Introduction
Introducing the best in the business; the Tier One Operators of Warzone.
These unique characters – each with their own backstory, nationality, character dialogue, character skins, and cosmetic customization options – have reported for duty across Black Ops Cold War and Modern Warfare®.
At the main Operators menu screen, you have the option to filter your Operators by game – Black Ops Cold War or Modern Warfare – or see a row of over 60 Operators who are all ready to drop in. Selecting an Operator will designate it as your favorite – this will be the Operator that represents you as your character in Warzone.
The Operators menu screen is also where you can preview Operators and any Operator skins you may have unlocked.
You begin your Warzone career as a Mil-Sim Operator; there are two to choose from in Modern Warfare (shown above) for either side in Modern Warfare, who changes its appearance based on the Primary Weapon in your favorite loadout, in addition to the four Mil-Sim Operators from Black Ops Cold War: Huner and Song from NATO, and Powers and Vargas from the Warsaw Pact.
While the Default Operators are all pretty cool, you can unlock many of the others through gameplay challenges in Warzone, Black Ops Cold War and Modern Warfare, purchase them or their skins in the Store, or by unlocking tiers in the Battle Pass system. In fact, you can obtain an initial Operator Skin just for completing the mandatory Warzone Orientation Tutorial! If you purchase an Operator skin in the Store or unlock a skin in the Battle Pass, the Operator automatically becomes available, even if you haven’t completed his or her associated Challenge yet.
Those that already have a Modern Warfare and/or Black Ops Cold War profile will find all their Operators and skins available in Warzone.
Between the Black Ops Cold War and Modern Warfare Operators, there are ten distinct factions, including NATO and the Warsaw Pact from Black Ops Cold War, as well as the SAS, Warcom, Demon Dogs, Mil-Sim, Spetsnaz, Jackals, Chimera, and Shadow Company special forces from Modern Warfare.
Despite their differences, existing rivalries, and potential duplications across games (e.g. Woods and Price), your Warzone squad can be comprised of any Operator from any faction. You can even all be the same operator with the exact same skin, should your squad choose to be one unified force for the next infil.
Starting with the Black Ops Cold War Operators, this is who you can play as in Warzone:
Click through the slideshow to see each Operator, including the method(s) on how to unlock them.
Black Ops Cold War - NATO
Black Ops Cold War - Warsaw Pact
Modern Warfare – SAS
Modern Warfare – Warcom
Modern Warfare – Demon Dogs
Modern Warfare – Spetsnaz
Modern Warfare – Jackals
Modern Warfare – Chimera
Modern Warfare – Shadow Company
Equipping Your Operator: Skins, Quips, and Finishing Moves
After you’ve chosen your favorite Operator, which can be swapped out between Warzone matches to any other Operator, be sure to head to the Operator Select and then the Customize Operator Menu to choose a specific skin, quip, and Finishing Move for them. Here’s how:
Skins: An Outfit for Every Occasion
Once purchased or unlocked, you have a variety of cosmetic skins you can collect and choose from for every Operator. This allows you to pick an outfit for any occasion; mainly taking down enemies across Warzone, but they can range from serious mil-sim gear to wacky costumes that are sure to humiliate your opponent. Select Skins and pick the one you’d like to wear. You can pre-select a skin for every unlocked Operator at any time between matches.
Quips: Put Downs Before Punishment
For Operators that come from Modern Warfare, you can select the witty retort they can utter during the course of battle; usually after a kill. Make sure the last utterance your victim hears is a put-down of your choosing!
Finishing Moves: Dispatching with a Flourish
Although weapons are the stars of Warzone, few can rival the flourish of Finishing Moves when removing threats.
Each Finishing Move takes a few seconds, and is purely optional, but it is an incredibly satisfying method of disposing of troublesome rivals you may come across who aren’t being as situationally aware as perhaps they should be. Furthermore, a Finishing Move will always eliminate an opponent regardless of their health or armor. This also means that they will skip the state of being downed if they could be due to a Self-Revive Kit or during squad-based game modes.
To equip a Finishing Move, before a Warzone match go to the Operators menu, select your preferred Operator, head into the Customize submenu, and tab over to Finishing Moves. There, you can choose any of the unlocked Finishing Move that the chosen Operator has.
Performing a Finishing Move is as simple as holding down the Melee button behind an enemy.
Operators may come with their own signature Finishing Move by default, but every single Operator can use Finishing Moves from their respective games that were either available in a Battle Pass or purchased through the Store. Furthermore, the Finishing Move has a unique animation for regular situations (e.g. when the enemy is standing or crouched), when the enemy is laying prone, and when the enemy is in a downed state.
One of the hardest parts of performing these moves is setting yourself up to perform one. While enemies with bad situational awareness are prime targets for Finishing Moves, using certain Field Upgrades, such as Dead Silence, and tactical equipment, like the Heartbeat Sensor or Stun Grenade, can actively help you get behind opponents, know their locations, or slow their ability to know your presence and stop you.
Finishing Moves can also be interrupted; if you see a friend getting finished, take down the enemy performing it before it’s too late.
Useful Links: Other Guide Chapters: