With Call of Duty: Warzone’s first year a full-blown success, many fans are curious when a new map is coming. Here’s everything we know so far about a new Battle Royale map, possible release date, and how it will deal with Black Ops Cold War.
When Rebirth Island was released in Warzone, it’s probably fair to say that some players were somewhat disappointed. The map, which is based on the ‘Rebirth’ mission of the original Black Ops, was never intended to be a big new Battle Royale map, yet some players felt a little under-changed. A large map, the size of Verdansk (or slightly larger if we are to believe the recent rumors), is expected to come later.
Rumors are already circulating about a new Warzone setting, despite Rebirth Island only launching in mid-December with season one. That update also saw Black Ops Cold War integrated into Warzone, but that’s far from the end of BOCW’s influence in Warzone.
The Rebirth Island map offers players a chaotic and fast-paced gameplay experience.
Ural Mountains Warzone map
The most prominent rumor surrounding a future Warzone map is that it will be heavily influenced by Black Ops Cold War’s Fireteam: Dirty Bomb maps.
The current maps in Treyarch’s new mode are Alpine, Ruka, and Sanatorium, all in Russia’s Ural Mountains. Ruka is codenamed ‘wz_forest’ in the game’s files, while Alpine’s is ‘wz_ski_slopes’. Likewise, fans have noticed that Sanatorium is listed as ‘wz_sanatorium’ in the game’s files.
As a 40-player game mode, the maps in FTDB are significantly larger than a standard 6v6 map. Speculation suggests they would fit together as different POIs in a larger battle royale map. Current speculation says Sanatorium would be in the southwest, Alpine in the southeast, and Ruka at the heart of it.
This new map would therefore be an easy transition. Fireteam already uses several of Warzone’s mechanics, such as skydiving, down-but-not-out states, pings, armor and looting.
Ruka is located in the Ural Mountains, a true mountain range in modern Russia.
Given the ties to Black Ops Cold War, we could see even more of a crossover between the battle royale and the 2020 CoD installment. More weapons will make the switch as Treyarch adds them, with score streaks and vehicles also possible.
Fireteam maps have vehicles such as the T-72 tanks, dirt bikes, buggies, snowmobiles, and helicopters, some of which are already available in Warzone. It has also been rumored that, like Black Ops 4’s Blackout battle royale, water can be traversed by boats.
Finally, there are suggestions that some historical CoD maps can be used as POIs. Summit and WMD, for example, are both located in the Ural Mountains. In fact, Weapons of Mass Destruction takes place on Mount Yamantau, a mountain specifically checked by name in a recent Rebirth Island document of Easter eggs. Some fans have taken this as a hint of WMD’s future return.
WMD has already been remastered once – with in Black Ops 4.
Will Zombies Return to Warzone?
If we are to believe the latest rumors, we may see more hordes of undead taking over Warzone when the new map finally makes its debut. Speculation started on Feb. 11, when a new machine showed up at Warzone Rumble’s Verdansk hospital.
This particular machine first appeared in Black Ops Cold War’s Zombies mode and was used to earn rewards after completing challenges. When accessed, the prompt reads ZAI / ACTIVATE_ZOMBIES, which could be a teaser or an indication that it shouldn’t be there yet.
Some players have also experienced screen distortion when entering an office on the new Rebirth Island map, something that previously happened in August 2020 when Warzone’s crossover with Black Ops Cold War was teased, suggesting that something big is on the way.
Zombies can return to Warzone.
Warzone new card release date, season 2
At the time of writing, these details remain strictly rumored, with the possible implementation of a Ural Mountains map still a long way off. Leaks and rumors suggested that a release date would come in March 2021 to coincide with Warzone’s one-year anniversary.
Some fans were hoping to see a new map implemented at the start of Season 2, but that seems increasingly unlikely given the changes coming to Verdansk in that update. Our only confirmed new POI is the Vodianoy cargo tanker approaching the port.
You can already see the new Vodinoy freighter off the coast of Verdansk #War zone
(through @MarjoleinBr pic.twitter.com/V3kWvyM14d
– DEXERTO Call of Duty (@DexertoIntel) February 18, 2021
It seems unlikely that Raven would make any major map changes, only to make them obsolete shortly afterwards with a brand new map. However, there is some potential for the ship and its ‘unknown cargo’ as an early narrative step towards a new map.
This fits Activision’s season 2 advertisement with the tagline “The End Begins.” Perhaps the end of Verdansk?