Warzone Juggernauts - Where Do We Go Now?
The juggernaut suit has plagued players dropping into Verdansk since its introduction to Warzone in June. In early November Infinity Ward nerfed the overpowered crate drop to try and level the playing field again, but the reduced drop rate for the juggernaut suit barely made a dent in its armour.
When a juggernaut arrives on the map, players scramble to try and get as far away from it as they can until they inevitably have to face the suit of certain death. So, what can Infinity Ward do now to try and bring the balance of power back to Warzone lobbies? We’re going to have a look at the problems and potential solutions to the juggernaut problem.
The Problems
The glaringly obvious issue the juggernaut brings to the table is its ability to tank damage throughout the game. Once the suit of armour is in play, it is incredibly hard to take down, and with its regenerating ammo and health becomes essentially unkillable without good team coordination or a hoard of kill streaks. The juggernaut is also able to drive vehicles which offsets the reduced movement speed the suit gives its user.
The sheer amount of health combined with the largely unhindered movement basically gives the user the ability to roam the map and mop up squad after squad on their way to a routine Warzone win. This combined with the ability to complete contracts results in squads with hordes of cash and a one-man army to patrol Verdansk that can swiftly banish any opponent from the map. Take a look at the Twitter clip below to see just how ridiculous the juggernaut can be in the right hands.
The Solutions
Mobility
In order to bring the Juggernaut back to earth, there are numerous options available to the developers. One such option would be to remove the user’s ability to drive. A juggernaut with three dead teammates in a quads lobby can still move about the map freely without relying on his fallen comrades as backup. Removing the ability to use vehicles means that the juggernaut must keep at least one teammate alive to move them around the map quickly.
This presents players with an opportunity to take the juggernaut out of the game without defeating them directly. All it takes is one mistake, and the player in control of the suit could find themselves in a situation where survival chances are slim and on their way to the gulag.
Survivability
The regenerating health of the juggernaut is arguably the biggest problem it presents. Relentless firepower with an infinite health supply is the main reason its user is unkillable and curtailing their ability to regenerate health drastically increases the chance the juggernaut can be eliminated before it can dominate the final circle.
While the health regeneration causes issues, the amount of total health the user has while in the suit is not. If the health regen mechanic is being removed, then increasing the total health of the suit would still give the user an advantage without the level of invincibility the juggernaut currently brings.
If an increase to the suit’s health is not an option, then Infinity Ward could look at implementing a mechanic similar to gas masks where the armour breaks, and the user remains alive once the suit has taken enough damage.
The overall survivability the suit brings could be further reduced if the user cannot revive teammates. This reduces the effectiveness of the juggernaut without directly hampering the extra firepower it gives the user. Having one squadmate that is incapable of reviving you if you are down changes the way the rest of the team must play and could present its own problems for teams lucky enough to be using the suit.
Reducing the survivability would present squads with an opportunity where they feel like the juggernaut could be taken out of play without sacrificing their shot at glory.
Contracts
At the moment the juggernaut user can also complete contracts at their leisure with most-wanted contracts being the preferred option for most users. Eliminating the juggernauts ability to complete contracts significantly reduces its overall effectiveness for the team. Teams of four relying on their juggernaut’s ability to complete most-wanted contracts and bounties for cash would be required to source their own, which would cause them to head for areas that they may have avoided otherwise.
Removal
The solution that most players have been calling for is the total removal of the juggernaut from Warzone. This would be a one-stop-shop answer for all the problems the suit causes but may be one that Infinity Ward don’t want to look at until all other options have been exhausted. The fact that the suit remains in play six months after its introduction says that Infinity Ward don’t want to remove it entirely just yet, but if they can’t get it right, they may just have to succumb to player pressure.
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Image via Activision