Warzone 2 players divided over “pay-to-win” optic
Activision Warzone 2 players can’t agree on whether a new thermal scope provides an unfair advantage or not.
Activision has caught flack over its microtransaction practices in Modern Warfare 2 & WZ2. For example, some players slammed Season 5’s Tactical Pet feature, as it gives players a sound cue about nearby enemies.
And previously, Season 3 introduced ‘pay-to-win’ DMZ bundles, awarding players free UAVS, bonus perks, and more just for purchasing an operator bundle. MW2 muddied the waters even more by controversially locking the fan-favorite blue dot reticle behind a paywall
Weapon optics are in the news again, as a new store bundle features an exclusive holographic scope.
Warzone 2 players split over pay-to-win holographic scope
Fans of competitive Warzone will be familiar with how strong smoke grenades are in the battle royale sequel. The Bonus Perk Resupply recharges equipment over 25 seconds, allowing players to use smoke grenades to flee gunfights or rotate constantly.
The only way to counter smoke grenades is by using thermal scopes to see through smoke. Players singled out the SZ Holtherm as being the best thermal optic, and it may have indirectly received a buff in Season 5.
CharlieIntel reported: “The new Dark Rituals III Bundle in the store features a different Holotherm scope that has better vision.”
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The Call of Duty insider showed a side-by-side comparison of the two scopes, and some community members argued that the store bundle version makes it easier to see enemies.
The new Dark Rituals III Bundle in the store features a different Holotherm scope that has better vision. Normal vs Dark Rituals III holo-thermal: pic.twitter.com/YoUPoAnZgi
— CharlieIntel (@charlieINTEL) August 6, 2023
On one side of the aisle, a player argued: “Not that much of a difference to cry about it.”
Meanwhile, other community members said the optic unfairly highlights enemies in the water. And players pointed out that it dominates on Vondel during foggy weather events.
A second user claimed: “They are going on hard on pay to win now, pathetic.”
Warzone 2 fans questioned how far Activision will go: “They’ll just keep adding more and more pay 2 win elements to see how much they can get away with.”
For more, make sure to check out the rest of our Warzone coverage.