Since Call of Duty: Warzone’s first year is an unprecedented success, many fans are curious about when a new card will arrive. Here’s everything we know so far about a new Battle Royale card, potential release date and how it will work with Black Ops Cold War.
When Rebirth Island was released in Warzone, it’s probably fair to say that some players were a little disappointed. The card, based on the ‘Rebirth’ mission of the original Black Ops, was never intended to be an important new battle royal card, but it still made players feel that they were slightly under-altered. A large map, the size of Verdansk (or slightly larger than recent rumors can be accepted), is expected to come later.
Rumors have been circulating about yet another Warzone environment, despite the fact that Rebirth Island was only launched with Season One in mid-December. With the update, Black Ops Cold War has also been integrated into Warzone, but that is far from the end of BOCW’s influence in Warzone.
The Rebirth Island map offers players a chaotic and fast-paced gaming experience.
Ural Mountains Warzone Map
The main rumor surrounding a future Warzone card is that it will have a major impact on Black Ops Cold War’s Fireteam: Dirty Bomb Cards.
The current maps in the new mode of Treyarch are Alpine, Ruka and Sanatorium, all located in the Ural Mountains in Russia. Ruka has the code name ‘wz_forest’ in the game files, while Alpine is ‘wz_ski_slopes’. Fans also noted that Sanatorium is not ‘wz_sanatorium’ in the game’s files.
As a 40-player game mode, the cards in FTDB are significantly larger than a standard 6v6 card. Speculation suggests that they would fit different POIs into a larger battle royal card. According to current speculation, Sanatorium in the southwest, Alpine in the southeast and Ruka in the heart would be.
This new card would therefore be an easy transition. Fireteam already uses several of the Warzone mechanics, such as skydiving states-down-not-out-states, pings, armor and looting.
Ruka is located in the Ural Mountains, a real mountain range in modern Russia.
Given the links with Black Ops Cold War, we can see even more of a cross between the Battle Royale and the CoD delivery in 2020. More weapons will make the switch as Treyarch adds it, with points and vehicles also possible.
Fireteam maps include vehicles such as the T-72 Tanks, Dirt Bikes, Buggies, Snowmobiles and Helicopters, some of which are already available in Warzone. Rumors also claim that, like Black Ops 4’s Blackout battle royally, water can move through boats.
Finally, there are suggestions that some historical CoD cards may contain as PVBs. Summit and WMD, for example, are both in the Ural Mountains. In fact, WMD is located on Mount Yamantau, a mountain specifically named after it in a recent Easter egg document from Rebirth Island. Some fans see this as an indication of the future return of WMD.
WMD has been reset once – in Black Ops 4.
Will Zombies return to Warzone?
If the latest rumors can be believed, we may see more hordes of dead that Warzone will take over when the new map finally makes its debut. Speculation began on February 11, when a new machine appeared in Warzone Rumble’s Verdansk Hospital.
This particular machine first appeared in the Zombies mode of Black Ops Cold War and was used to get rewards after completing the challenges. When approached, read the call ZAI / ACTIVATE_ZOMBIES, which may be a preview or an indication that it is not there yet.
Some players also experienced screen distortion as they entered an office on the new Rebirth Island map, something that happened earlier in August 2020 when Warzone’s crossover teased Black Ops Cold War, indicating that something big was on the way.
Zombies can return to Warzone.
Release of Warzone’s new map, season 2
At the time of writing, these details remain strictly rumored, with the possible implementation of an Ural Mountains map still far away. Leaks and rumors point to a March 2021 outreach date, which will coincide with Warzone’s one-year anniversary.
Some fans had hoped that a new map would be implemented at the beginning of season 2, but this seems increasingly unlikely given the changes Verdansk made in the update. Our only confirmed new attraction is the Vodianoy cargo tanker approaching the port.
You can already see the new Vodinoy cargo ship off the coast of Verdansk #War zone!
(via @MrTheRevertz) pic.twitter.com/V3kWvyM14d
– DEXERTO Call of Duty (@DexertoIntel) 18 February 2021
It seems unlikely that Raven would implement major card changes, only to make it obsolete with a brand new card shortly thereafter. However, the ship and its ‘unknown cargo’ may be an early narrative to a new map.
This is in line with Activision’s season 2 commercial with the slogan ‘The End Begins’. The end of Verdansk, perhaps?