Warzone 2.0 released on November 16, 2022 with new game modes, weapons, vehicles, and operators to utilize in the weekly playlist rotation. Months later, the sequel of the 2019 release was already in decline.
Nostalgic gamers miss the days of FPS gaming when weapons were easily unlocked and upgraded without having to alter gameplay to appease the meta.
Seasons 5 brought new UI changes, but not much else in the way of content or bug fixes. It wasn't until the 2023 release of Modern Warfare III and the release of new game map Urzikstan that the COD community finally began letting up on Activision devs. But it seems all of the improvements are just reimplementations from the original title. Let's break things down mode by mode:
Battle Royale
While the sequel hasn't changed much in terms of gameplay mechanics, Warzone 2.0 impliments many new features and new battle royale maps. In contrast with the singular circle of Verdansk and Caldera, Al Mazrah often splits into two seperate circles within the enclosing gas, only to merge again at the end of the match.
Despite the game's storied reputation as a first-person shooter, 2.0 presents an all-new third-person playlist. While third-person lauched for trio play only, we can likely expect solos, duos, and quads in the future.
As of now, there are two Battle Royale maps: Al Mazrah, which is large, and Vondel, a mid-sized map added in Season 4.
Gulag
You probably expected the Gulag to change visually with each iteration of the game, but did you expect a 2v2?
Another significant addition of Season 1 Warzone 2 is the Jailer, an AI controlled Juggernaut armed with a minigun. Defeating the jailer results in all surviving players earning the chance to redeploy.
In addition to the starting weapon, players can also loot for highly effective weapons and gear in the centre of the ring. To give you a fighting chance on your escape, any weapons you pick up in the Gulag are held for redeployment.
Resurgance
Resurgance and rebirth modes once took place exclusively on Ashika Island, but Vondel routinely hit playlists after Season 4, as well as Urzikstan after the MW3 update.
DMZ
While Multiplayer is only available through Modern Warfare: II, users can go online to access the new DMZ mode to complete objectives and earn XP to level up weapons. DMZ has quickly become the preferred mode for free gun leveling as there are more AI guards than human operators.
Items such as keys, weapons, or intel collected in the DMZ can be stored as contraband for the next round upon exfil.
All players start with one insured weapon slot. If an insured weapon is lost in DMZ, it will be on a locked timer set for 2 hours. Additional insured weapon slots can be unlocked by completing faction missions.
Multiplayer
While multiplayer is typically reserved for buyers of Modern Warfare 2, Activision has hosted a free trial of select maps including Shipment and Farm. These free multiplayer weekends are few and far between.
Multiplayer playlists also feature third-person play and 24/7 Shipment mode.
Weapon Progression
Warzone 2's unlock system is unique, in that unlocking one weapon progression is dependent on unlocking other weapons of a different type. There seems to be no logic to what unlocks occur at what progression level, leading assault rifles like the once powerful M4 to unlock certain battle rifles and LMGs.
Some weapons can be instantly unlocked within the Battle Pass.
Battle Pass
Battle Pass works similar to that of the original Warzone title, the difference being tokens that are earned with in-game XP or bought using COD Points. If you plan on spending more than a few tens of hours on this game, a basic Battle Pass is well worth your while for the content you'll recieve as it eventually pays for itself.
Battle Pass can be redeemed using COD Points, which can be purchased in bundles using real currency. Realistically, it will only cost 7 to 10 dollars to purchase the initial Battle Pass, which will instantly unlock over 100 items of earnable content like weapons, operator and vehicle skins, stickers, and XP bonuses.
Tiers are split into a sector map, giving you more freedom of choice when it comes to unlocks. By completing all 20 sectors of the Battle Pass, you'll eventually earn 1400 COD Points to be spent or saved for next season.
Battle Passes have quickly become the premier monitization method of free-to-play battle royale games like Fortnite, but Warzone becomes increasingly pay-to-win through the introduction of Blackcell.
Blackcell
The Warzone Battle Pass now comes in two tiers, the premium being Blackcell. Priced at $30, Blackcell offers major advantages over other players in the form of weapon builds and modifications.
Additionally, Blackcell unlocks new a new parachute and contrail for infil deployment.
Bundles
To promote the league, Activision sells Team Packs for $9.99 to support one of the following teams:
Atlanta Faze,
Boston Breach,
LA Guerrillas,
Minnesota ROKKR,
Seattle Surge,
Texas Optic,
Torronto Ultra, and
Vegas Legion.
Of the most popular limited time bundles, there's the 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop collection featuring Snoop Dogg, Nicki Minaj, and 21 Savage themed skins.
How to Play Warzone 2.0:
Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 is free for the PS5, PS4, X-Box Series S/X, X-Box One, and Microsoft Windows.
