Call of Duty: Warzone fans have been looking forward to Season 1 for a long time now. Ever since Raven Software doubled down on Verdansk and chose to keep the map active for a second year, fans began calling for a new play space more than ever. Alongside the original map growing stale, players had to deal with an unbearable number of hackers, with the cheating getting so bad that many content creators left the game behind.
Fortunately, Call of Duty: Warzone Season 1 has arrived, and all the new content is live right now. The game’s much-needed anti-cheat system has made its debut, weeding out the hackers that have significantly damaged the game’s reputation. Further, Caldera has made its debut, replacing Verdansk and offering gamers a brand-new battle royale experience. With other content available as well, Season 1 is a busy time for Call of Duty: Warzone fans.
Caldera and Ricochet’s Long-Awaited Debuts
Call of Duty: Warzone’s Caldera map is a significant departure from what was seen with Verdansk, as the map boasts an entirely different visual style. More colorful due to its tropical island setting, the map leans more into a natural aesthetic that Verdansk’s focus on a modern city. As such, a volcano can be found in the center of the map, with rivers spread throughout the entire play space. Entirely new buildings are seen, with the map feeling completely fresh as opposed to being full of reused resources.
While it remains to be seen how the Call of Duty: Warzone community as a whole feels about Caldera, the map has shaken things up in a major way. Verdansk has been removed entirely, meaning that the focus is entirely on Caldera. For those that had grown tired of Verdansk, this should be great news, and it should be interesting to see the map evolve as the Seasons progress. For now, though, players have to master a whole new lineup of points of interest, with areas like the Resort and Beachhead being a breath of fresh air.
Inside Caldera, players will find three new vehicle types that can be used to traverse the island. The Squad Vehicle takes the form of a jeep, while a new Cargo Truck design allows players to climb in the back and fire upon anyone they come across. Fighter Planes are the star of the show, though, with dogfighting coming to the game for the very first time. Players can take to the skies to fight each other, battling it out as they fly from one part of Caldera to the next. This adds an entirely different dynamic to the gameplay, which is always welcome within a battle royale title.
As mentioned earlier, Ricochet anti-cheat has finally made its debut, meaning that Call of Duty: Warzone’s cheating issue should become a lot less severe. Until hackers find a way to work around the system, the game should feel significantly better to play, which is a nice change from what has been happening in recent months. While some players will surely still discover some exploits and out-of-map glitches so that they can get an unfair advantage, the number of aim bots and wallhacks should decrease significantly.
Call of Duty: Vanguard Content And Changes
Alongside a massive new Call of Duty map and some necessary anti-cheat, Season 1 has brought integration with Call of Duty: Vanguard. This means that every single weapon and Operator from that game is now available inside of Call of Duty: Warzone. As is the case with the other games, players can level their weapons up in either title, with blueprints and camos usable in both titles as well.
With dozens of new guns available to choose from, players will surely be experimenting with new Call of Duty: Warzone loadouts that make use of the World War 2 era weaponry. A whole new meta will likely take shape as players figure out which guns should be used and avoided, and for players who want to focus fully on the Call of Duty: Vanguard weapons, two special playlists will be available. Vanguard Resurgence and Vanguard Royale will make it so that only the Call of Duty: Vanguard weapons are available, allowing players to get accustomed to the new additions. Rebirth Island will still be available for fans of quicker matches, and the loot-focused Plunder mode is playable as well.
It is worth noting that significant changes have been made to the core Call of Duty: Warzone experience in addition to all the new content. Loadouts, for example, can only be purchased after the first drops appear in the map. Alongside a new arena, the Gulag’s functionality has been changed so that players respawn with whatever weapon they had in the 1v1 encounter. Dead Silence has been nerfed and Stopping Power rounds have been removed, while dual wield melee weapons like the Kali Sticks were adjusted. Gas masks no longer interrupt as many actions, and throwable explosive canisters have been added. New contracts are also available, as is a mechanic that allows gamers to wade through water.
Alongside these significant changes, Season 1 has added a new battle pass for players to complete. Full of cosmetics for Call of Duty: Vanguard’s Operators and weapons, the battle pass content pairs nicely with the recent integration. The new Season 1 Operators and weapons are also available inside Call of Duty: Warzone, adding even more content for players to enjoy.
A new PlayStation Exclusive combat pack is available in Season 1, and it can be assumed that every following season will get one as well. Lastly, a seasonal event called Festive Fervor is confirmed to take place in late December. Based on past events, players can expect holiday-themed cosmetics to be unlockable in both Call of Duty: Warzone and Call of Duty: Vanguard through some limited time challenges. Some areas may get a festive makeover, too, though this is purely speculation. Regardless, given all the content and meaningful changes, Season 1 is arguably the biggest yet for Call of Duty: Warzone fans.
Call of Duty: Warzone is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X