The latest Call of Duty blog post has given fans more information about the upcoming Warzone Pacific map Caldera, changes coming to the battle royale mode, and other updates that will be introduced in Vanguard season one.
Warzone players can soon enjoy Calera, the new Pacific-themed map that takes the battle royale mode to a tropical setting. The map will feature 15 distinct areas with diverse environments for players to explore. The blog also describes “hundreds of lesser points of interest to investigate,” meaning players can expect dozens of smaller areas within each region. A full breakdown of each section can be found on the official website.
On Dec. 8, Call of Duty: Vanguard players will receive 24 hours of exclusive access to Caldera and all Warzone players will have access to Rebirth Island during this time. After this period ends, all players can drop into Caldera. Rebirth Island will return later in season one, so don’t worry about this smaller map disappearing for good.
Players can also expect more exciting new content with the drop of Warzone Pacific. Season one launches on Dec. 8 and will add tons of Vanguard content for all Warzone players to enjoy. Fans can expect 40 weapons, including the two free weapons coming in the season one battle pass. They can also expect over a dozen new operators, calling cards, emblems, and other cosmetic items to improve your Warzone experience.
Crossplay will be enabled between Vanguard and Warzone, so players can level up their battle pass regardless of what game they’re playing. New premium bundles featuring Vanguard content will also appear in both games. Other new modes like Vanguard Plunder and Vanguard Resurgence will be available throughout season one as well.
The new Vanguard Royale game mode will also be available to Vanguard owners on Dec. 8 and all players on Dec. 9. This new mode allows players to fly fighter planes and dogfight their enemies above Caldera. New ground-based vehicles like the Squad Transport also introduce unique ways to maneuver around the map.
This mode will only feature Vanguard weapons, allowing players to experiment with the new weapons without worrying about the strongest guns that already dominate the Warzone meta. Players can expect special in-game events that occur each time the circle collapses and the radius size of the circle collapses will be altered to “offer a different pace of play, especially with dogfighting overhead.”
Season one will also introduce a slew of changes that longtime Warzone players will immediately notice. Players who successfully fight their way out of the Gulag will now drop back into the map with the weapons and equipment acquired while fighting for their lives. This means conserving ammo and equipment in the Gulag can give you a competitive edge when dropping back into the map.
Dead Silence is also going to be nerfed and Stopping Power Rounds will be removed from the game. The blog also confirms Raven Software is examining equipment like Stun Grenades and Heartbeat Sensors to see if they need any nerfs. Duel-wield melee weapons like the Kali Sticks and Sai will also be “less potent” after the update, according to Activision.
In addition, players will no longer be able to purchase a Loadout Drop until after “the Loadout Drop event” occurs in-game. This means players won’t be able to immediately get a full loadout, thus changing the pace of the early to mid-game.
Some items will also receive buffs in the update. The Snapshot Grenade’s effective radius will be increased, while the Stim will apply a movement boost. The Decoy Grenade will now include rubber bullets to slightly damage enemies caught in the blast.
The notorious Gas Mask animation will no longer interrupt actions, preventing it from impacting firefights or important moments. The masks will also provide protection from the new Gas Canisters, which release the same gas from the circle when they explode. The new item can be thrown, but it requires both hands to carry, leaving the player vulnerable. The canister can also be shot while another player is carrying it, allowing players to take advantage of the dangerous item.
While Warzone players won’t be able to swim in the water surrounding Caldera, they can wade through shallow areas. This makes it harder to see footsteps, even if players have the Tracker perk equipped. Crouching in the water also provides the same effects as Cold Blooded, although players can’t go prone. Fire-based equipment now creates smoke when they hit water, giving players a new way to create or provide cover.
New contracts are also coming to Warzone. The Supply Drop contract airlifts a valuable crate onto the map that any player can pick up, but the location is only revealed to the contracted squad. The Big Game bounty targets the player with the highest kill count but only once per game. The Top Secret contract is a special task only revealed once a player picks up the contract. It’ll provide “greater rewards” than the regular loot from the contracts it chooses from, likely meaning it will provide players with one of the other contact types but with better rewards.
With season one, the new RICOCHET Anti-Cheat will bring into play an internally developed kernel-level driver on PC. This should help negate the notorious cheating problem in Warzone and will be a new requirement for all PC players.
To celebrate the launch of the new map, players can participate in the Secrets of the Pacific limited-time event. This event contains rare, epic, and legendary rewards as players drop into Verdansk during its final days. They must decipher six clues that lead to intel on Caldera’s points of interest. These items must be held for several minutes before they can be extracted.
Players can also play Vanguard’s multiplayer mode to complete challenges that reward specific items like a calling card or weapon charm. Completing all six in either Warzone or Vanguard rewards the “Bomber Menace” epic assault rifle blueprint.
Caldera will be released for all players on Dec. 9.
