How to use the Spotter Scope in Warzone

cod warzone spotter scope
(Image credit: Infinity Ward)
Win more with these Warzone guides

Call of Duty: Warzone Squad

(Image credit: Activision)

Warzone loadouts: The gear to choose
Best M4A1 loadout Warzone: Top all-purpose AR builds
Best MP7 loadout Warzone: Effective SMG setups
Best Grau loadout Warzone: Strong AR drops
Best M13 loadout Warzone: The attachments to choose

Want to keep an even closer eye on your enemies? Luckily for you, in season 4, Infinity Ward has introduced the Warzone Spotter Scope, a new piece of tactical gear that's worth watching out for. Exclusive to Infinity Ward's free battle royale mode, the Spotter Scope is a re-usable tactical item that lets you comb the surrounding area and quietly mark opponents.  

Verdansk's clusters of buildings make it difficult to spot threats, and the new Spotter Scope gives you a clearer view of where your competitors are lurking. Tracking threats is vital for planning your next move, so let's take a look at how you can use these sneaky thermal sights to carefully observe your environment. Here's how the CoD: Warzone Spotter Scope works, where you can find it, and a few tips to help you take full advantage of it.

How does the Warzone Spotter Scope work?

Scouting in Warzone usually relies on a sniper or a recon drone, but these tools each have their downsides. Sniper scopes glint when in use, reflecting a small orb of light that's visible to others, whereas recon drones are noisy. The Spotter Scope is a high-powered, reusable scope that enables you to zoom, and doesn't feature glint. This means it's great for silently stalking enemies, and it won't give away your position. 

Taking up your tactical slot, you can pull out the Spotter Scope to scan the area and mark surrounding opponents. Enemies that you mark using the scope are visible to your entire squad, but the markers disappear after four-to-five seconds. If you're keen to keep tabs on multiple squads at a time, expect to use this piece of equipment often.

Where to find the Spotter Scope

Despite its usefulness in the field, the Spotter Scope's rarity is surprisingly low. It's listed as a Common tactical item but it doesn't feel anywhere near as easy to find as other grey gear scattered throughout Verdansk. There's no way to add it to your loadouts either.

The Spotter Scope can be found on the floor and in supply boxes across the map, so try to open as many crates as possible. Players have also discovered that it's available as a reward for completing Recon contracts, for instance. If you haven't taken one of these challenges for a while, it's the one that requires you to head to a specific location and secure the area.

(Image credit: Infinity Ward)

Warzone Spotter Scope tips

Find a safe spot

Similar to playing a patient sniper, you need to find a safe place to crouch while using the Spotter Scope. This item specialises in helping you find and track enemies, so you don't want others eliminating you in the process. Thankfully the animation of drawing the Spotter Scope is quite fast, but it's still worth glancing around to stop an enemy team sneaking up on you. 

Mark every enemy

Marking targets takes a few seconds depending on how far away they are. As you focus on each one, a red ring appears around them. Wait until the ring has closed and a small red diamond appears, otherwise the marker won't appear when you put the scope away. As the markers disappear quite quickly you may even have to scan them two or three times before your teammates are able to take care of them.     

Team up

Coordinate with your squad to make use of the Spotter Scope abilities without putting yourself in danger. Keeping your team in the loop helps them to snap their attention to opponents and promptly eliminate them. As the designated spotter, it's your responsibility to provide them with valuable information of an enemy squad's whereabouts. 

Getting warmer

The Spotter Scope has a thermal setting that you can toggle to switch between the regular view and a thermal image. The latter means other players stand out against the environment when this setting is used, so get into the habit of alternating between the two modes to thoroughly scour the surrounding area. 

Emma Matthews

As PC Gamer's guides writer, Emma is usually juggling several games at once. She loves competitive first-person shooters like CS:GO and Call of Duty, but she always has time for a few rounds of Hearthstone. She's happiest when she's rescuing pugs in Spelunky 2.