Some scopes in Call of Duty: Warzone and CoD Modern Warfare have a telltale shine – the so-called lens flare. MeinMMO explains how this mechanic works in detail and what you should pay attention to – whether you are shooting or just see it shine somewhere.
What is the deal with the reflection? If you use scopes with a high zoom level in CoD: Warzone, a so-called lens flare or scope glint occurs as soon as you look through the sighting device, i.e., actively use it.
As a shooter, you don’t really notice it, but enemies see a telltale, bright shine of the sight lens, which alerts them to your position and the use of the optic.
Why this mechanic at all? Some may wonder about this and consider it unrealistic, as this effect occurs all the time – not just when aiming against the sun or a light source. But this maintains the balance between the powerful sniper rifles and other weapon classes.
Otherwise, you would only be able to wipe out your opponents from a great distance with snipers without them even noticing where the shot came from and without being able to do anything about it.
By the way, if you like to take the sniper role, here are some tips: 8 tips for snipers in CoD Warzone – loadout and tactics
All you need to know about lens flare / scope glint in Warzone
If you haven’t just started with Warzone, everyone has probably seen this shine at some point. However, it is often the last thing you see in the respective match. But there is more behind this reflection of the sight optic than many might believe at first glance.
The YouTuber and CoD expert TheXclusiveAce has now clarified the most important mechanics and frequently asked questions about it in a video.
We summarize the most important points here for you in English.
When does a scope shine? In general, the rule is: If you equip a sight with a specific zoom level and then actively use it, i.e., look through the scope, the flickering shine becomes visible to others. And this lasts as long as you stay in zoom.
Does the weapon matter as well? No, the choice of weapon does not matter for the bright glint. Even if you choose the best weapons, it only depends on the sight.
This effect can be caused by an assault rifle with the appropriate sight. Conversely, you can equip a sniper with a sight attachment that does not cause a visible lens flare when used.
Which scopes cause the lens flare effect? The general rule here is: If the optic has a higher zoom level than a 4x magnification (such as all standard scopes on snipers), the reflection is visible when in use.
Furthermore, the gunsmith feature will display whether a scope produces this effect or not.
What about scopes with variable zoom? Some players like to use scopes where you can change the zoom level. And this is exactly where you need to be careful.
Because as soon as one of the zoom levels exceeds 4x “on paper” (for example 6.1x), the variable scope will produce the telltale effect when used – even if you are currently using a lower magnification (3.0x).
How far can the optic glint be seen? As it seems, this effect is visible infinitely far – at least concerning distance. In tests, the lens flare was still clearly visible from over 800 meters away from the shooter.
From the side, it looks a bit different and depends on how far you are from the shooter. The effect can be seen from the side at an angle of 10 degrees each – meaning the reflection is visible in a cone-shaped field of a total of 20 degrees in the line of sight of the sight user.
As the distance from the shooter increases, the area where you can perceive the effect as a “victim” becomes correspondingly larger. So if you are relatively close to the sniper and see the glow, there is a high risk that you are being aimed at. At greater distance, that is not always necessarily the case.
For the shooter, this means: At close to medium range, the risk of being detected by other players or teams outside of this angle is comparatively low. However, as the distance increases, you risk giving away your position when using the scope to enemies you may not expect.
Is the effect visible through (intact) window panes? Yes – even if that is sometimes not very realistic.
However, even if you withdraw completely into a dark room without sunlight and aim through an intact window with the appropriate scope, this effect is clearly visible from the other side.
Conversely, the same applies. Even if someone from outside aims at you through the window with the corresponding optic, it is clearly noticeable.
Can the reflection be countered or reduced? No. There are neither perks nor attachments that allow you to turn off or reduce the caused shine effect. If you want to avoid this effect, you basically have only one choice – you have to use a sight that does not produce any optic flare.
Thus, it comes down to weighing: Do I want to be able to fight at really long distances or rather rely on concealment?
By the way, if you are still looking for a good sniper rifle: CoD Warzone: Here are the 3 best sniper loadouts to recreate
