Starting December 8, Call of Duty players are welcomed to partake in a new era of the game as the COD Vanguard Season One overview is here. Detailed in a hefty blog, here’s everything you need to know about the Vanguard multiplayer experience, the brand-new Caldera map coming to Warzone, and everything new coming with the game’s latest Battle Pass.
- Related Reading: Black Ops Cold War Update 1.27 Out for Pre-Load This December 5, Here Are the Notes
COD Vanguard Season One Overview
- Vanguard Owners Drop in on December 8. Play the new Pacific map, Caldera, a day early by owning Call of Duty: Vanguard. Rebirth Island will remain live during this time for all other players.
- The Battle Pass: The Best Value Gets Better. Three functional weapons, two Multiplayer Perks, new Equipment in Vanguard, as well as other unprecedented free items in Tiers and dozens of other items in the full Battle Pass.
- Tips of the Three-Pronged Spear. S.O.T.F. Trident is prepared to pierce through the Pacific, with Francis “Kai” Lanakila arriving first with the Season One Battle Pass.
Purchase Call of Duty: Vanguard before December 8 to participate in a 24-hour Caldera exclusive access event in Warzone Pacific, which begins on December 8 at 9 AM PT. Digital copies of Vanguard come with immediate access to Caldera during its 24-hour exclusivity period, while those who purchase a physical version must install and boot Vanguard and get past the initial interactive screen to gain access to this Warzone Pacific event.
The Season One Battle Pass for Vanguard and Warzone is set to offer a new standard in value, both within the free Battle Pass System and the full Battle Pass containing access to up to 100 Tiers.
- Three Free Functional Weapons. Two New Perks. New Equipment. All Free. Period.
- Over 30 Free Items, Including Some for Clans. 300 COD Points, Weapon Blueprints, and more. Earn even more items by joining a Clan with friends, then party up to get that 10% global XP boost.
- Trident’s First Operator: Francis “Kai” Lanakila. Here for a good time, not a long time. Purchase the Battle Pass to unlock him immediately at Tier 0.
- A “Battleprepped” Legendary Skin, Free with Battle Pass Bundle. Pick up the Battle Pass Bundle to get access to all 100 Tiers, skip ahead to Tier 20, and grab a menacing new skin for Polina.
Over 120 items are yours to unlock through the free Battle Pass System and all 100 Battle Pass Tiers in Season One, including several Tiers that stack two-for-one rewards with one exclusive for Vanguard and one to use across both Vanguard and Warzone.
These items include Highlight Intros and Killcam Vanities, the latter of which wraps a fancy or gnarly border effect around an enemy as they see their demise. But when it comes to making those highlights and looking good while doing it, you’re going to need some new Weapon Blueprints and Operator Skins.
Weapon Blueprints
Those looking to bolster their Loadouts will want to grab over a dozen Weapon Blueprints across the Battle Pass, including the following:
Epic “Headhunter” Assault Rifle Blueprint (Tier 5) – A ten-attachment armament focused on precision and hard-hitting shots. Its 20 hollow point short rounds per magazine will do plenty of damage anywhere on a target, with a 3.5x rifle scope granting great visibility to the shots that can be made easily be made downrange.
Legendary “Dirtdigger” LMG Blueprint (Free for Clans at Tier 55) – Send the opposition six feet under with a 10-attachment weapon built to act like an assault rifle. A fast belt and the Discard Proficiency makes it easy to swap magazines in between engagements (just be sure to have Scavenger handy), while the weapon’s Barrel and Stock make it easier to move around the map. Rather use it as a traditional LMG? Flip the sights from a 1.5x to 4.5x magnification to get those longshots.
Legendary “Gargoyle” Sniper Rifle (Tier 71) – With a design seemingly ripped from the side of a stained-glass building guarded by a sinister gargoyle, this 10-attachment rifle can keep your Operator unflinching like stone day or night. Meant for more mid-range engagements due to its 3.5x rifle scope, a sniper can make use of its fully loaded Lengthened three round fast mags to deal with small groups quickly.
Legendary “Bullseye” Handgun (Free Tier 81) – With this nine-attachment revolver, an Operator can down enemies as swiftly as the eagle brandished on its handle. Its all build around an experimental barrel that deals one-shot headshots in Multiplayer. With other attachments keeping the weapon accurate, as well as a scope that can have up to 6x magnification, an Operator can use this Secondary to shock a foe downrange.
