A robust in-game economy helps set Call of Duty: Warzone apart from other battle royale titles, and maximizing how much money you earn early is key to success in the late game.
Cash is king in Warzone. Loadouts are the most powerful tool in the game and cost a substantial $10,000, while purchases of everything from re-deployments to UAVs provide game-changing utility for around $4,000 a piece.
Whether you and your squad like to play aggressively or cautiously, there are various ways to earn cash quickly across Verdansk. As with much of life, high reward is complemented by high risk. So we’ll break down the absolute fastest ways to earn cash as well as some of the more efficient ways that net cash quickly with lower risks.
There are essentially three main ways to obtain money in Warzone: 1) open-world looting, 2) contracts and 3) corpse looting.
The fastest way to get big bucks is to do all three at once, by dropping hot amongst other teams in an area with high-tier loot and a Bounty contract. Or, for a safer process, you can prioritize looting and contract bonuses.
Open-World looting
There are a bunch of locations across Verdansk that are likely to have high-tier loot densely concentrated. These are typically multi-floor, vertically dispersed spots like Downtown, Quarry, and the ever-popular Superstore.
At any of these, you are likely to find stacks of cash in crates and spread across floors — the simplest way to earn money in the game.
Contracts
There are three contract types in Warzone: Bounty, Recon, and Scavenger (ordered by most money typically awarded to least). Each contract provides a different function, nets your team money upon completion, and a vital contract multiplier bonus for your subsequent contracts. Upon your second completed contract, you receive a 40 percent multiplier for your third. That becomes an 80 percent multiplier after three, 120 percent after four and can go up to, and beyond, 200 percent for further completions.
Scavenger contracts net you about $2,000-$2,800 (loosely depending on how much you’re required to travel for each crate), alongside whatever money you find in the contract’s three loot boxes. You get more money and loot than with a Recon, as well as the advantage of not being a sitting duck.
Recon contracts require locking down a location and net you about $1,500 per person and some loot, less profitable than other contracts. But their principal perk, seeing the next circle’s location, can be invaluable.
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As the riskiest, the Bounty contract generally awards $3,000 upon completion—which requires that you kill the target whose general area the game marks upon your minimap. If someone else kills said enemy, you receive a much-reduced reward but still get the multiplier. Bounties are incredibly dangerous, as the hunted are prone to camping. But, aside from the money earned upon completion, you also get to loot those fallen foes.
Corpse looting
While you’re out there completing contracts, killing enemies, and finding money in crates or on the floor, your enemies are doing the same. Killing them and taking their money is often the most brutal, yet hasty fashion for earning cash.
This may not be as effective in the early game but ramps up quickly as the circle tightens and teams with money start angling toward buy stations.
The fastest and most aggressive way to earn cash
If you’re feeling antsy and confident, the fastest way to earn cash is to drop hot on a Bounty, loot, and kill whoever is nearby.
If you do this at a place like Superstore, your bounty should be very nearby, allowing you to get your contract multiplier bonuses started while looting and killing players to further spruce up your resources.
Once your area is cleared out, you can proceed to hit a Scavenger which should net you enough money for a loadout or, if you’re still hungry, hop in a vehicle and seek out the next Bounty.
The safest way to make money quickly
If you’re feeling more patient and want to get comfortable for the late game without sweating too much, you can simply abuse Scavenger contracts and the contract multipliers.
By landing somewhere toward the edge of the circle that happens to have a few Scavengers, you should be able to rack up a ton of loot and your bonuses without facing too many opponents.
If your area is relatively clear, you and your teammates can split up so that there’s a greater chance each of you is near the contract’s subsequent crates—which are randomly split apart.
After even two or three Scavengers, your team should have enough money to buy a loadout. With a high contract multiplier and a fully kitted squad, you are immediately at an advantage and can either decide to start hunting or, given your high contract multiplier, simply complete another contract or two to easily buy self-revives and killstreaks.
In sum, hot drops and Bounties if you’re feeling aggressive, safe drops and Scavengers if you’re feeling cautious. Whatever you choose, hit those contract multipliers early to get the boosts going.