Actually, Call of Duty: Warzone is free. However, you need to complete tricky challenges for two of the weapons that allow for currently the strongest builds. And that is nearly impossible without paying for it.
Which weapons are we talking about? The assault rifle Grau 5.56 and the LMG Bruen MK9 are currently among the top weapons in Call of Duty: Warzone. The loadouts of some of the strongest players are built around them.
The Grau has been in the game since Season 2 and was already available through the Battle Pass back then. The Bruen came shortly after, with Season 3.
What makes them so strong: The Grau is popular for its high range and high accuracy. It is slightly slower than most assault rifles, but it hits better even at long distances and is highly customizable.
Iron Sights are considered so strong with its Archangel barrel that a sight attachment can be omitted. With the mid-season update of Season 4, the Grau received a nerf.
The Bruen, on the other hand, is an LMG but can take on the properties of an assault rifle with the right attachments. This makes it more mobile and easier to handle while retaining the firepower of a machine gun. Even professionals consider it one of the best weapons.
The two weapons are played and recommended by many experts and professionals. They are easy to handle and stronger than most competitors – despite a nerf for the Grau. Both the Grau and the Bruen are at the top of the tier list by professional player Vikkstar.
Grau and Bruen behind a paywall?
Here’s how to unlock them: The catch with these guns is that you don’t just get them by leveling up. For both weapons, you need to complete a challenge:
- The Grau requires 5 kills in a minute (25 times)
- The Bruen requires 3 kills “near a smoke grenade” (15 times)
Both require a bit of time and skill. The challenge for the Bruen has even been adjusted so that it now counts if either you or the enemy is near a smoke grenade.
Why it’s so hard: Both situations practically never occur in Warzone. Hitting five opponents within a minute and then killing them all is highly unlikely in battle royale.
You would have to be among the absolute top players to unlock the Grau – and do so without being able to use those top weapons.
And even then, at least two opposing teams (in quad mode) would need to be in the same spot, and you would have to eliminate them entirely or partially without dying yourself. And that within a minute in a mode where everyone has more health due to armor.
The Bruen, on the other hand, is even less likely. You would have to bring smoke grenades since hardly anyone plays with them and then either partially obscure yourself through the smoke or make opponents stand near it. Stun and flash grenades or the powerful heartbeat sensor are simply better.
So where’s the paywall? Even if theoretically you could pull it off, the time investment would be enormous. However, if you buy Modern Warfare directly, you can dive into the multiplayer modes there.
In these, you have the option to simply create a loadout with smoke grenades and specifically play for the challenges in the rounds. Especially deathmatch rounds are excellent for this because here only kills are played for.
The maps are smaller, you encounter opponents more frequently, and there are even maps that explicitly promote a lot of action. A few rounds on the small maps Shipment, Rust, or Shoot House are already enough to provide you with the strong weapons.
There are free weekends when F2P players can play the corresponding playlists or specific modes in which it is easier to unlock the weapons, but these are not always available.
Those who want to unlock the weapons more easily at any time without waiting need to buy Modern Warfare. You only have permanent access to Shipment and Co. if you pay.
Even though the Grau and the Bruen are two of the strongest weapons, you do not necessarily need to own them to win in Warzone. If you do not want to spend money (or really invest a lot of time), you’ll find here 3 strong setups to replace the Grau 5.56.
