Ridiculous new Warzone bug is making Riot Shields completely useless

Riot Shields are a niche pick in Warzone at the best of times, but now players are avoiding them at all costs due to an absurd glitch that renders them useless.

If you’re selecting a Riot Shield in Warzone, you’re already putting yourself at a disadvantage. The novelty weapon can be great in some situations, but it limits your overall loadout in a big way. Instead of traveling through Verdansk with a deadly Grau or M4A1 class, you’re limited to just one real weapon and a shield.

If enemies surround you or attack from afar, it’s always difficult posing a real threat. If you plan on camping in buildings and playing patiently, however, the Riot Shield can be beneficial. It blocks all forms of incoming damage and lets you close the distance. At least, that’s how it’s supposed to work.

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A brand new glitch is making the Riot Shield even less effective as Warzone approaches its fifth season. You may want to avoid using it until a patch is deployed as this new glitch can easily cost you a match.

If you happen to be in the middle of a match with a Riot Shield equipped, be sure to avoid ladders at all costs. If you scale a ladder with your shield in hand, there’s a good chance the shield won’t work once you reach the top.

Exiting a ladder will have the Riot Shield re-equipped as you’d expect, though looks can be deceiving. From your perspective, the shield will be upright and ready to absorb incoming fire. From your enemy’s perspective, however, the shield will still be on your back.

The game sides with the perspective of your opponent. Therefore, bullets will travel straight through and knock you down in an instant. Even though the shield is still visible on your screen. Surprisingly, ladders aren’t the only thing that breaks Riot Shields in Warzone either.

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Infinity Ward’s Co-Design Director of Multiplayer, Joe Cecot, responded to a near-identical issue back in June. “We’ll have a look at this,” he said at the time. Months later and the Riot Shield is still held back by the same problem.

It could be wise to avoid Riot Shields for the time being, unless you’re really looking for a challenge. There’s no telling when a permanent fix may be deployed, though Warzone’s next big patch is right around the corner.

Season 5 is set to launch on August 5, introducing a slew of new content and even reducing the file size for console players.