Getting your custom loadout in Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 will give you and your squad a big advantage in Al Mazrah.
Giving players the ability to customise and obtain a custom loadout is a beloved gameplay feature that returns for Call of Duty: Warzone 2. Loadouts were first introduced in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare multiplayer and then subsequently, in the original Call of Duty: Warzone.
Originally Activision toyed with the idea of removing custom loadouts altogether in Warzone 2.0. But following the Call of Duty: Next event, in which a selected number of streamers and content creators played an early version of the game with no loadout mechanic, there was significant community backlash, so the publisher reversed that decision.
Thankfully, there are a number of ways to get your loadout in Warzone 2.0 and we'll be going through every single method in detail. We've also looked at some of the best Warzone 2.0 loadouts to run with right now so check that out for extra tips.
How to get a loadout in Warzone 2 – Strongholds and Black Sites
The earliest way to get a loadout in Warzone 2.0 is by clearing a Stronghold or Black Site in Al Mazrah. These locations are crammed full of AI enemies called AQ Soldiers, and although they're not difficult to eliminate individually, they pose a significant threat due to the sheer amount of them in these locations.
The first Strongholds activate once the first circle collapses, and you'll see them marked clearly on the map with a castle icon. There will be three Strongholds that activate at this stage, and as there are 77 possible Stronghold locations dotted around Al Mazrah, the locations will be randomised each game. Stronghold locations are free to enter and don't require a key to access.
The first team to reach a Stronghold in any given game will have to defuse a bomb before the time expires. If they success, they'll be able to obtain their custom loadouts.
After the first Stronghold has been cleared, the objective for any subsequent teams attempting to clear a Stronghold is to simply take out a specific number of enemies – and both AI and player-controlled players count. Teams that completes the objectives are rewarded with custom loadouts, so you'll want to tick off at least one.
The first team to clear a Stronghold will also earn a Black Site key, in addition to the reward of custom loadouts and a UAV.
Black Sites are similar to Strongholds, but they feature much tougher enemies – including a Juggernaught AI boss – and require a key to access. The Black Site Key will only be made available to the team which cleared the first Stronghold in any given match.
If your team manages to clear a Black Site in Warzone 2.0 you'll be rewarded with a permanent Weapon Blueprint, legendary weapon items, and a permanent UAV of the surrounding Black Site area – at least until the circle collapses into it.
How to get a loadout in Warzone 2 – Loadout Drop
Another way to grab your custom loadout in Warzone 2.0 is through a Loadout Drop. Crates are dropped into the map from planes and you interact with them when they land. Sounds similar to the original Warzone, right?
Wrong! In the original Warzone, there were multiple loadout drops which were specific to certain teams, with the drop also happening fairly early on in any given game. In Warzone 2.0, this isn't the case.
Loadout drops in Warzone 2.0 are public events, meaning they're not specific to any team and can be accessed by any player. Also, the loadout drops won't happen until the middle of any given match in Warzone 2.0, so it's riskier and you'll have to wait much longer.
How to get a loadout in Warzone 2 – Shops / Buy Stations
You can't buy a custom loadout from Shops (the new name for Buy Stations) in Warzone 2.0. In the original Warzone, players could grab a loadout drop for $10,000 of in-game cash, but that route has been scrapped for Warzone 2.0.
However, you can purchase the primary weapon from your custom loadout from Shops, which should at least put you in a good position for the rest of the match, if you don't manage to grab your full loadout.
The great thing about this method is that your primary weapon will only cost you $5,000 of in-game cash from Shops in Warzone 2.0, which is fairly easy to obtain by looting built-up areas in Al Mazrah.
