alert - Vision pulses when spotted by an enemy player outside of view.
• Resolute - When taking damage from gunfire, grants a short bonus to movement speed.

For more coverage across Warzone and Modern Warfare 3, be sure to check out all the latest loadout guides we've been covering on weapons like the MCW, Striker, and KATT-AMR, as well as a recommended set of best loadouts for Warzone, and a complete list of the best guns and current meta in Warzone and MW3 right now.