Prebrief

Deploy to the infamous Zakhaev International Airport in this medium-sized Multiplayer map featuring indoor and outdoor fighting spaces. Take your chances in the Main Lobby or set up by the barricade at the airport Drop-Off; whatever your strategy, you’ll need to be fast on your feet to win your battles.

Consult this guide for the top strategies and tips to consider when competing on Departures, so you can secure the victory screen no matter what the enemy throws your way.

Intel Card — Departures

Tactical Overview

In team-based modes, squads will either spawn by Security (north) or by Check-In (south).

The Main Lobby and Drop-Off points lie between the two main spawns, challenging Operators to fight inside and out of Zakhaev International Airport.

We’ve divided Departures into four sections based on key areas around the map:

-       MAIN SPAWN POINT: Security (+ Office, Rest Area, North Exit)

-       MAIN SPAWN POINT: Check-In (+ Luggage, Business Hall, Cargo Gate, South Exit, Alley, Burger Town)

-       ADDITIONAL AREA: Main Lobby (North Lobby, Walkway, Restaurant, Cosmetics, Shopping, Electronics)

-       ADDITIONAL AREA: Drop-Off

MAIN SPAWN POINT: Security (NORTH)

Operators spawning in Security benefit from a couple of important advantages. The Security hall presents several longshot opportunities out toward Shopping and into the Lobby if you move up to the escalators.

Those looking for close-ranged combat can opt to swing through the Office toward the Rest Area, which then descends into the Lobby on the side of the outdoor Drop-Off. The Security and Office areas are also useful for their overhead cover, with just a slim portion of glass over part of Security. Once you move up toward the map’s center, that overhead cover gives way to large glass ceiling panes installed over the Lobby.

MAIN SPAWN POINT: Check-In (SOUTH)

The southern Check-In spawn offers a maze of routes forward, an advantage to Operators with a basic knowledge of the layout. Check-In leads to three main points of interest: (1) Move west to take the fight outside in Drop-Off, (2) head toward Burger Town to face the Main Lobby head-on, or (3) take the stairs to the Business Hall for a raised pathway across the airport.

Multiple paths branch out from the central Check-In hub, leading to these three main areas. Get a handle on the various pathways to improve your chances of outplaying enemies lost in the maze. Stay within its bounds to control the lower portion of the map or move up when you’re ready to push toward the center.

ADDITIONAL AREA: Main Lobby

The Main Lobby and Walkway above it are the primary focal points of the map. Though Burger Town looks into it, the Electronics store is the only traversable shop in the Main Lobby, and it’s a small one at that. Use the island of ATM machines for cover when moving through the area or climb on top of them for a better view. Be aware of your position related to the escalators where enemies on the upper Walkway can launch an attack.

The Walkway offers more substantial store access with Restaurant and Cosmetics taking up a large portion of the area. Use the height advantage offered here to initiate attacks against enemies moving around Check-In and the Main Lobby below. Move away from those sightlines when it’s time to focus on enemies sharing the Walkway with you.

ADDITIONAL AREA: Drop-Off

A barricade of response vehicles spills out onto the airport’s Drop-Off point. Entry points line the shared walls of the airport, making it difficult to anticipate the next point of battle. The parked vehicles offer the main points of cover here; get behind them or jump on top of them to suit your needs.

Drop-Off makes for a great detour across the map when the action in the Main Lobby gets too intense. With connections to the South Exit near Check-In and the North Exit near Security, it’s possible to set up a dominant position in the area with quick access to several major points on the map.

Top 10 Tips

1. Mid-distance fighter. Departures is full of midranged sightlines across all three of its lanes. While longer and shorter routes do exist, you can’t go wrong with an Assault Rifle or other weapon best suited to medium-ranged fighting. Match your Loadout to the environment and reap the rewards.

2. Working security. If you’d rather keep the fight up close, grab a Shotgun or SMG and stick to interior locations like Cosmetics, Restaurant, and Burger Town. Set up station in whichever area is closest to the action, then blast away at the first sight of enemy movement.

3. That’s not my luggage. Step into the baggage carousel connecting Check-In and Luggage in the map’s southeast corner for a discreet shortcut that’s perfect for ambushing enemy Operators or slipping away from danger.

4. Topped up. Deploy with Scavenger Gloves to resupply ammo from fallen enemies. You don’t want to hold back during fights due to low reserves, and on a midsized map like this, you don’t always have the convenience of picking up a nearby weapon.

5. Easy target. Equip the Data Jacker Gear Perk so that enemies you eliminate drop a smartphone where they fall, generating a radar ping from that location when picked up. These intel boosts help detect additional nearby threats, potentially setting up a chain reaction of eliminate, ping, repeat.

6. For the long run. Consider equipping an LMG in your Departures matches for their high damage output and abundant ammo reserves. By spacing out required reloads, you can stay in the fight longer when battling multiple opponents.

7. Get in your steps. Use the stairway and escalators connecting the upper Walkway to the North Lobby to cover both areas. Strafe up and down the steps to cover your front and back while searching for your next target.

8. Take flight. Use the Breacher Drone Lethal Equipment to send an explosive package to enemies down the length of the airport, perfect for the map’s long, wide lanes. Pair it with the Ordnance Gloves for rapid deployment.

9. Open air trap. Make use of the many doorways leading to Drop-Off to escape unwanted attention inside the airport. Get in position near a vehicle, turn around, and initiate contact with enemy pursuers.

10. Cleared for takeoff. Departures offers a new take on the infamous Zakhaev International Airport, a major point of interest within the Modern Warfare narrative. Take your time learning the map by jumping in again and again until you’ve got the basics down and you’re ready to fly.

And most importantly:

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