Why It Matters
These secret challenges deepen player engagement and drive in‑game activity, supporting Activision’s live‑service revenue model. By linking exclusive cosmetics to gameplay milestones, the season boosts retention and cross‑promotion with Black Ops 7.
Key Takeaways
- •Five Cradle Caches unlock Shards Weapon Charm
- •Use Cradle Fractures on Rebirth Island for emblem
- •Complete ten Redacted Contracts for weapon sticker
- •Collect ten biometric scanner keycards for contrail
- •Open Old Gulag to earn emblem and Nova‑7 blueprint
Pulse Analysis
Activision’s rollout of secret challenges in Warzone Season 2 exemplifies the evolving live‑service model that prioritizes continuous player interaction over one‑off sales. By embedding cosmetic rewards within repeatable in‑game tasks—such as opening Cradle Caches or completing Redacted Contracts—the company creates a loop that incentivizes daily logins and longer session times. This approach not only sustains the game’s active user base but also fuels microtransaction revenue, as players often seek to accelerate progress through purchasable boosts or premium loot boxes.
The integration of these challenges with broader ecosystem updates, like Ranked Play Resurgence and the Black Ops 7 crossover, amplifies cross‑title engagement. New weapons and ranked rewards attract competitive players, while exclusive items like the Nova‑7 Pro Mk.4 blueprint serve as status symbols that reinforce brand loyalty. By tying high‑visibility cosmetics to specific map interactions on Rebirth Island, Activision also drives traffic to newer content zones, ensuring that fresh map assets receive organic exposure without additional marketing spend.
From a market perspective, the secret‑challenge framework signals a data‑driven strategy to maximize player retention. Analytics can track completion rates, pinpoint drop-off points, and adjust difficulty or reward cadence in real time. This granular feedback loop enables the publisher to fine‑tune future seasons, balancing challenge depth with reward appeal. As the industry leans further into service‑oriented titles, Warzone’s Season 2 blueprint offers a replicable template for monetizing engagement while maintaining a competitive edge in the crowded battle‑royale space.
All COD Warzone Season 2 Secret Challenges & Rewards
All Warzone Season 2 Secret Challenges & Rewards
Call of Duty: Warzone and Black Ops 7 Season 2 are setting themselves up to be the biggest drop for Warzone yet, highlighted by the arrival of Ranked Play Resurgence, along with Winter Rebirth Island and its new POIs. With a whole new set of Ranked rewards to grind for, alongside new weapons thrown into the mix, players have a lot to uncover.
However, Ranked Play is not the only place players can earn new rewards, as Season 2 also features several Secret Challenges that grant free cosmetic items. From earning a free Blueprint to unlocking a free universal camo, here is every Secret Challenge you can complete in Call of Duty: Warzone Season 2.
Shards Weapon Charm (Open Cradle Caches)
To get the Shards Weapon Charm, players need to open a total of five Cradle Caches in Call of Duty: Warzone. These caches are similar to the Butterfly Supply Crates used to unlock the Prismatic Blueprint as part of Black Ops 7’s promotional campaign before its initial release, and can be identified by red smoke markings on regular Supply Crates.
While Cradle Caches can be found on every map in Warzone during Season 2, the best way to find them is to play Resurgence, where they appear more frequently. Cradle Caches do not have dedicated spawn locations, so players will need to rely on a bit of luck to find them. Simply open five in total during Season 2 to unlock the Shards Weapon Charm.
Beyond Step Emblem (Use Cradle Fractures)
For the Beyond Step Emblem challenge, only Cradle Fractures on Rebirth Island count. Unlike those on Verdansk, Cradle Fractures on Rebirth Island appear to spawn anywhere on the map, though it may be worth focusing on Guild POIs like Turbine and the Outpost to increase your chances of finding them. Use a Cradle Fracture across five different matches during Season 2 to unlock the emblem.
Redacted Contract Weapon Sticker (Complete Redacted Contracts)
These contracts give players a random existing contract with an increased payout. Follow each contract’s instructions. Complete a total of 10 Redacted Contracts during Season 2 to earn the Sticker.
Cipher Trail Contrail (Collect Keycards from Biometric Scanners)
Collect a total of 10 Keycards from the Biometric Scanners on Rebirth Island. Since you can only get one Keycard per game, you will need to play 10 games to complete this challenge.
Biometric Scanners are in fixed locations around Rebirth Island. Notable locations include the bunker at Headquarters, Stronghold, and Bioweapons. A map of all scanner locations is provided in the original article.
Past Secrets Emblem (Uncover the Old Gulag)
To earn the Past Secrets Emblem, open the Old Gulag underneath the Prison:
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Use a Molotov or Thermite to open the Outpost Bunker and grab the Computer SSD inside.
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Use a Molotov or Thermite to open the Turbine Bunker, interact with the terminal inside, and note the binary code.
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Head to the tunnel under the Prison and start the sequence at the door to the Gulag, matching the lights with the noted binary code.
Successfully opening the Gulag awards the Past Secrets Emblem.
Nova‑7 Pro Mk.4 Blueprint (Acquire The Old Gulag Weapon Prototype)
After opening the Old Gulag, press interact at the keypad near the Blueprint, then activate each switch in the correct order (refer to the map for the exact sequence). This unlocks the Nova‑7 Pro Mk.4 Blueprint.
Librarian Loading Screen (Read All Intel Pieces on Rebirth Island)
Read all 10 Intel Pieces scattered across Rebirth Island to earn the Librarian Loading Screen. A map of all Intel locations is included in the original article.
Shattered Vision Decal & Redstorm Parachute (Challenge TBD)
Details for this challenge have not been released yet.
Iron Gauntlet Season 2 Challenges & Rewards
The final set of Secret Challenges is tied to the Iron Gauntlet mode, which will be available from March 5 – 9, 2024 (9 AM PT). Players can earn a collection of Charms, Calling Cards, and a Universal Camo as the final reward.
Specific Iron Gauntlet challenges and rewards are listed in the original article.
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