With Call of Duty: Warzone 2 officially available, support for the original game has come to an end, and gamers are being funneled into Al Mazrah for the next few weeks. However, at the end of the month, they will be able to return to a version of the original battle royale game with the old systems in place. This is good news for those who dislike the Strongholds, interrogations, and other fresh mechanics present in Warzone 2, though it does raise one question: what about Verdansk?
While it is nice that a standalone version of the original Call of Duty: Warzone will still be available, as it gives players a place to use all their old weaponry and cosmetics, the decision to double down on Caldera is a bold one. Though some grew to love the map due to its vibrant color scheme and unique layout, others despised it, constantly mentioning how they missed Verdansk and wished it was never replaced. As such, it would only make sense to give Verdansk the same treatment, as it has always been the more popular map.
What Call of Duty: Warzone Verdansk Could Accomplish
Aside from being another safe haven for old school Warzone fans disinterested in Call of Duty: Warzone 2’s new mechanics, a Warzone spin-off for Verdansk could return to the “simpler times” that original players will often reminisce about. Specifically, it could take things back to before the integration with other games occurred, featuring only the weapons from Modern Warfare 2019 and having a more defined meta.
Additionally, Call of Duty: Warzone Verdansk could feature two playlists, with each containing a different version of Verdansk. This way, gamers that preferred the Verdansk 84 version of the fictional country could still have access to it, battling the undead on the Vodianoy ship or patrolling through the opened Stadium. Verdansk is an iconic map for a reason, as it features several memorable areas and a lack of foliage for players to camp inside - one of the many divisive aspects of Caldera.
While gamers will still be able to access Verdansk through Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile, its immense popularity makes it truly odd that it was not considered for a standalone release. Though Caldera is the more recent map, and it has improved greatly with time, both maps deserve to be enjoyed even while Warzone 2 thrives. Just like how the beautiful island of Caldera is being preserved, the prison, boneyard, and superstore of Verdansk should not be left behind.
What About Rebirth Island?
Not only does Call of Duty: Warzone Verdansk deserve to become a thing, but so too should a Rebirth Island game. Like the suggested Verdansk spin-off, it could include both Rebirth Island Reinforced and the original take on the map, giving fans of a small scale play a few options. The faster battle royale matches offered by Rebirth Island were a fun change of pace from the massive, lengthy games on Verdansk, Caldera, and now Al Mazrah. For some, Rebirth was the preferred way to play, so having continued access to it would be great. With Warzone 2 currently lacking any small maps, a Rebirth spin-off should be taken into consideration.
With Fortune’s Keep being yet another Warzone experience to consider, and one that would pair well with its fellow small map Rebirth island, Activision has numerous options for standalone Warzone games. Each map could be kept unique by only featuring weapons from its respective game, like Rebirth having Black Ops Cold War guns and Fortune’s Keep containing Vanguard’s arsenal. Best of all, separating all the maps into different games would help players free up storage space, as they would only have to have the maps they want to play downloaded. Call of Duty: Warzone featured many great experiences beyond Caldera, so more spin-offs that bring them back could prove worthwhile.
Call of Duty: Warzone 2 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.