5 Tips for Getting Started with Surround Sound & Call of Duty: Warzone
This year’s biggest, most-exciting release is definitely Call of Duty: Warzone. Their second battle royale mode, Call of Duty: Warzone, is free-to-play (you don’t even need to own Modern Warfare), and is taking the market by storm — as it stands at the time of publication, there are 30 million users playing Call of Duty: Warzone. So what does it take to stand up against the competition? Read on to find out.
Crank Footsteps to 11
Unfortunately, Call of Duty: Warzone’s footsteps seemed doomed from the start. Maybe an overreaction to Modern Warfare’s overly loud foostps, Warzone took it down a notch, but with disastrous results. Thankfully, there’s a way to change your settings.
There are over 7 different audio profiles in Call of Duty: Warzone, and the best profile for detecting the footsteps is Boost. With a moderate dynamic range, and neutral EQ, it’s by far the most level-headed of all the audio profiles. Make sure, however, if you’re using a virtual surround sound software, like Audio Royale, that you are adjusting in the program first, before changing anything within the game.
When in Doubt, Check the Minimap
Call of Duty: Warzone has a low time-to-kill compared to other battle royale games. Even if you’re decked out in the best armor, you can be downed in a split second if you make the wrong moves. If your teammate is already killed, your only hope is to outfox the other team using nothing but your wits and firepower.
During the game, keep everything top-of-mind, including your minimap. If a nearby enemy shoots with a non-suppressed gun, they will show up as a momentary red dot on both the compass and the minimap! Ping these dots on the map to help with hunting them down, and, if you’re struggling, try using a sound visualizer, like Audio Royale, that can help you see what direction the sound is coming from.
Get to the Gulag
If you die in Call of Duty: Warzone, you get sent to the Gulag. In the Gulag, all players get one chance to return to the main battle. How? You must defeat other killed-off players in a 1-v-1 fight in order to return to the overworld. You can only visit the Gulag once, so make it count.
Gulag fights are all about knowing where your enemy is at all times. Many new Call Of Duty: Warzone players make the mistake of first-blood. Sneak around the small Gulag maps, taking note of your own footsteps, and secure your only chance at respawning with your team.
Say Hello to Trello
In a bold move, Activision and Infinity Ward have actually opened up their development process to the public, allowing you to check in on any known issues at any point in time. When you’re stuck on an audio issues, and aren’t certain if it’s already been addressed or if a solution is in the works, head over to their Trello page to see which current issues are being resolved. You can also head over to the Reddit sub, or Discord servers to speak with other players about their own surround sound solutions!
Grab a Surround Sound Device
To really benefit from Call of Duty: Warzone’s audio, a surround sound setup is almost always necessary. There are many methods for gaining access to the surround sound baked-in to games like CSGO: Danger Zone, Apex Legends, and Fortnite. Actually, developers build these games with surround sound in mind, but gamers are limited by their hardware. Most games are folded down to stereo over traditional headphones. But surround sound technology, like Audio Royale, can help you access those surround sound files that the developers intended you to hear.
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