Operator Skins
Want new gear for your Operators? The core twelve special forces are prepared for the Pacific with new skins, including:
Halima “Desert Cover” Skin (Tier 10) – Whether the fight rages in the arid North African deserts or the humid Pacific jungles, Halima is prepared with her warm-weather gear.
Shigenori “Konara” Skin (Tier 20) – Deal fatal blows to all foes under the Caldera forest’s dense canopies as Shigenori, who brings his custom foliage-fitted gear into the fight via the Battle Pass.
Polina “Rising Legend” Skin (Tier 90) – Outside of her signature ushanka, Polina is geared up for the Pacific with a uniform designed for the humid conditions and tropical environment of the battles ahead.
These Operator Skins, Weapon Blueprints, and other Loadout and Player Profile items are all on top of some COD Points: 300 across Free Tiers in the Battle Pass System and another 1,000 within the full Battle Pass.
Add in two Vanguard Multiplayer Perks and a new Lethal Grenade for your Loadouts — all completely free to earn — and you have plenty of value to get outside of some awesome rewards at Tiers 95 and 100.
Following some more Legendary items in the next few Tiers — including 100 COD Points for free at Tier 98 — your reward for reaching Tier 100 is worthy of a true warrior:
- “Awoken” Legendary Francis Skin. Don the mask of a fearsome fire legend with this Legendary Skin, designed for the first Trident Operator to the fight.
- “Harvester” Legendary Assault Rifle Blueprint. A 10-attachment configuration for the new short-ranged Assault Rifle, the Harvester is all about pumping out hard-hitting damage against enemies and their technology with great speed and agility.
- Title, Emblem, and Charm. Let the lobby know you are ready to light it up with a new Title, Emblem for your profile, and a fiery Charm that can be placed on nearly any weapon of your choosing.
Pacific: Bundle Overviews
In addition to the first Bundle for the Welgun and Katana, along with Operators Francis and Isabella, Season One will bring a host of new Store content, including the first Pro Pack in Vanguard.
Fit for a fight in the Pacific, the Skull Collector Pro Pack contains seven items on top of 2,400 COD Points for only USD $19.99 SRP or your regional equivalent — essentially, a free pack of Legendary items if you were already planning to pick up 2,400 COD Points in the store.
VANGUARD MULTIPLAYER OVERVIEW
- Multiplayer Heads Across the Pacific. Prepare for Paradise, an all-new map based in the Pacific, and remember your Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 3 Dome strategies for Radar.
- Control Returns, another Returning Mode Dropping In-Season. The competitive mode will arrive in the launch window of Season One, while veterans of the franchise may want to get in the zone for a festive surprise later in season…
- Get Intuition, Serpentine, and Incendiary Lethal Grenade in Battle Pass Free Tiers. Know your enemy’s position, take less damage on the move, and lock down objectives.
New Maps, Including MW3 Dome Remake Radar
Paradise (Launch): A weapons testing site somewhere in the Pacific Ocean hosts all task force Operators for joint exercises. Medium-sized three-lane-style map featuring an underground tunnel and pools of toxic waste.
Radar (Launch): A reimagined version of Dome, the classic Modern Warfare 3 map. This small radar station in the Pacific is built for fast-paced combat. Remember to not camp on the catwalks!
Control Returns (Launch Window)
Best known as a popular third mode in competitive Call of Duty, Control will see a return in Vanguard Multiplayer in the launch window of Season One.
Control mixes the limited-life nature of Search and Destroy with the objective style of Hardpoint and the elimination-centered gameplay of Team Deathmatch. Two teams alternate between attacking or defending two fixed capture zones on the map with limited respawns. Attackers either have to capture both zones or completely eliminate the Defenders before the time limit.
Two New Perks and Incendiary Lethal Grenade for Loadouts
Serpentine — Perk 1, Tier 21 of Season One Battle Pass
- Sprinting reduces incoming damage.
- Breaking out into a regular sprint slightly reduces all damage from ballistics and explosives, while Tactical Sprinting can cut damage by more than a quarter of its normal value.
Intuition — Perk 1, Tier 44 of Season One Battle Pass
- Your vision pulses when enemies are nearby, even through walls.
