While it was tied to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Call of Duty: Warzone otherwise launched as a free-to-play experience in 2020, generating revenue through microtransactions by selling in-game cosmetics, battle passes, and more. Dedicated Call of Duty: Warzone players have obtained all kinds of skins through in-game methods and by purchasing them outright, but it seems they will likely have to say goodbye to those cosmetics with the upcoming Call of Duty: Warzone 2.
As pointed out by industry insider Tom Henderson, Call of Duty developers have been noncommittal about whether or not Warzone skins will transfer to Call of Duty: Warzone 2. Henderson said that his own sources have described Warzone 2 as a "clean slate" when asked about cosmetics carrying over, which he says "implies a hard reset." So while it has not been confirmed by Activision one way or the other at this point, it's looking like Call of Duty: Warzone skins and other cosmetics won't be transferring to Call of Duty: Warzone 2 when the new battle royale experience launches.
At this point, all fans know about Call of Duty: Warzone 2 in an official capacity is that it is in development alongside the 2022 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 game. Since this is a brand-new experience, it does make sense that the cosmetics won't carry over, though fans should wait for official word before getting too riled up about the situation.
This isn't the only rumor floating around about Call of Duty: Warzone 2. It's also been suggested that Call of Duty: Warzone 2 will be next-gen only, skipping PS4 and Xbox One entirely. This also has yet to be confirmed by anyone official, but it wouldn't be surprising either. Call of Duty: Warzone 2 fully embracing new hardware instead of catering to outdated consoles would certainly do a lot for the game's longevity, and it's possible Activision will want it to be its major new live service for years to come.
Clarification should come later this year. Activision has confirmed that it will be revealing Call of Duty: Warzone 2 at some point later in 2022, though stopped short of providing a specific reveal date. One has to imagine that it will come at some point after Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has its proper reveal, so fans should hang tight for more information.
Activision has started revealing details about this year's Call of Duty months earlier than when it started promoting Black Ops Cold War and Vanguard, so it's possible fans won't have to wait all that much longer to see the games in action. Hopefully whenever Call of Duty: Warzone 2 is shown off, fans will get some answers to the lingering questions surrounding the game.
Call of Duty: Warzone 2 is in development.