Call of Duty: Warzone is a hugely popular free-to-play battle royale game which offers cross-play gaming on PC and consoles. Warzone takes place in the fictional city of Verdansk, a sprawling map where 150 people battle it out to be the sole survivor.

In terms of gaming, there's nothing more satisfying than securing that coveted victory. So, if you want to increase your chances of winning in Call of Duty: Warzone, we've rounded up some of the best tips and tricks for beginners and intermediate players.

1. Play With Friends and Communicate Well

Ideally, you want to play with a squad full of people you know and to talk on microphones. This is made easier due to fact that PC and console players all take part in the same matches together (if you like this element, here are the best cross-play games worth buying).

Call of Duty: Warzone is much harder when you play with random people who won't talk to you. With friends, you know the way they play and can build up a shorthand for communication.

This links to the fact that communication is so important. Your teammates can be far more effective if they know what you're doing. When in battle, call out what is happening: armor off, player down, team wipe, and so on. This lets your friends know how much they need to engage, push, or be on their guard.

2. Land in a Tactical Map Position

There's no single best place to land. This is because the flight path, the circle, and the contracts are random on every match. As soon as the game begins, bring up the map and have a look around. Where you want to land will depend on your play style.

For example, you could fly into a crowded area and engage in immediate gunfire to weed out the competition. Alternatively, you could go somewhere remote and outside the circle with the aim of quietly looting and completing contracts. Whatever you decide, mark it on the map and make sure your teammates are in full agreement before you make the jump.

3. Stay With Your Squad, But Not Too Close

You're in a team for a reason. It's so you can work together, protect each other's back, revive when necessary, and so on. As such, you need to stick with your squad. If you go lone wolf and drive off somewhere then your team won't be able to help you if you get cornered by a rival squad.

That said, you don't want to stay too close because it makes it easier for a group of enemies to take you all out at once with a rocket. You also lose any element of surprise. Additionally, when you arrive to a new area and are confident it's clear, spread out to begin looting so you don't tread on one another's steps.

4. Get Cash Fast

Getting money is vital in Call of Duty: Warzone. It's easy to come by early and mid game by just looting buildings. You should also complete contracts as you go---these stack up, so you earn more money from them the more you complete.

Don't hoard it, though. Head to Buy Stations to buy equipment like a precision airstrike or UAV (revealing nearby enemy locations). Drop cash for your team and pool money together if you want to buy something expensive. You will usually find a gas mask and armor while looting, so don't buy these unless absolutely necessary.

And remember, you might want to keep some money in reserve to quickly buy back anyone who dies.

5. Don't Be Scared of the Gas

The gas quickly shrinks the map size and it can be scary when it's approaching. You should always be aware of where the gas is, if it's moving, and at what speed. The last thing you want to do is get yourself killed by the gas because you couldn't climb the rocks in front of you quick enough.

That said, don't be scared of the gas, especially if you have a gas mask. Watch the gas line and pick off any enemies who are running from it, since they likely won't have time to react. Also, in a close combat situation, you can quickly rotate through the gas to get the jump on enemies without taking significant damage.

6. Keep an Eye on the Mini Map

The mini map in the corner of your screen reveals vital information that you won't necessarily see from the main game. It will highlight enemy vehicles in red---if it goes gray, you know they've all got out. It will also ping enemy players red when you deploy your UAV. The mini map can also help you navigate unknown parts of the map.

You should go into the settings and change your mini map from a circle to a square. It's a small change, but it will let you see more around you and every additional bit of intel is helpful.

7. Use the Free Loadout Drops

Loadouts are how you pick up your custom weapons and are the only way to get perks. If you have a huge stack of money at the beginning of the game, you may as well buy a loadout so that you're ready to go with all the kit you need.

That said, don't rely on buying loadouts. You can quickly find decent weapons just by looting to keep you going until a free loadout drop arrives. This means you can spend your money on useful things like UAVs.

The free drops happen twice during the game and you will get an alert directing you to the nearest drop. Be careful though, since enemies in the area could be converging on the same spot and wipe you and your squad out.

8. Keep Your Eyes on the Sky

It can be easy to get so focussed on what's happening in front of you that you forget to look up. Don't succumb to this because lots of stuff happens in the sky in Call of Duty: Warzone.

First, if a player is respawning then they will be parachuting in. If you spot them early, you can plow enough bullets into them so that they die before even reaching the floor.

Secondly, capturing a recon or buying someone back will send up a white and red flare respectively. Look out for these and it'll give you intel on what's happening nearby, but you can also use it to take the enemies by surprise now that you know their location.

9. Only Kill When Necessary

You may be tempted to to try to kill every player that you see, but that's not always the best thing to do. If someone is far away, consider whether it's even worth engaging. Your gunfire is going to draw attention and you might not be best equipped to deal with the situation. If you do want to go for the kill, try sniping some of their team down before pushing in on the rest.

Late in the game, if some of your team are dead, it can be preferable to let larger groups of enemies run past you since it's unlikely you'll survive. Let another team engage with them so that overall numbers are reduced and you have a better chance of securing that win.

That said, enemy players will drop things like guns, ammo, and money, so if you're in desperate need of them then it might be worth risking the kill.

We have listed similar advice in our list of tips to help you win at Apex Legends.

10. Secure the High Ground

As in any tactical shooter game, having the high ground gives you a great advantage. This is especially true as the final circle closes in, since you can target any enemies coming in from the gas and duck down from their view as necessary.

However, you do need to be careful of high ground like rooftops during the early game. While it's enjoyable to be on a roof sniping other people, you're also very exposed. Not only could someone climb a roof and snipe you back, but they could send an airstrike your way and kill your whole team with ease.

To Win at Call of Duty: Warzone Is to Win at Life

These are the essential tips and tricks we hope will help you win at Call of Duty: Warzone. Of course, there is always an element of luck involved, but with good planning and a well thought-out strategy, you can improve your chances of ending up in the winner's circle more often than not.

Are you a big fan of battle royale games? If so, you should check out our Fortnite essentials cheat sheet.