Call of Duty: Warzone pros have revealed a (presumably) bugged Bullfrog Blueprint, which is essentially a pay-to-win cosmetic since it completely ruins audio cues for your opponents.
For a free game to be competitive, it’s vital that purchasable items do not compromise the experience by giving paying players an unfair advantage.
That’s why there was drama when a Modern Warfare HDR Blueprint had better iron sights than the standard ones you can grind for. And that’s why the P2W (pay-to-win) SBMM (skill-based matchmaking) rumors were labeled “horrifying.”
But a new Bullfrog Blueprint might be even worse than the original HDR, as it can confuse the life out of your enemies by making it sound like they’re being shot from every angle. Already a source of tournament drama, ZLaner showed Dr Disrespect and viewers just how bad it is.
Pay-to-win Bullfrog Blueprint in Warzone? 😬
After some tourney drama, @ZLanerOFFICIAL, aided by @TimTheTatman, showed @DrDisrespect how the gun messes with your game audio… pic.twitter.com/ChPbQC3ymf
— Dexerto Esports (@DexertoEsports) September 23, 2021
As you can see in the clip, Z brings Doc over to a corner and asks their teammate, TimTheTatman, to shoot with the bugged Bullfrog. Immediately, the Two-Time reacts: “Oh my god, no way!” ZLaner responds: “It sounds like it’s all around you.”
While it’s hard to hear directional audio through a stream rather than a player’s actual headphones, Doc’s reaction just about sums it up.
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This new bugged Blueprint isn’t new to the professional scene, as it was a major source of drama during September 21’s Z & Z tournament — when exzachht was nearly disqualified for using a Bullfrog Blueprint.
The rules were made for a broken gun that impacts the game, I wasn't using that gun.
— exzachtt (@exzachtt) September 21, 2021
Ultimately, Zach was let off the hook because he wasn’t using the one that’s actually bugged. But this proves just how serious the competitive advantage is, to the point that using any Bullfrog Blueprint in a tournament is considered punishable.
Since you can’t typically acquire this gun for free and it does give a competitive advantage, it’s no stretch to call it a P2W weapon — and that makes it a source of controversy.
For now, the developers have yet to respond so it’s unclear if this audio issue is a bug or an intended feature. We’ll keep an ear to the ground, pun intended, and update this piece when news comes out.