Rumblings of a battle royale mode for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare have been around for quite some time, beginning a few months before the game even released and continuing until the present day. Season 2 of Modern Warfare, in particular though, has become a hot bed of leaks for the rumored game mode, ranging from its official title and player count to a vehicle list and even gameplay (though all traces of gameplay have been pulled).
These have not only popped up continuously since season 2 began, but they've popped up everywhere and from multiple sources. As such, even the most dedicated Call of Duty: Modern Warfare player may have missed a couple of these rumors and leaks, so here's everything said about the battle royale mode since the beginning of season 2.
Modern Warfare Battle Royale: Title and Player Count
Perhaps the biggest, or at the very least, the initiating rumor thus far is the establishment of the Warzone name for the battle royale mode. This came as a result of an image showing the newly-released operator Ghost standing on a crashed helicopter, with "Call of Duty Warzone" surrounding him, and it's worth mentioning that there's a new classified menu option in Modern Warfare that many believe will be Warzone, so this mostly checks out. It helps that the aforementioned image was removed not long after it was posted.
Manipulating the aforementioned menu item across the board has also yielded several potential leaks, including a massive player count if true. Modern Warfare's Warzone Menu seemingly states that the game mode will support up to 200 players, which is twice the site of Fortnite and three times the size of Apex Legends. How this is exactly implemented remains to be seen, namely the squad size, map size, and how many bots fill in matches are all big variables, but it's clear Modern Warfare wants to go big.
Modern Warfare Warzone Menu Glitches, and More
Other than the player count, the Warzone menu itself has leaked various details, where as seen above, there's a layout and options for weapons, operators, a Modern Warfare battle pass, and barracks and training. In other words, it appears to be standard procedure options for a battle royale mode, but while most of this could not be access, the "Drop Kit" selection seems interesting.
As many know, the formula to a battle royale is to land without weapons, gather gear and loot as quickly as possible, and then engage enemies. The chaos typically ensures when steps 2 and 3 become one, yet a "Drop Kit" could mean any number of things from a loadout of perks avaiable to the player or simple beginning gear that would ensure battle begins sooner than most standard battle royale games now provide. Of course, this is all mere speculation at this time.
Modern Warfare Battle Royale: Warzone's Map Leaks
One player discovered a way to view the whole Modern Warfare battle royale map as of season 2's release. By starting Atlas Superstore in a private match and becoming the COD caster, it's possible to fly around and view the low quality locations of the map. Ryan B. here even did the courtesy of grabbing a couple of screens, while also catching a top-down overlook at the map. Assuming it is legitimate (and it does seem so) and assuming the 200-player rumor is also true, then it definitely seems like players will be in for some tense fire fights.
Modern Warfare Battle Royale: Full Vehicle List, Equipment
Data miners have also found a variety of items included in the battle royale mode, which actually introduces more questions than answers. A Call of Duty: Modern Warfare leak discovered an audio file that seems to be from Warzone's tutorial, which reveals the battle royale mode will feature a special currency called Plunder that can be used at Supply Stations. Players can use Plunder at these locations to buy Killstreaks like a Precision Airstrike or Cluster Strike or items like an Armor Plate Bundle or Gas Mask.
Since the image and file have been hunted down and removed, it's hard to say what else was purchase or necessarily how the supply station would work. It'll be interesting to see if this somehow corresponds with drop kits and how an in-game economy will effect the influence of a battle royale games. This isn't the first time it's been done, though, but Modern Warfare would be the biggest to have such a feature.
Beyond a few items that can be purchased at a supply station, Warzone's vehicle list has also reportedly leaked. This was originally pulled from its source but was preserved through the wonders of the Internet, so while it appears rather basic, it doesn't seem likely to be something counted out like guesswork. Here's what players can reasonably expect to drive in Modern Warfare: Warzone.
ATV
SUV
Heli
Cargo Truck
Tac Rover
Modern Warfare Warzone Battle Royale Mode Release Date
All of this leaks suggest that Infinity Ward is putting its all into the Warzone battle royale mode, while also keeping Modern Warfare guns rather balanced so far for season 2. It's also worth mentioning that, aside from these leaks, there are rumblings that Warzone has been delayed into season 3. One would think with the sheer amount of info about Warzone currently out in the wild that it would be sooner than that, and that's for sure a possibility.
However, without mention of it on the Modern Warfare roadmap, it remains to be seen what Infinity Ward's plans are. Surprise dropping it would be a nice touch if it were to come in season 2, but either way, it'll hopefully be worth the wait.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is out now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.