The new Cardboard Commando Ultra Skin Bundle in Call of Duty has gamers raising eyebrows—and their pitchforks—thanks to the “Surprise Gift” emote, which literally lets players hide in a cardboard box and ambush opponents. Fans are debating if this is clever mischief or just another pay-to-win gimmick, especially since the emote’s tactical edge reminds many of past skin controversies. Will the developers step in, or is this just the new meta? There’s more to unpack in this cardboard caper.
Every so often, Call of Duty drops a bundle that sends the community into a frenzy, and the Tracer Pack: Cardboard Commando Ultra Skin Bundle is the latest chaos-inducing contender. This premium offering, ringing up at 2,400 COD Points, doesn’t just slap a cardboard box on an operator and call it a day—it comes loaded with themed blueprints like the TR2 and PU21 LMG, plus a quirky emote that’s got everyone talking, for better or worse.
The real star here isn’t the guns, but the “Surprise Gift” emote, which lets players hide in a cardboard box—literally. It sounds like something out of a prop-hunt minigame, and, well, that’s not too far off. Players have jumped on the tactic, blending into map corners, waiting for unsuspecting foes, and then springing out with an ambush. The result? A wave of frustration and accusations of pay-to-win, because let’s be honest, it’s one thing to get outgunned, and another to get out-boxed. The bundle’s cardboard-themed operator skins and weapon blueprints are designed to enhance gameplay experience with a fun aesthetic, but some players argue this fun comes at the expense of fair competition. The community has also drawn comparisons to previous skins like Roze and Terminator that similarly raised concerns about fairness and visibility in matches.
Hiding in a cardboard box has never been so controversial—players are ambushing foes and fueling fresh pay-to-win outrage in Call of Duty.
It’s not exactly Call of Duty’s first rodeo with controversial microtransactions. Veteran players will recall the Roze and Terminator skin debacles, where visibility or game-changing advantages turned cosmetics into competitive headaches. Both eventually got nerfed, but the cycle seems to repeat: new skin, new advantage, new outrage. This pattern reflects the broader trend of continuous evolution in live service games, where developers constantly update content based on player feedback and engagement metrics.
The cardboard emote feels like déjà vu. While some laugh at the absurdity, others see it as an unfair edge—especially since not everyone can, or wants to, pay up for tactical cardboard. Social media, forums, and Discords are flooded with calls for change, from outright removal to at least making the emote less effective.
Developers, for now, are keeping quiet, which only fuels the fire.
With Warzone and Black Ops 6 both impacted, the debate isn’t going away. Whether this is a clever bit of fun or another paywall problem, one thing’s clear: the box may be cardboard, but the controversy is very real. Who knew hiding in plain sight could cause this much chaos in Call of Duty?