During the Call of Duty Next event today, Activision and Infinity Ward gave fans a detailed overview of what’s new in Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0, including the massive Al Mazrah map, a revamped version of the post-death Gulag map, a new extraction mode labelled “DMZ,” a swimming mechanic and watercrafts enabling aquatic combat, and so much more!
In case you missed it, we’ve put together a comprehensive list of the new features and improvements in Warzone 2.0!
COD: Warzone 2.0 Al Mazrah
The Call of Duty: Warzone series’ biggest map ever is a collaboration between multiple studios. Set in the fictional Republic of Adal in Western Asia, Al Mazrah is a dynamic and expansive map that features 18 major points of interest, and will be host to four-player special operations, 6v6 squad battles, Ground War operations, up-to-150-player Battle Royales, and more.
The Circle Collapse mechanic has been reworked for the map; the safe zone can now split into multiple Circles before converging into one Circle as the match goes on. Other anomalous Circle Collapse events have also been teased!
Al Mazrah is also home to hostile AI concentrations that only attack when provoked, but are more skilled and deadly than ever before. Players seeking to test their skills can choose to mount an assault on the map’s “Strongholds,” which are AI territories that can be conquered to obtain special loot, including an item that allows players to buy one of their customized Gunsmith weapons for free!
Al Mazrah is said to be “familiar” to long-time fans of the Call of Duty franchise, and will be crucially important to the plot of the new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II as well.
COD: Warzone 2.0 New Gulag
Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0’s take on the Gulag, the post-death mechanic where two players who have died during a match fight for a chance to return to the main map, has now been entirely reworked.
The Gulag map is now a multi-level arena and features 2v2 combat instead of Call of Duty: Warzone’s 1v1s. Opponents in the Gulag can choose to ignore or evade each other and instead take down an AI combatant called “The Jailer,” whose key can be used to return to the main match. Like Warzone Pacific, players can choose to take gear obtained in the Gulag back to the main match upon victory, giving them an unexpected advantage against players that may often mitigate skill difference.
COD: Warzone 2.0 DMZ
DMZ is Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 take on the “extraction mode” found in competitive first-person shooters. Game director Jack O’Hara was markedly tight-lipped about DMZ, but explained that the new game mode will be a “rich sandbox” set in the Al Mazrah map. Players will be empowered to pick their own win condition, and can choose to complete a larger mission or engage in a variety of activities across the entire expanse of Al Mazrah.
DMZ is intended to be an experience unique to each player’s play-style, and combat can be evaded altogether if the player so desires. AI presence and dominance will be markedly greater however, with the game’s lethal programmed killers being able to reinforce themselves and controlling large sections of the map in addition to Strongholds. More details are reserved for when Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 finally launches.
COD: Warzone 2.0 “The Shop”
“The Shop” is an enhanced version of the Buy Stations from Call of Duty: Warzone. Players will be able to buy Custom Gunsmith weapons (replacing Loadouts), armor, killstreaks, gas masks, limited-quantity equipment and even their fallen squadmates’ lives from The Shop.
A notable omission is that Perks will not be available in The Shop at launch, most likely because the team behind Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 wants to fine-tune player experiences and the meta before reintroducing Perks to the series.
COD: Warzone 2.0 Swimming & Aquatic Combat
One of the most exciting new additions to Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 is swimming!
While players would immediately die if submerged in Call of Duty: Warzone, that is no longer the case. Call of Duty: Warzone 2 gives players the ability to swim, even in deeper waters. Sidearms and knives can still be used while underwater, and the game now also includes watercrafts like inflatables and armored boats with mounted guns that can be commandeered to traverse waterways and attack other players from a uniquely powerful position!
COD: Warzone 2.0 New Vehicles
Over a dozen new vehicles have been added to Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0, including a new helicopter that allows player to transport their entire team across the map!
Vehicle zones are now modular components, allowing players to mount the roof of a vehicle as a vantage point or lean out the side to better scope out and eliminate opponents while on the move. The weight and balance of a given vehicle will now also play into terrain traversal and even explosions, so that heavier vehicles are more secure and harder to interrupt.
An important new mechanic in Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 is vehicle fuel. Vehicles in the game now consume fuel while in motion, and must be refilled accordingly at dedicated Fuel Stations. Fuel Stations can become major points of interest in a match if taken over by a group of players, which allows them to deny opponents access to both this precious resource and vehicle repairs. This adds an interesting, powerful dynamic to the game, and we can’t wait to see how players make creative use of Fuel Stations as potential choke points and more!
COD: Warzone 2.0 Anti-Cheat & COD Shop NEXT Sale
Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II will both feature the kernel-level Ricochet anti-cheat program. This version of Ricochet will build upon a year’s worth of development and updates since its initial release last year, and will feature even more protections and safeguards to ensure a smooth multiplayer experience.
Following the Call of Duty NEXT event, all items across the COD Shop are now 20% off with the promo code NEXT20 till September 18!
And that’s it for now — we’ll keep our readers posted with everything Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0!
Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 releases November 16, 2022 for PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One. In the meantime, check out our coverage of the Call of Duty NEXT event for the latest Call of Duty news!