Warzone 2 hidden compass changes may completely alter the loadout meta

Activision's Call of Duty: Warzone 2 has certainly had its fair share of controversy. From weapon mechanics to game design choices, the community is fairly divided when it comes to the latest battle royale title from Call of Duty. To fix bugs and keep up with the constant demands of fans, the developers occasionally push out patches that resolve particular issues and balance various in-game elements.

A recent change in the game, however, has taken the community by storm. It pertains to the compass that's present in the player's HUD. Although all the updates and changes are mentioned in the patch notes, this compass change seems to have flown under the radar, with the majority of fans only finding out about it now.

This article discusses the secret compass change in Warzone 2 and its potential to completely disrupt the current loadout meta.

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Warzone 2's compass doesn't reveal nearby enemy targets now

Popular Call of Duty content creator and YouTuber WhosImmortal recently posted a video on his official YouTube channel discussing these compass changes. In the video, he describes the changes and addresses their potential to affect the ongoing loadout meta.

Historically, Call of Duty's mini-map showed enemy players as red dots if they were shooting their weapons without a suppressor. However, in the latest iteration of the Call of Duty franchise, this feature was strangely absent. In Modern Warfare 2 (2022) and Warzone 2, enemies don't show up as red dots on the mini-map, irrespective of whether they have a silencer equipped or not. Presently, they will only appear on the mini-map if a UAV has been enabled.

But the story changes when it comes to the compass, which reveals an enemy's direction along with their degrees. It's present in the middle of the player's HUD at the very top, providing them with crucial information. Before this secret change, the compass would reveal enemies as red dots if they were shooting close to the player without a silencer.

Red dots visible in the compass before the secret change (Image via @WhosImmortal on YouTube)

Unfortunately, the game's recent changes have now led to the red dots being completely removed from the compass. At the time of writing this article, the red dots don't appear in the compass even if the enemies are shooting without a suppressor equipped. This has led to many players questioning whether suppressors are even worth it right now.

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The effects of the compass change in Warzone 2's loadout meta

Before this change, most meta loadouts for assault rifles, LMGs, and SMGs would have a suppressor equipped in the Muzzle category. This would not only keep their shots silent, but also prevent them from appearing on an enemy's compass. Although their primary purpose was stealth, they generally came with additional benefits such as increased damage range, bullet velocity, recoil control, and more.

However, with the recent change in compass mechanics, suppressors seem to have lost their viability. It's now advised to use other attachments in the Muzzle category such as compensators or simply keep the Muzzle section empty and opt for other attachments such as Stock, Rear Grip, and Lasers.

Although the recent compass changes have made suppressors less viable, they haven't lost their primary role in silencing gunfire. As mentioned earlier, certain suppressors do come with extra enhancements, which is why WhosImmortal recommends running suppressors only on assault rifles and LMGs. However, he suggests completely avoiding them when it comes to SMGs.

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This is all there's to know about the hidden compass change in Warzone 2 at the moment. Although many claim that it was a deliberate change that went under the radar, others claim that it was unintended and that the developers would address it soon.

Season 1 Reloaded of Call of Duty's Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2 are live on PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5.