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Gray Zone Warfare factions explained
- Hotfix 2 gave GZW players the ability to change between factions by using an account wipe. You can only team up with friends if they’re in the same faction.
- The Lamang Recovery Initiative focuses on finding survivors, Mithras Security Systems is a rogue mercenary outfit, and Crimson Shield International is an organized private military.
Gray Zone Warfare’s factions have been the talk of the town, with players expressing frustration at some of its earlier limitations. Read on to know more about them and if you can hop between factions.
Can you change your faction in Gray Zone Warfare?
Thanks to the Hotfix 2 update, you can change your faction in Gray Zone Warfare to team up with friends. You can do so by using the new account wipe feature to clear existing progress. Your starter gear and Edition content will be returned and you can pick a faction. Wiping your account has a 1 hour cooldown period. Outside this option, you’ll have to wait for the game reset, an event that occurs every few months to change your faction. You need to be in the same faction as your friends to play with them.
Reinstalling the game will not reset your account. Players on Reddit had resorted to creating new Steam accounts and sharing the original account library in order to change factions. But this method didn’t let you access bonus content from pricier editions of GZW. Fortunately, developer Madfinger Games responded to feedback and swiftly introduced the account wipe option. GZW was welcomed by Escape from Tarkov players for its affordable PvE option and are glad that you can hope between factions now.
What faction should you pick in Gray Zone Warfare?
Gray Zone Warfare has three starting factions, the Lamang Recovery Initiative, Mithras Security Systems, and Crimson Shield International. The only difference the faction makes is your starting location and the friends who can join you on missions. Your missions will change accordingly as the starting missions take place near your base camp. So coordinate with friends in advance before selecting a faction.
Factions have unique starting base camps that are positioned on three corners of the open world. Its PvEvP environment means you’ll spot enemy players engaged in PvP more often as you head toward their bases. On the flip side, regions and drop points near your base will have a lower chance of having enemy ambushes. The NPC enemies will also be less armored and weaker here. There’s an optional PvE mode with the same diverse biomes and quest system too.
All factions explained in Gray Zone Warfare
Lamang Recovery Initiative
Founded and funded by a tech billionaire, the LRI is a “strictly philanthropic exercise to search for pockets of survivors in and around Ground Zero after even the UN abandoned the island.” With “highly professional security details that accompany rescue and clean-up teams,” they’re probably the closest you’ll get to a faction that counts as the good guys.
Mithras Security Systems
“Mithras bills itself as a PMC run by soldiers for soldiers, and it doesn’t ask too many questions about an operator’s motivations or past history.” It’s apparently inspired by “the Roman Legion system, where the spoils of war were shared among the troops.” Think of it as mercenaries looking to take advantage of Lamang Island.
Crimson Shield International
This faction is clearly the most organized of the bunch, as a “Private Military Company [that] rose to infamy during the early stages of the Syrian civil war.” It’s a shady organization though with methods that “can be seen as somewhat questionable, often resulting in collateral damage. That said, no one can deny their effectiveness and cold-blooded approach to any job that needs to be done.” There’s not a whole lot that the game does to convey these faction-wide differences so you’re better off picking one with your friends.
