Call of Duty's The Haunting: Tips and tricks from the developers
Fight or fright.
With Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 The Haunting fully under way, it's safe to say we are amid the season of Spooktober - but fear not, for the developers have graced us with some exclusive tips and tricks to help you trick or treat hapless victims online.
It certainly feels like the last hurrah before the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, which comes out in October. However, you may have already had a shot of the game during the BO6 beta.
Similarly, the fine folks developing the game gave us some tips for maps in that beta, and hopefully we get even more in the run-up to launch to give us the best chance against twitchy players sliding and diving about the place with Omnimovement.
Keeping with maintaining a competitive edge, make sure to clue yourself in on all the new upcoming perks as well.
But if you find yourself being scared silly in The Haunting, read on to turn the tides in your favour!
Call of Duty's The Haunting: Tips and tricks from the developers
Embrace the shadows
The Haunting event brings low visibility and an eerie mist. Use this to your advantage by sticking to the shadows and dark corners, be it in the hellish setting of Rebirth Island or the Vondel map, which is now shrouded in darkness and under the blood moon.
Equip a silenced weapon and ghost perk to stay hidden and strike fear into enemies when they least expect it.
Exploit jump scares
Watch out for the famous Warzone jump scares embedded in supply crates and loot caches. But instead of being startled, use them to your advantage.
Open crates with caution and stay aware of your surroundings — getting the jump on your enemy can often be the distraction you need to finish the job.
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Haunted loadouts for the win
Tailor your loadout for ghostly efficiency. Equip the Heartbeat Sensor to track enemies in the mist. Combine this with Cold-Blooded and Ghost perks, turning yourself into an unseen predator, lurking in the darkness and striking when the time is right.
Survive the zombie apocalypse
During the Haunting event, players can return as zombies in Zombie Royale. Don't treat this as a setback, but as an opportunity!
Zombies move faster and have powerful melee attacks. Use your enhanced speed and abilities to track down living enemies.
Ambush them in tight spaces where you can quickly close the distance. If you’re dying to rejoin the living, then collect syringes dropped by eliminated Operators until you’re given the chance to parachute back into the action for another chance.
Use fear to your advantage
Fear is everywhere in Warzone’s Haunting. Enemies are likely already on edge with eerie music and environmental sounds. Utilise decoy grenades and flashbangs to simulate footsteps or ghostly appearances, tricking opponents into panic mode and forcing them into vulnerable positions.
Stay on the move
With the darkness and mist creeping through the maps, you don’t want to be a sitting duck. Stay mobile, but move smart.
Hop between cover and use the stim for extra health during engagements in the unpredictable terrain. Use vehicles sparingly, as their noise will give away your position in the silent, haunted landscape.
Chill in the Safe Zone
As the Haunting intensifies, players can move into designated Safe Zones to take a break from combat and chill with other Operators. Safe Zones are easily identified by the translucent dome enclosing them.
Inside the dome, Operators enter third-person perspective and are unable to deal or deceive damage. Hang out, adjust your loadout, and commend other players you encounter inside the Safe Zone to earn XP and meet new friends.
Maximise your Operator skin
If you’ve unlocked any of the spooky themed skins like legendary slasher Michael Myers, Art the Clown or the Makarov and Valeria tracer pack inspired by the movie Smile 2, fully embrace their terrifying and creepy presence.
Sneak up behind enemies for maximum psychological effect. Your presence alone can make opponents anxious, making them prone to mistakes and letting the fear override any rational decisions.
Watch your back and have your eyes on the sky
In the darkness of the Haunting, verticality becomes key. Be aware of rooftops, abandoned buildings, and high-ground positions where enemies may lurk. Equip a sniper to hold these areas and control the flow of the game from above.
Outlive the night
The final circle in Haunting-themed Warzone games can be pure chaos, with zombies, players, and the ever-closing gas cloud.
Stay calm, keep your loadout ready, and don’t get greedy. In these nail-biting final moments, patience is your friend. Let other players or zombies eliminate each other while you position yourself to outlast them.
Bonus tip: Stay fearless
The undead thrive on fear, but you shouldn’t. Stay focused, control the circle, and remember — there’s always a way out, even when it feels like the danger is closing in from every direction.
Your greatest weapon is your ability to stay calm under pressure.
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Authors
Cole Luke is a freelance journalist and video producer who contributes to RadioTimes.com's Gaming section. He also has bylines for Digital Foundry, PC Gamer, Network N and more.
