Thanks to the recent Call of Duty Next presentation, a lot of the mystery surrounding Call of Duty: Warzone 2 and Modern Warfare 2 has been lifted for fans. With a variety of the two games' modes and features being outlined during the presentation, hype surrounding the beloved and long-running franchise is reaching a fever pitch.
While the base-game of Modern Warfare 2 still commands a massive amount of attention, Call of Duty: Warzone 2 is equally popular within the community. Given the immense success of its predecessor and the litany of changes set to come, Warzone 2 looks like it may completely redefine the Call of Duty battle royale experience.
The Success of Call of Duty: Warzone
Considering how popular the battle royale genre has become in recent years, it was no surprise when Call of Duty created a battle royale title of its own. With the meteoric rise of other popular battle royales such as Fortnite dominating players' time, the lucrative style and high player retention made it too tantalizing a prospect to pass up.
The original Call of Duty: Warzone released in March 2020, and immediately proved to be a success for how much it shook-up the series' longstanding formula. Warzone surpassed over 85 million players fairly early into its life, and thanks to its free-to-play nature and constant additions of seasonal content, Warzone maintained a large portion of its player base to stay in the conversation. The upcoming Warzone 2 will be aiming to implement its own unique content to meet and surpass the expectations set by its predecessor.
Changes Coming to Call of Duty: Warzone 2
One of the most sweeping changes coming to Call of Duty: Warzone 2 is the fact that the game will have its own unique map to rival Warzone's beloved Verdansk. The main map for Warzone 2 is known as Al Mazrah, a west Asian setting that is reportedly even larger than Verdansk. Another huge change for Warzone 2 stems from its map-shrinking circle mechanics, with the game reportedly detracting from Warzone's late-game circle features. Warzone 2 will have endgame circles that can split into several isolated mini-circles, causing chaos by splitting the remaining players into different areas.
Warzone undoubtedly stood out in the saturated market of battle royales for its "gulag" respawn system, which would pit two dead players against one another in a close-quarters environment after death, with the victor getting another chance to return to the main lobby. This system has been controversially revamped for Warzone 2, with dead players now participating in 2v2 matches as an AI-controlled enemy known as the "jailer" patrols the map. With the increased reliance this places on teammates over individual ability, many fans are vocally against Warzone 2's proposed new gulag system.
In-keeping with the increased presence of AI enemies, Warzone 2 features strongholds around the map saturated with tough-to-beat AI opponents who guard the best loot on offer. When considering all of these changes Warzone 2 is set to launch, it is clear that the title will set itself apart from the original, offering huge alterations to the most defining characteristics of the first Warzone.
Call of Duty: Warzone 2 launches on November 16 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.