Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Warzone have a new premium emote that lets you hide in a cardboard box — and of course players are abusing it.
Call of Duty has seen its fair share of microtransactions dubbed pay-to-win by the community. The infamous Roze skin, which was incredibly hard to see, ended up being changed for battle royale Warzone. The developers of Call of Duty recently ended up changing a Terminator skin for similar reasons. But this cardboard box emote may be the most pay-to-win of them all.
It’s part of the premium 2,400 COD Points Cardboard Commando bundle, which turns your soldier and weapons into cardboard. Fun at first glance, and certainly in-keeping with Call of Duty’s penchant for goofy skins. But it’s the Surprise Gift emote included in the bundle that has raised more than a few eyebrows within the Call of Duty community.
That’s because the emote literally lets you hide in a cardboard box, then after a few seconds jump out for a surprise. You can imagine how this might help you out in the battlefield, like a Prop Hunt on-demand. It boggles the mind how this one was allowed into Call of Duty, especially in Warzone, which can end up being as much about hiding as it is about killing.
One player, Dr.ChubzDPT on X / Twitter, showcased some Call of Duty cardboard box abuse in a video alongside the post: “Abusing the most broken emote in Warzone history.”
Abusing the most broken emote in Warzone history with @Timmy2Cans pic.twitter.com/9gOe8Nhbj8
— Dr.ChubzDPT (@chubzdpt) April 27, 2025
The emote has more than a whiff of Metal Gear Solid about it. In Hideo Kojima’s famous single-player stealth series, Solid Snake can famously move about while inside a cardboard box, flummoxing unsuspecting guards who seem none the wiser.
In the competitive multiplayer Call of Duty series though, it’s a different story, with some saying this cardboard box has no place in the game. It’s worth pointing out that others are saying it’s all a bit of fun, and that the cardboard itself is big enough to stand out.
“Literally nobody should be falling for a giant cardboard box,” said X / Twitter user Part Timer. “But it is hilarious.” “I’m shooting every box from now on,” commented X / Twitter user SteamyTycoon.
Warzone, with its recently launched return to Verdansk, is generally speaking in a good place, with fans loving the nostalgia fuelled return to the map that started it all. Check out IGN’s sweeping interview with the developers behind Verdansk to find out how they went about it.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
