Warzone 2.0: How do AI Combatants and the Strongholds work?

Call of Duty Warzone 2.0 is going to get multiple new changes, as Activision aims to make the Battle Royale experience the best in the class. Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 Multiplayer and Warzone 2.0 gameplay were showcased in the Call of Duty NEXT event.

Activision announced multiple bits of interesting information about all three upcoming titles: Modern Warfare 2, Warzone 2.0, and Warzone Mobile. It was a grand ceremony where the future of COD was announced, and the community was thrilled to hear it.

Warzone 2.0 will utilize the use of Artificial Intelligence as Non-Playable Characters. These NPCs will be controlled by the AI and can supposedly react to the decisions a player makes.

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Warzone 2.0 gets new AI Combatants and Strongholds

Call of Duty Warzone had a few very rudimentary NPCs that could shoot at players if and when attacked. Warzone 2.0 takes things to a whole other level with the introduction of AI-controlled Combatants.

Activision announced that the new map, Al Mazrah, will have AI Combatants capable of taking down players who mistake them for being anything like their predecessors. The AI Combatants will be spread out throughout the map and hold their own patch of land. These will be marked on the map for players to seek out or avoid.

The locations where the AI Combatants will defend are called Strongholds. It has been officially revealed that players should expect high resistance and a high density of AI Combatants defending their respective Strongholds.

The AI Combatants will have a variety in their lethality and behavior depending on the type of Stronghold they defend. It has been confirmed that these AIs will not be pursuing players actively and will only hold down their fort. Should players choose to conquer a Stronghold, they have to defeat all the AI Combatants and expect locked doors.

It can be speculated from this information that the level of lethality of the AI Combatants will also determine the tier of loot that can be obtained after conquering a Stronghold. The higher the lethality of defending AIs, the better tier loot will be inside the Stronghold.

It is interesting to note that these AI Combatants can make decisions based on the actions of the player(s) trying to take over their land. The highest lethality level AI Combatants are expected to have advanced movement and better weapon control combined with more logically backed strategies and positioning.

Activision also revealed that conquering a Stronghold will guarantee excellent loot but also provide players with a special item. This special item will allow players to purchase one of their customized Gunsmith weapons at The Shop for free.

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All these new changes being introduced to Warzone 2.0 feels like a complete overhaul of the NPC system. The community loves a challenge and the harder it gets, the more players flock towards it.

The inclusion of intelligent non-players that will interfere only when messed with first feels like a great addition for players who want to test their combat mettle.