While proximity chat has been around for ages in all kinds of multiplayer games, it’s grown in use massively over the last few years. Popularized by survival titles likeArk: Survival EvolvedandRust, proximity chat allows online players to speak to each other via voice chat when their characters are close to each other. Proximity chat has become a staple feature of the online survival genre, and now it’s made its way over to the mainstream viaCall of Duty: Warzone 2, where it’s become one of its best features.
While players could always communicate with teammates via game chat,Warzone 2’s proximity chat now opens up those comms to enemy players. SinceWarzone 2’s release last week, its proximity chat feature has been one of its most memorable elements, going viral thanks to countless clips on Twitter and TikTok. Adding a healthy amount of chaos to the experience,Call of Duty: Warzone 2’s proximity chathas the potential to make the game stand out even more than its predecessor did.
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Proximity Chat Makes Warzone 2 Even More Chaotic
To enable proximity chat, players just need to head into theCall of Duty:Warzone 2settings menu, go to Audio, and tick the box labeled “Proximity Chat.” From here, players then need to verify they’re in game chat, with their headset turned on. Once in a match, players should be able to hear anyone else within range that has proximity chat switched on, including both teammates, and enemy players.
Call of Duty: Warzone 2’s proximity chat can lead to some incredibly memorable moments, moments which are only possible through the introduction of this new feature. Over the last week, a plethora ofWarzone 2clipshave gone viral, many of which revolve around proximity chat. There are videos of players chasing each other, whispering delightfully menacing, lighthearted threats that add humor and tension. Other clips have shown complete strangers come together to beat the Jailer in the Gulag, or team-up to take on the last squad standing.
But the vast majority ofWarzone 2clips revolve around downed enemy players and their desperate, laugh-filled cries for mercy, and what follows. Players on the victorious end of a firefight can get pretty creative with proximity chat. Some clips have shown players saying that they’ll spare the downed foe if they sing to them, if they drop their weapons, or if they’ll accompany them for the rest of the game. Adding proximity chat adds a whole new social layer tothe usualWarzoneexperience, and it’s ended up being one of the best moves in franchise history, with viral clips propelling the game to the front page of social media, where it’ll likely stay for some time.
Some particularly creative players are even using proximity chat to trick their enemies. Some clips have shown players putting on a high-pitched voice and pretending to argue with their parents in order to trick enemies into thinking they’re a vulnerable target, while others have shown clever players exclaiming that they’ve been downed in a specific location, only to lure in unsuspecting targets. While there’s always room for people to say harmful things and act in a toxic way, it seems as thoughWarzone 2’s proximity chat is mostly yielding positive results. Given the infamously toxic reputation thatCall of Dutyopen mic channelsusually have, it’s nice to see aCoDgame manage to break the cycle and deliver a social experience that’s genuinely fun for the most part.
Call of Duty: Warzone 2is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
