Al Mazrah is Warzone 2’s new map, but the game’s reveal showed off a bunch of AI-controlled bots scattered around the map, leaving fans worried ahead of the game’s release.
It’s safe to say that Activision is making sure that Warzone 2 stands on its own two feet and is a different entity altogether compared to the original Warzone.
A completely overhauled Gulag is causing a ruckus, the new “Shop” is making waves, and even the safe circles are getting a rejig.
There’s literally so much going on in the world of CoD Warzone at the moment that it’s easy to forget about some of the smaller changes that will take place in the game — but will still have a massive impact.
During the Call of Duty: Next event, amongst all the flying bullets and fights for battle royale supremacy, many people noticed the presence of bots throughout the new Warzone 2 map. Needless to say, their presence has gone down like a lead balloon already and fans have voiced their concerns.
Warzone 2 bots a cause for concern in Al Mazrah?
Having AI in a game of Warzone is nothing new as we’ve previously seen terrorists attacking players at Nakatomi Plaza, as well as Zombie outbreaks taking place in popular POIs.
The difference is that these were usually optional AI encounters that players would have to seek out themselves to take on in the hopes of getting special loot and rewards.
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates on Esports, Gaming and more.
Early indicators are that bots will be all around Al Mazrah, but their whereabouts are completely random and they could pop up in the middle of a gunfight.
“Just came back from watching Myth’s stream of WZ2…it was weird to see NPC bots in seemingly random locations/just sitting inside buildings staring at walls. I hope they get removed or become more localized at certain POIs because they don’t seem very fun to fight and will just waste your plates before you fight real players,” one Reddit post said.
Another commented: “The AI. I don’t like this at all. There is no satisfaction with fighting bots. They aren’t real players, they don’t provide a challenge, and engaging with them just exposes you to real players to flank you.”
Whereas another user thinks that the devs have an obsession with bots: “Not one but two sets of bots in Fortunes Keep and now (what looks like) permanent bots in WZ2? Who wants this? Who thinks this would be a great addition to a BR? I hate how you give away your position if you engage them, but they chip away your plates if you ignore them.”
As well as being situated around the map, bots are also in the new 2v2 Gulag fights, another reason why players have shared concerns following the reveal event.
In any case, there’s plenty of time between now and the game’s full release, so the devs might tinker with things before then.