- Similar to High Alert in previous games, but with shorter range, Intuition allows you to perceive threats before they round corners or burst through doors. This is done without the need to suppress them like Piercing Range, making it a more passive option for those looking for more close-range engagements.
Special Incendiary Grenade — Lethal Equipment, Tier 39 of Season One Battle Pass
- Obscures an area in a white fog and burns those who come close.
- A handheld and extremely limited version of the Firebombing Run Killstreak, the Incendiary Grenade deals a small burst of damage within a large radius at the detonation point, then deals burn damage every second to those who stay within its range. This damage scales the longer someone is within the area and lasts for a longer time than its rivals, the Thermite and Molotov Cocktail.
VANGUARD ZOMBIES OVERVIEW
- Prepare for the Purge and New Covenants. A fresh Objective to conquer at season launch, as well as 14 new ways to use those Sacrificial Hearts.
- New Weapons and Challenges. Bolster your loadouts with five new weapons, bring launchers into the fight, and complete new Career Challenges and Season Challenges for unique rewards.
- Tome of Rituals, Support Killstreaks, New Area, Holiday Updates, and More In-Season. Upgrade those Artifacts for more powerful Dark Aether abilities, discover new secrets in Von List’s Office, and craft powerful Support tools to use against the undead threat later in the season.
Treyarch is preparing new Zombies updates for after the new year, which will include more content and features:
- The Tome of Rituals. Your Artifacts will be able to grow in power through the Tome of Rituals, offering greater Dark Aether abilities to aid in your survival.
- Von List’s Office. Few know what Von List is hiding in his personal quarters, but it may offer clues as to Kortifex’s plans. Dark secrets may also be waiting beyond a mysterious new portal…
- Support Killstreaks. The devastating Warmachine and Deathmachine will be ready to help you fight the rotting masses, so long as you have the Salvage to spare at the Crafting Table (or get lucky at the Mystery Box).
- Additional Features. New weapon unlock challenges, Mystery Box weapon updates, Server Pause functionality, and more are planned for later in Season One, including festive new holiday theming in Stalingrad.
Season One Challenges and Events
Season One launch is the kickoff for the Festive Fervor celebrations to come, as well as all the pulse-pounding free content when the new year arrives.
Expect more intel about Festive Fervor later this month. And as you prepare for the holidays, remember that the season of Prestige is upon us!
At the start of Season One, your Season Level will refresh to Level 1 and your progress will resume from the highest Prestige Level you achieved previously — three, if you reached the top level during the pre-season.
Starting with Season One, every 10 levels within Prestige offers a new Zombies and a Multiplayer/Warzone Pacific Challenge to complete for XP and a Calling Card. Complete all 20 within a seasonal set for that game mode to unlock an incredible animated Calling Card that shows off your elite abilities.
This season offers four additional Prestiges to achieve across the first 200 levels, as well as a new Weapon Blueprint:
- Level 50: New Prestige, Emblem, Weapon Blueprint, and Battle Pass Tier Skip
- Level 100: New Prestige, Emblem, and Battle Pass Tier Skip
- Level 150: New Prestige, Emblem, and Battle Pass Tier Skip
- Level 190: All Season Challenges Available
- Level 200: New Prestige, Emblem, Battle Pass Tier Skip, Master Prestige Calling Card
- Levels 250–1,000: Ability to earn additional Prestige Levels, if they were not reached during the pre-season.
Remember: Your Prestige-leveling journey is synchronized between Vanguard and Warzone Pacific, meaning you can progress through Season Levels and increase your Prestige Level by earning XP in either game!
THE LAST HOURS OF VERDANSK
At 9 PM PT on December 7, the Verdansk we knew will be gone.
Operators should prepare to infiltrate the Last Hours of Verdansk, a limited-time mode in Warzone starting tomorrow that contains exclusive rewards for participation and victory. Those who want to play on Verdansk one last time may want to join this explosive finale, where bunkers are your only safe haven from what will come.
Remember: after 9 PM PT on December 7, the Warzone servers will shut down alongside the Season One Update. They will be back online at 9 AM PT December 8, where Vanguard owners can drop into Caldera and everyone can get back to Rebirth Island for the start of Warzone Pacific.
You can check out the official post over on the Call of Duty blog to know more about the full overview of COD Vanguard Season One and its integration with the new Warzone in Caldera.
Source: Call of Duty Blog