The integration of Call of Duty: Warzone with Modern Warfare 4 is happening on November 6 when Season 1 begins for this year's game.
While it also means the end of Warzone for players on Xbox One and PS4, it will be bringing a bunch of new content to the table. When the switchover happens, there will be two brand-new maps to play at first, alongside two returning classic maps at some point later in the season.
Besides access to all the new weapons from Modern Warfare 4, the battle pass, the leveling and prestige system, Camo challenges, and Calling Cards, there are also some quality-of-life improvements, too. Here's a brief overview of what's coming.
Two new Call of Duty: Warzone maps: Hajin and Zodiac
At the launch of Season 1 there will be two Warzone maps to play, and they're both brand-new for the Modern Warfare 4 year: Hajin and Zodiac.
Zodiac we've already seen during the Modern Warfare 4 beta period earlier this year. Set around a drone manufacturing facility in South Korea, Zodiac is the new Resurgence map and will be joined in the rotation by the returning Rebirth Island at some point during the season.
Hajin is the new "big map" for Battle Royale. Set across North and South Korea, anyone who's already jumped in to play DMZ will be familiar with the Hajin location. It appears to be the same physical map, so those players will already have a leg up on the terrain.
It's been a pretty good location for DMZ so far, and while there are areas with tall buildings, there are also plenty that are more open, and the terrain is quite varied. Also coming across from DMZ is the variable weather, so one match it might be sunny and clear, and another the map may be shrouded in fog. Hajin will also have two new Gulags.
The previous big map, Verdansk, will be joining the Battle Royale rotation at some point during the season, bringing some new POIs along with it.
New features and weapons for Warzone under Modern Warfare 4
Besides the new map, there are also some new features and just overall quality-of-life improvements for Warzone beginning with Season 1. These include:
- Tactical Sprint will be available to all Operators without the need for a Perk, but its duration is slightly shortened.
- Players can drag their allies while reviving them, pulling them out of harm’s way.
- Additional weapon balance tuning.
- Improved visibility and readability across all maps.
- Improved footstep audio
Tactical Sprint is probably a big one for Warzone players, and while it doesn't sound like it will be overpowered, it will at least help in keeping that fast-flowing experience players have become familiar with.
Without it applied in multiplayer in Modern Warfare 4, you can feel quite slow, and that was never going to work in Warzone.
It'll be interesting to see what the weapon balancing looks like, though. Additionally, the time to kill (TTK). In DMZ, PvP encounters are often over before you even spot who's firing at you, so hopefully Warzone has found a balance here. There are definitely some weapons that already feel like everyone will gravitate towards them, but it'd be nice if there's a wider meta than there often is.
All of the weapons from Modern Warfare 4 and the new ones introduced in Season 1 will be available to Warzone players, as will their attachments, including Apex.
Legacy weapons from as far back as Modern Warfare 2 will remain accessible in Warzone. These will be available as a five-attachment version, alongside any previously acquired legacy weapon blueprints.
Additionally, and what sounds quite interesting to me, is that on Hajin, Zodiac, and Verdansk, we'll now have movable interactive objects. These include fuel barrels, which will go boom, and apparently objects such as dumpsters and "pyramids" that can be used to create cover. Or roadblocks. So maybe keep an extra eye out when you're driving.
Players will also be able to get their hands on Elite Perks, which will add a fourth perk to their loadout. These are found in-match at Buy Stations, and more can be obtained through Supply Run contracts. But only one can be active at a time.
Oh, and the Aston Martin Dreadnought vehicle that we've been driving about in DMZ will also be joining Warzone.
Call of Duty: Warzone Season 1 game modes
Camo grinders will be delighted to hear that casual mode has returned for both Battle Royale and Resurgence and will be available on all maps.
Additionally, at Season 1 launch there will be three limited-time modes (LTMs):
- Rally Point LTM
- Loaded Resurgence
- Massive Resurgence
Additional LTMs are promised throughout Season 1, including Rockets and Snipers, and Extreme Resurgence.
Rally Point is described as a casual mode designed to help new and returning players get to grips with the mechanics of Warzone, as well as check out the new Zodiac map and learn about some of the new features. 20 players will be in each lobby.
"Rally Point is a no-circle, infinite Resurgence, and Drop-In/Drop-Out mode, allowing players to come and go as they please."
For completing the challenges in this mode, there will be an exclusive weapon blueprint and two camos to unlock.
Loaded Resurgence will be across Zodiac and Rebirth Island and looks the same as we've known it before. Drop in with your preferred loadout and earn new perks with eliminations as you try to get to Specialist.
Massive Resurgence is Resurgence, but on the Hajin big map with 120 players. There aren't any special rewards listed for these modes right now, but that doesn't mean there won't be some.
Call of Duty: Warzone Mode Mastery camos arrive from Season 1
While much of the camo grind in Modern Warfare 4 is universal across multiplayer, DMZ, and now Warzone, like the others, there is a dedicated set of Mode Mastery challenges to complete. And now we know what we'll have to do.
- Parallax: Get 5 kills in a match 300 times.
- Damascus Reforged: Get 2 kills without plating 200 times.
- Empyros: Place in the top 5 with at least 6 kills 75 times.
Presumably we'll still be able to do the Mode Mastery camos in casual mode, too, but even so, they're still going to be a pretty long process. The saving grace is that if you've been playing Modern Warfare 4, this year you at least already have a head start.
Nevertheless, I spent 65 hours doing last year's Warzone Mastery Camo, even using casual mode, and I feel like this year's is going to take longer than that. I'm not sure I have it in me. We'll see.
Additionally, there will be a "Return to Call of Duty: Warzone" event running with some additional camos to get your hands on. And who doesn't like some shiny camos?
Season 1 for both Modern Warfare 4 and Warzone goes live on November 6 at midnight ET (9pm Pacific) globally. Additionally, it will be available on the Nintendo Switch for the first time. Find the full details on the Warzone integration at the Call of Duty Blog.
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