zSmit & Cely win $25K Code Red Warzone tournament: Final results

The first major Warzone competition of 2022 is already in the books as zSmit & Cely took home the win in BoomTV’s $25,000 Code Red tournament. Below is a full recap of how it all unfolded so you can get up to speed.

• zSmit & Cely take out the first Warzone event of the year.
• 2v2 double-elim kill-race on Caldera.
• $25,000 prize pool with $5,000 extra in Bounties

After Warzone’s biggest year handed out millions in prizes, 2022 is starting with a major event to get the ball rolling once again. Just one week into the new year and our first $25K tournament is already wrapped up.

If you missed any of the action, don’t sweat it. Here’s everything you need to catch up on the $25K Code Red Warzone event from BoomTV.

$25K Code Red Warzone Duos tournament: Final Placements (Top 8)

$25K Code Red Warzone Duos tournament: Results & Recap

The first Warzone event of the year started in the most fitting way possible. Controversy ensued from the first round as ZLaner & Kalei, along with a few other Duos, complained about stream snipers off the rip. Meanwhile, others had extremely bad luck with shadowbans being applied during their run.

Fortunately, some good news arrived part-way through. Warzone’s invisible skin was taken out in a small January 5 update, ensuring the rest of the tourney could go ahead without that particular issue.

We saw plenty of intense matchups early on as big names like IceManIsaac, JoeWo, HusKerrs, and Swagg were all knocked out in the opening rounds. Meanwhile, it was the duo of zSmit & Cely that proved too good in the upper bracket. They cleared through five opponents quick enough to pause their stream, have a shower, and compose themselves before the grand finals were ready.

In the lower bracket, it was kenzrosey & Almond that pushed through round after round, winning five games in a row to bounce back up into the final showdown. Ultimately, it was zSmit & Cely who carried their momentum all the way through to a grand final victory.

$25K Code Red Warzone Duos tournament: Streams & Schedule

No different from usual, this $25K Code Red Warzone event was streamed live on the official BoomTV Twitch channel. The broadcast served as the best way to keep on top of multiple games as the bracket played out, though individual streamers were also sharing their own POVs as well.

The first round kicked off at 11AM PT | 2PM ET on Wednesday, January 5. Being a double-elim kill-race, it was a lengthy event winding down after roughly 12 hours of action.

$25K Code Red Warzone Duos tournament: Format

The $25K Code Red Warzone event featured the standard Duos in Quads playlist format. Two teams dropped into the same lobby and battled it out for as many eliminations as they could find.

Higher-scoring teams advanced while the losing team dropped to the lower bracket. Round 1 was a best of 1 series, with every series thereafter switching to a best of 3.

Below is a quick breakdown of the $25,000 prize pool payout.

• 1st: $10,000
• 2nd: $6,000
• 3rd: $4,000
• Bounties: $5,000

Activision

Planes were banned from the first Warzone event of 2022.

It’s worth noting that this particular event relied on the Vanguard Royale playlist, rather than the regular Battle Royale mode.

This means Vanguard-only weapons in loadouts and planes were active across Caldera. However, Duos were not allowed to fly planes themselves as they had been banned from the competition.

• Read more: Warzone’s Stim Super Slide is the Pacific’s newest “OP” mechanic

Similarly, a current exploit allowing teams to respawn with their full loadout was also barred from the event. Anyone abusing this glitch would be disqualified.

$25K Code Red Warzone Duos tournament: Players & Teams

Featuring a mix of 16 male and 16 female captains, the first Warzone event of 2022 included much of the scene’s top talent.

• Read More: Ultimate Warzone event calendar

Below is a full look at every Duo locked in for the 32 team bracket.