The Warzone 2 nuke and how to launch it explained

Warzone 2 nuke
(Image credit: Activision)

The Warzone 2 nuke can be triggered by winning five Warzone 2 matches in a row, then building the nuclear bomb with the Champion's Quest contract. It's almost certainly the hardest achievement to claim in Warzone 2, especially considering that trying to build and launch the nuke will have players flocking from all over the map to try and kill you first. If you want to become one of the few legendary players who can channel Doctor Strangelove, here's how to build, launch and trigger the Warzone 2 nuke and complete the Champion's Quest contract.

How to get the Warzone 2 nuke

Warzone 2

(Image credit: Activision)

If you want to get the Warzone 2 nuke then there are a number of difficult steps you need to go through, which we'll summarize below:

  1. Win five Warzone 2 battle royale matches in a row
  2. Start the new Champion's Quest contract that appears in the next match
  3. Collect all three of the nuclear elements that are revealed on the map
  4. Survive long enough for the bomb site to appear
  5. Insert the nuclear elements and arm the Warzone 2 nuke
  6. Defend the nuke for the two minute countdown to detonation
Warzone 2 AQ Soldier Kills

Warzone 2

(Image credit: Activision)

Find out what Warzone 2 AQ Soldier Kills are and why these AI enemies appear in your stats following battle royale and Warzone 2 DMZ matches.

Yes, you read that correctly – you need to get a five game winning streak in the battle royale before you can even start going for the Warzone 2 nuke, which is an impressive enough feat in itself. With that done, when you next drop in you'll get a notification that the new Champion's Quest is available, marked by a golden WZ icon on your Warzone 2 map. When the Champion's Quest is initiated, you'll be tasked to assemble the nuke and destroy the warzone, which starts with finding the three nuclear elements. Over time the locations of Beryllium, Plutonium, and Tritium will be revealed for you to collect, but be aware that as soon as you pick them up the following effects will trigger:

  • Beryllium - activates tracking device
  • Plutonium - causes radiation damage
  • Tritium - scrambles the radar

The tracking device reveals your position to all other players with a Most Wanted golden crown icon, while radiation damage gradually injures you over time and radar scramble makes it much harder to see what's happening on your tac map. Eventually, the bomb site will be revealed when the device is dropped from a passing plane, which you then need to get to and deposit all three nuclear elements. Finally, interact with it to arm the Warzone 2 nuke then defend it for two minutes until it reaches detonation.

If you somehow manage all of that, then the Champion's Domination victory will be yours, as shown in the clip above which claims to be the "first ever" nuke obliteration of Al Mazrah. It seems there's no easy way to detonate the Warzone 2 nuke, so know that if you're able to complete this challenge then you're a truly elite player and worthy of the Warzone Champion title.

Iain Wilson
Guides Editor

Iain originally joined Future in 2012 to write guides for CVG, PSM3, and Xbox World, before moving on to join GamesRadar in 2013 as Guides Editor. His words have also appeared in OPM, OXM, PC Gamer, GamesMaster, and SFX. He is better known to many as ‘Mr Trophy’, due to his slightly unhealthy obsession with amassing intangible PlayStation silverware, and he now has over 750 Platinum pots weighing down the shelves of his virtual award cabinet. He does not care for Xbox Achievements.

Read more
Helldivers 2 Servants of Freedom Warbond
Helldivers 2 is getting a portable hellbomb that looks just as chaotic and deadly as Fallout's mini nukes
Halo 3
Halo 3 streamers claim a world record by beating the game's near-impossible LASO challenge in only 4 hours without dying once
A Helldiver holding a flag in a promotional image for Helldivers 2.
Helldivers 2's Fallout-grade Ultimatum mini nuke has been nerfed, but maintains its "core identity as a powerhouse" because the devs are "huge fans of big booms booming big"
Helldivers 2
Helldivers 2 CEO praises players for their "brilliant" DSS strategy, but follows up with a grave threat: "J.O.E.L. is out to get you now"
Helldivers 2 Ultimatum
Helldivers 2's new Fallout-grade mini nuke Ultimatum is a 4,500-damage delete button that's already got the community debating whether it's OP
Servants of Freedom Warbond in Helldivers 2
Everything in the Helldivers 2 Servants of Freedom Warbond
Latest in Battle Royale
Fortnite Gold Veins
Fortnite Gold Veins: How to mine them for Bars
Fortnite Outlaw Keycard
Fortnite Outlaw Keycard: How to unlock it and what does it do
Fortnite's Lara croft skin in front of a building
Fortnite has had Tomb Raider's Lara Croft locked away in battle pass exclusivity jail for almost 4 years, but she's reportedly getting a new skin very soon
soldiers dropping in from the sky and looking over verdansk
Warzone's original map is returning next month, but it's still not enough: "We don't just want Verdansk back. We want everything back"
PUBG
A mysterious Steam user has over 13,000 pairs of PUBG pants worth just 3 cents in his inventory, and players can't figure out whether it's hoarding or money laundering
Fortnite Dill Bit Display Cases
Fortnite Dill Bit Display Cases: Where to search them
Latest in Guides
Fortnite Gold Veins
Fortnite Gold Veins: How to mine them for Bars
WWE 2K25
WWE 2K25 locker codes guide to free MyFaction cards
Fortnite Outlaw Keycard
Fortnite Outlaw Keycard: How to unlock it and what does it do
Umaga is a key player in The Bloodline Showcase
How to unlock all wrestlers in WWE 2K25
A shop in The Sims 4 Businesses and Hobbies
How to start a small business in The Sims 4 Businesses and Hobbies
FC 25
FC 25 FUT Birthday guide and full cards list