I assumed getting murdered by Krampus at the end of a hotly contested Call of Duty match would be objectively funny, but it seems players are less than pleased with the mythological creature’s ability to affect online competition so dramatically.
“Krampus needs to go,” reads a 90% upvoted post on the Call of Duty: Warzone subreddit. “I was in a top five situation, and got hunted by Krampus. Completely fucked me over. Winning is already hard enough, but being hunted by a near impossible being to kill with less than 10 people left is too much. I don’t think that level of [randomness] should be happening in end game.”
Despite being an obscure piece of central European folklore, Krampus—a sadistic Santa Claus sidekick who, among other things, puts naughty children in burlap sacks and beats them with birch rods—has slowly seeped its way into the cultural zeitgeist over the last few years. His latest appearance comes courtesy of Call of Duty: Vanguard and Warzone’s ongoing Festive Fervor event, which sees the goatman pursue players and then rips them to shreds.
Krampus operates differently depending on which game you’re playing. In Vanguard, the monster seeks out players with low objective scores, punishing them for not contributing enough to their team’s success. His targets are apparently more random in Warzone, where anyone can attract Krampus’ ire. It’s the latter situation that’s upsetting Call of Duty players, especially those who find themselves on the verge of winning a battle royale match before falling victim to the creature’s claws.
“I’ve had multiple games where Krampus is hunting myself or my team in top 10 situations, and it ruins the game,” wrote another frustrated player.
G/O Media may get a commission
With no word from developers about possible Krampus nerfs and a firm end date for the event unknown, it appears as if Call of Duty players are just going to have to tough it out for the time being.
