An unusual bug makes it impossible for Call of Duty: Warzone 2 players to snipe. Sniper builds are very common in Activision's popular battle royale first-person shooter, as the developer's nerfs to weapons like the Crossbow make headshots the only reliable one-hit kill. Unfortunately, however, there's not a whole lot that players can do when the game simply stops working during long-range combat.
Developed by Infinity Ward and Raven Software, with assistance from other Activision subsidiaries, Call of Duty: Warzone 2 launched to mostly positive reviews in 2022. While technically a component of last year's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Warzone 2 is free-to-play with or without its parent game. Featuring new maps, game modes, and other content, there are quite a few things that Warzone 2 has that the first Call of Duty: Warzone didn't. Unfortunately, that includes a few unusual bugs.
"I know the devs hate snipers, but this is a bit excessive," reads the title of a post by Reddit user Kenja_Time. The post contains a short video of them playing Call of Duty: Warzone 2. From a vantage point high above Warzone 2's Al Mazrah map, they quickly spot another opponent peeking around a cement wall far below. The player settles his crosshairs over the target's head and fires, only for the screen to cut to black a moment later, followed by an unhelpful error message. The video then skips ahead to a sniper duel with another player, only for Warzone 2 to disconnect again as they both fire.
The fact that Kenja_Time's game disconnected at least twice is enough to demonstrate that it's not just a coincidence. They're not the only Call of Duty: Warzone 2 player having the problem, either. Livestreamer SoCaLove experienced a similar disconnection during his livestream on March 5, with the streamer also attributing the issue to a sniper glitch. Another user on the Call of Duty: Warzone subreddit reported a similar experience during a Warzone 2 DMZ match.
Kenja_Time was obviously joking when he insinuated that Raven Software was deliberately disconnecting players who use sniper rifles. However, it's still a strange glitch, and it's unclear what is causing some Call of Duty: Warzone 2 players to experience this problem. It's also unclear how many players are experiencing the same issue. However, all the reported instances seem to be limited to the game's Al Mazrah map, the location of Warzone 2’s DMZ and main battle Royale modes. Hopefully, developers will identify the source of this bug sooner rather than later.
Call of Duty: Warzone 2 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.