The upcoming Call of Duty: Warzone 2 and Al Mazrah are big topics of discourse surrounding the storied CoD franchise, which is made all the more impressive when considering the simultaneous news about the new Modern Warfare 2. Thanks to events such as the Call of Duty Next presentation, fans now have a fairly comprehensive overview of how Warzone 2 will operate.
Of all the unique gameplay factors coming to Call of Duty: Warzone 2, not many have captured the attention of players quite as much as the brand-new map that the game will feature, known as Al Mazrah. Quite crucially, this new map is reportedly larger than the first Warzone's beloved Verdansk map, which could bring with it a range of benefits as well as disadvantages.
The Core Elements of Call of Duty: Warzone 2
Call of Duty: Warzone 2 is set to officially launch on November 16, a few weeks after the anticipated launch of Modern Warfare 2. With many of the core battle royale elements of its massively successful predecessor carrying over to Warzone 2, it is no wonder that the title will additionally implement an attractive array of new gameplay features to firmly establish its own feel and identity.
With this in mind, it is already known that the battle royale will feature brand-new things such as underwater combat, Warzone's challenging AI-controlled strongholds, branching end-game circles, new movement mechanics, and much more. Additionally, many fans are excited at the prospect of playing Warzone 2's new DMZ mode, which is reportedly set to be played separately from standard battle royale modes, fostering more freedom-oriented scavenging and exfiltration gameplay akin to Escape From Tarkov.
All of these new gameplay elements will be played out within the expansive and eye-catching Al Mazrah map that is set to be Warzone 2's main map at launch. Reportedly bigger than both the Verdansk and Caldera maps that featured in the original Warzone, it will be interesting to see how a larger area of combat will influence the gameplay of the upcoming title.
The Pros and Cons of Warzone 2's Al Mazrah Being Bigger Than Verdansk
While the difference in size between Al Mazrah and Verdansk is somewhat marginal, it is undeniable that the size will have a tangible impact on gameplay. Of course, an immediate pro to the increased size of Al Mazrah is present in the fact that it offers fans a greater environment in which they can explore and experiment with the title's new game mechanics, keeping the game fresher for longer.
For example, fairly large areas of open water will be necessary to fully explore the new underwater combat of Warzone 2, and a wider map also lends itself well to the branching and splitting multiple end-game circles that the title will boast. That being said, many fans praise Verdansk for the flow of gameplay that occurred within it, and the size of the map was important in that regard. Deviating too much from the size of Verdansk could run the risk of fostering an entirely different flow of core gameplay that goes against the formula that made Warzone so popular to begin with.
It is true that the more open-ended areas of Al Mazrah brought on by its partially-desert setting may push players into more built-up and cover-saturated zones of the map, but the overall size of the map will still absolutely play a factor in the flow of gameplay. While many will argue that the increased size of Al Mazrah over Verdansk was an inevitable by-product of the more ambitious sequel, Infinity Ward will have to keep a close eye on how much of an impact the map has on the franchise's gameplay identity.
Call of Duty: Warzone 2 launches on November 16 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.