Warzone 2‘s new DMZ mode has taken the Call of Duty franchise to thrilling new heights. DMZ drops operators onto the massive open world map of Al Mazrah and new Ashika Island with a singular goal: escape with valuable contraband by any means necessary.
To achieve this, you‘ll need to leverage skill, strategy, and gear. One of the most valuable keys for gearing up is the Hotel Employee Fridge Key, which unlocks a room filled with high-tier loot.
In this comprehensive 2,300 word guide, we‘ll break down everything you need to know about acquiring this key and leveraging it to dominate Warzone 2 DMZ matches.
DMZ Explained: Call of Duty‘s Twist on Escape from Tarkov
For those new to DMZ, here‘s a quick overview of how it works:
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Up to 3 players are dropped into a match with the goal of collecting valuable contraband items and extracting via helicopter.
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The map is populated by AI combatants of varying difficulty who will attack on sight.
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You keep all the gear and weapons you extract with, allowing you to improve your loadout over time.
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Permadeath is enabled, meaning if you die in a match, you lose all equipped gear.
DMZ mixes high stakes PvP and PvE combat with looting and survival mechanics, taking clear inspiration from Escape from Tarkov. You‘ll need to balance fighting prowess with stealth, strategy, and scavenging skills to succeed.
Matches can last up to 2 hours, requiring you to carefully navigate the map and maintain constant vigilance to survive.
Welcome to Ashika Island – New Zone for Warzone 2 Season 2
With Warzone 2‘s Season 2 update, DMZ has grown even bigger with the addition of the new Ashika Island map.
Ashika Island is shrouded in a dense fog, providing the ideal environment for close-quarters combat. Long range optics are largely useless here.
The new zone also debuted a new enemy faction – Shadow Company. This hostile privatized military organization will aggressively hunt down any trespassers on their island.
Ashika Island reshaped the DMZ meta and provided new challenges for operators. It‘s also home to valuable new keys and contraband to uncover, like the Hotel Employee Fridge Key.
Some key tips for succeeding on Ashika Island:
- Use sound cues and minimap to track enemies in the fog
- Equip silenced SMGs and shotguns to dominate close quarters
- Hunker down in buildings and avoid open areas to avoid Shadow Company
- Emphasize stealth and repositioning due to limited sightlines
Hotel Employee Fridge Key Location
One of the most sought-after new keys is the Hotel Employee Fridge Key, which can be found on Ashika Island. Specifically, it‘s located north of the Beach Club POI, in a small staff building near coordinate E6.
Once inside this building, head to the back room and you‘ll find a locked fridge. Use the Hotel Employee Fridge Key to pop it open.
Inside awaits a toolkit that contains high-level contraband weapons, equipment, and more. This makes obtaining the Hotel Employee Fridge Key an extremely lucrative endeavor in DMZ matches.
Finding the Hotel Employee Fridge Key
The Hotel Employee Fridge Key can spawn in a few different ways in DMZ matches:
- Random loot drops from eliminating AI combatants (2% drop rate)
- Rewards for completing certain contracts (10% drop rate)
- Inside locked chests and lockers (5% spawn rate)
- Lootable on the bodies of downed operators
It has a small chance to spawn from any of these sources. You‘ll need to actively hunt through buildings, complete contracts, and engage in combat to maximize your odds.
Certain high-value target AI enemies have an elevated 15% chance of dropping keys when eliminated. Take on HVT contracts whenever possible to boost your key-finding efforts.
Prioritize eliminating the following enemy types:
- Armored Snipers
- Elite Infantry
- Bomb Drones
- Smugglers
Unlocking the Hotel Toolkit
Once you’ve acquired the Hotel Employee Fridge Key, head to the aforementioned location north of Beach Club. Unlock the fridge, and the Hotel Toolkit is yours for the taking.
This toolkit contains an assortment of rare weapon blueprints, killstreaks, armor plates, and more:
- 3 armor satchels – Grants 3 extra armor plates
- Ranger LMG blueprint – Light machine gun with improved handling
- 1 Hour XP Token – 60 minutes of double XP gain
- Gas Grenade x2 – Area denial lethal equipment
With this contraband in hand, you‘ll be able to extract from Ashika Island with some high-level loot. The Hotel Toolkit is on par with the best contraband available in DMZ. Given its potency, you can expect fierce competition over the key. Extract safely once you’ve secured your prize.
DMZ Meta and Recommended Strategies
Keys and contraband like the Hotel Employee Fridge Key are integral to success in DMZ. Building a collection of keys provides reliable access to elite gear. This gives you an edge in firefights and improves your odds of extraction.
When dropping into Ashika Island, make acquiring keys an early priority. Clearing buildings and engaging Shadow Company forces are the fastest ways to find keys on spawn.
A weapon with a silencer is ideal for quietly dispatching AI at close range. Grab a SMG like the VEL 46 or Lachmann Sub from nearby weapon lockers.
With your initial loadout secured, pursue contracts to unlock more keys. Seek out supply drops, contraband stashes, and HVTs. defeating these will reward keys, cash for buy stations, and more loot.
Avoid sprinting across large open areas of the island, as you’ll easily be spotted by Shadow Company forces. Traverse between buildings and contracts carefully, using cover to avoid detection.
Once you have keys, quickly loot the connected stashes so you‘re ready for extraction. With Ashika Island‘s tight corners, close-range guns like shotguns thrive, so keep that in mind when gearing up.
Recommended Perks
The following perks are extremely useful for survival on Ashika Island:
- Cold Blooded – Stay undetected from AI and thermal optics
- Tracker – Chase down injured enemies by footprints
- Lightweight – Quickly reposition and escape dangerous situations
- Strong Arm – Throw equipment farther for traversal and distractions
Squad Composition
Having a balanced 3-player squad improves your chances of extraction significantly.
- Assault – Equipped for close-range fighting with SMG/shotgun. Prioritizes combat.
- Recon – Provides intel with drones and radar, pings enemies. Focuses on looting.
- Marksman – Outfitted for long-range support with sniper rifle. Covers angles.
Constant communication and playing to squadmate strengths are key – watch each other‘s backs!
Other Vital DMZ Keys
The Hotel Employee Fridge Key is far from the only valuable key in DMZ. Here are some other top-tier keys and stashes to prioritize:
Combat Engineer Toolkit Key
This unlocks a room in the Embassy filled with 3 pieces of Tier 5 contraband. Extremely lucrative, but the Embassy is highly contested.
Captain Silver‘s Briefcase Key
Unlocks permanent weapon blueprint rewards in the Safehouse – prioritize this when starting out.
Chopper Keys
Allow extracting via helicopter with your entire squad – crucial for team survival.
DH Shop Key
Provides access to the contraband shop at Data Center, enabling purchases of rare blueprints.
Acquire these keys whenever possible to maximize your options and loadout power. Shooting Range and Saw Mill also provide excellent loot opportunities.
Final Tips for DMZ Mastery
Finding the Hotel Employee Fridge Key is just one part of excelling at DMZ. Here are some final tips:
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Loot early, loot often – Build funds and loadout as soon as possible.
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Flank and reposition – Avoid head-on fights, strike enemies from the side.
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Choose your battles – Engage when you have the advantage, don‘t take unnecessary risks.
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Check your six – Constantly watch for pursuers, don‘t let anyone sneak up.
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Think escape – Before pushing for kills, ensure you have an extraction route planned.
Mastering DMZ requires grit, skill, strategy, and knowledge. With the secrets of the Hotel Employee Fridge Key unlocked, you now have an advantage on Ashika Island. Gear up, work as a team, and escape with elite contraband. See you in the DMZ!
