Warzone ventures a complete reboot as version 2.0. We finally have a lot of info on the release, the new arena and the most important changes to the Battle Royale.
Call of Duty: Warzone takes its operators as a model, takes a good run-up and then jumps headfirst into the unknown. With Warzone 2, a completely new Battle Royale will be released in November 2022 that wants to do many things differently than its predecessor – even if the basic principle remains the same, of course.
In a stream we have now finally learned many exciting details, such as a third-person mode, that DMZ will be part of Warzone and that Gulag battles will soon be very different from what we are used to. You can find all the info here in this article.
Everything we learned about Warzone 2
Release date set
Warzone 2 will launch on November 16, 2022, so the leaks were right! This means that the Battle Royale will enter its first round a good two weeks later than Modern Warfare 2, which is already available from 28 October.
Warzone 2 is not only available on PC via Battle.net, but also via Steam. As a reminder, this also applies to Modern Warfare 2, the first Call of Duty to return to the platform after a lengthy Steam hiatus.
This Stays the Same
Warzone 2 is once again Free2Play for everyone, and nothing changes in the basic gameplay either. You end up with numerous other players in an arena that gets smaller and smaller in the course of a round. The Battle Royale is once again closely linked to the latest main game, in this case Modern Warfare 2, with which it also shares the engine.
Like Warzone, the sequel is protected by the anti-cheat programme Ricochet, this time right from day one. This should prevent cheaters from entering the game as much as possible right from the start – they were a massive problem in Battle Royale for many seasons.
This is new in Warzone 2
Now we get to the really exciting info! Everything is new in … November. You know the one. So what”s different in Warzone 2? Let”s go through the different areas.
Your progress: You start from scratch in Warzone 2. You can”t take stuff you bought and unlocked for Warzone 1, like operators, weapon skins and perks. Of course, you can continue to use your hard-won equipment in Warzone 1, as the servers will continue to run (perhaps even with new updates).
The map: Instead of Verdansk or Caldera, a completely new map awaits you. Away with urban or tropical motifs, here with desert! The map Al Mazrah represents a fictitious area in the Near East. As in the past, individual sections of the map will appear as multiplayer maps in Modern Warfare 2.
In the MW2 beta from 16 September you can get a first impression of Al Mazrah, where you play on Sarrif Bay – only in regular multiplayer and not Battle Royale.
Water including vehicles, many different POIs such as a railway station, a sunken village or a large city centre: Al-Masrah wants to offer a wide range of different locations as usual. Even for old fans, there will be a lot of familiar elements to explore.
For example, the map”s airport is strongly reminiscent of the popular Terminal map. Lootable items are also hidden everywhere, even in fixed locations, which will give experienced players advantages over time.
Vehicles more important: Cars and boats are used in Warzone 2. Players can lean out the side, climb on the roof – and destroy the carts with all kinds of weapons and gadgets. And the helicopters are back too. There”s even a big bird for a whole squad.
Strongholds & NPCs: Strongholds populated by the AI that hide super loot. Squads can move in here, distribute a lot of jingle bells and then continue the match with thickly packed bags. Even better loot can be found on the rare Black Sites, an escalated variant of the Strongholds.
The Gulag: This is where you land if you get shot down on the map, and get a second chance. Gone are the days of deadly 1vs1 duels. Instead, you now fight in pairs against two other players, with the winners returning to Al Mazrah. It”s hard to gauge how this new system will feel – it could be easier to get frustrated when your demise is no longer just in your own hands.
There”s more news in the Gulag: The “Jailer” is apparently an NPC who wants to cause you problems there. Details are not yet known. But we already know that there are weapons to be found in the Gulag – maybe you”ll take the equipment you find back into the match?
KI-Enemies: It”s not just human enemies who want your armour plates, an AI faction will also target you in Al Mazrah. This could make for a significantly different gameplay experience!
Multiple death circles: Instead of one big circle that narrows every few minutes, you can expect several death zones in Warzone 2. This should make the endgame more exciting. There were already similar experiments in Warzone, when poison gas containers were detonated on the map. The circles can split up during a match and shrink back into a circle at the end for the finale.
According to leaks, this time it won”t be gas that pushes us forward, but a sandstorm. That would fit in perfectly with Al Mazrah”s desert theme! Officially, the developers spoke of a storm. Simple maths: desert + storm = sandstorm.
Here are more impressions of Al Mazrah in our gallery:
DMZ mode will be part of Warzone 2.0
The mode reminiscent of Escape from Tarkov and Hunt: Showdown is coming as part of Warzone 2, so it will also be Free2Play. It is supposed to offer a sandbox experience, i.e. a lot of playful freedom.
On Al-Masrah in DMZ mode, AI enemies are everywhere. We go in as a squad, collect loot, complete missions, hunt other players at will and then have to leave the match at an extraction point.
The free mode DMZ also launches on schedule on 16 November. Officially, no more has been revealed, but we already know more through various leaks and info snippets!
Other news: There are said to be new social features that will allow you to share your Warzone experience with others. This time, three games share the Battle Pass progress: Warzone 2, Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone Mobile, which will be released later.
Many gameplay innovations from Modern Warfare 2 will also play a role in Warzone, for example that you can shoot out the tyres of vehicles. Underwater battles with their very own physics will play a major role in the main game and will also be introduced in Battle Royale.
What do you think about the announced changes? Will you switch directly or will you rather stay loyal to Warzone? Let us know in the comments.
