When a player enters the gas outside the safe zone in Call of Duty: Warzone, they automatically don a gas mask. While this is mostly an overlooked feature, on occasion the equipping of the gas mask can serve as a variable in a crucial end-game fight. The feature has been controversial since its inception and now Call of Duty: Warzone players are beginning to argue over the gas mask.
Just a couple of days ago, the gas mask once again became the center of attention as a glitch allowed players to enter the gas indefinitely, but even when it's working as intended, fans are split over the gas mask's animation. To simplify, the argument for the animation is that it stops players from potentially abusing the circle. The animation is automatic and cumbersome and as such, players trying to play in-and-out of the gas are punished for it. On the other side of the coin, when the zone is unavoidable or a fight is going on near the edge of the circle, having an animation that automatically plays can lead to frustrating deaths.
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A clip, posted by Redditor thban12, gives players an all-too-familiar look at how problematic the gas mask can be. If a player is aiming down the sights at the edge of the zone and is touched briefly by the gas, the gas mask animation will cause the player to zoom out of the sights and equip the mask. It can also cause the parachute to not deploy, leading many unfortunate players to their demise.
Briefly, last year, sprinting with akimbo weapons allowed Warzone players to avoid the gas mask animation. While the exploit was quickly fixed, it was a solid illustration of just how game-changing the gas mask animation can be. When players found a way around it, it was considered an overpowering advantage. But this could be fashioned by either side of the debate into a sound argument. If the absence of the animation is considered an exploit, then Warzone should definitely keep it as is, but conversely, if players feel the need to find ways around it, it might be time to reexamine the animation.
The proposed solution by gas mask naysayers is to allow players to choose. If players want to enter the gas and take increased damage as well as cough, it should be allowed, they argue. Regardless of where fans stand on the debate, there is a myriad of other problems plaguing Warzone in its current state. There's currently the hotly debated topic of pay-to-win skins like Roze, and as Warzone continues its attempts to crack down on hacking, a new silent aim hack has emerged.
Call of Duty: Warzone is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.