What is the #ProtestTheRoze Movement on Warzone?
Warzone players are banning together to protest an unfair in-game skin design
While initially labeled at launch as a gritty and realistic foil to other battle royale games like Fortnite and Apex Legends, the colorful cosmetics offered in Call of Duty Warzone's 5th seasoncome across like the company wasn't even trying.
Warzone players, who for too long were forced to clad their avatars in a muted range of camo and tactical gear, are now allowed to decorate their characters with a little more zest. They can throw a golden wrestling mask on, spew gold blood, and by season six could dress up as Saw, Leatherface, and Freddy Krueger as part of a lighthearted Halloween bundle. But with all the fun additions, there remained one skin in particular that has lived in infamy ever since.
Warzone players are collectively sick of the Roze skin.
So what is the problem with the Roze skin exactly? After players reach Tier 100 of the Battle Pass, they unlock the "Rook" design, which gives the Roze skin a distinctive matte sheen that makes it impossible to see even in Verdansk's brightest rooms. Players later deemed the skin a "pay-to-win" feature, as it can be bought as part of a bundle. Developer Raven Software has previously said that a patch is coming to address the skin's low visibility, but ahead of its latest patch last month, the skin reappeared for purchase in the in-game stores. Players have accused Activision and Raven of catering to the cheapskates. "They're just rubbing it in our faces now," wrote one player on Reddit.
But it seems that players have finally had enough. Frustrated Warzone players banded together on Reddit last night to protest the use of the low-visibility skin. To combat this unfair advantage, fans of the game are calling on the Warzone community to "Wear the brightest skin you have" to "restore faith in humanity." Players have slowly taken to the protest, wearing the loudest and brightest skins imaginable to show their solidarity. Warzone, which recently just celebrated its first anniversary, is already a tough game to play even without Roze's distinct advantage, but despite this coordinated call to remove the skin, whether or not Raven or Activision will listen has yet to be seen.