Warzone and Vanguard Season 1: Roadmap, weapons, Operators, new maps, more
The highly-anticipated Season 1 of Vanguard and Warzone Pacific is right around the corner. The official roadmap has given players a glimpse of the content expected to shake both games up.
Players will be experiencing a brand new Warzone map as the sequel to Verdansk this week. Excitement for the new content is expectedly high and according to the roadmap, Call of Duty players sure have a lot to look forward to.
The pre-season has gone on long enough for Vanguard players. The wait for Season 1 is finally almost over. With new content available across Multiplayer, Zombies, and Warzone, this week is going to be a busy one. Here’s everything you need to know about what’s to come as well as when to expect the new content.
Vanguard and Warzone Pacific roadmap
Players can expect to enjoy Season One content on December 8, following updates to Vanguard and Warzone. Vanguard’s update is scheduled for December 6 at 9 PM PT, December 7 at 12 AM ET. Meanwhile, Warzone is scheduled to shut down its servers from December 7 at 9 PM PT to December 8 at 9 AM PT to prepare for Warzone Pacific.
Access to free content across Multiplayer, Zombies, and Warzone Pacific, will be available to all players. In addition, players will receive new content within the Battle Pass system. Don’t forget, Vanguard owners can enjoy 24 hours of exclusive access to the new Caldera map in Warzone Pacific.
24-Hour exclusive access to Caldera
There’s still time to be the first to drop into Caldera, the brand-new map launching with Warzone Pacific.
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.
More intel about Caldera can be found in our overview blog here.
Battle Pass content overview
Time to restock that arsenal for the Pacific.
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. During Season One, you can earn plenty by just playing the game, and you’ll get even more value by picking up the full Battle Pass:
– 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.
When Butcher needed to hunt down the Axis on Caldera, Francis “Kai” Lanakila was the first man he called… even if he likes to show off just as much as hotshot pilot Wade Jackson.
As passionate in battle as he is for food, friends, and thrills, Francis learns quickly from mistakes and knows to move on to the bigger missions ahead. He fights to help others in need… but he always wants to make sure he looks good doing it.
His favorite weapon is the Cooper Carbine, one of the three new weapons within the Season One Battle Pass. Use it to rank up quicker through this 20-level Operator XP progression path, which includes XP bonuses, two new Skins, and a tasty “Kalua” Pork Weapon Charm among other rewards.
Francis and his default “Kingdom” Operator Skin are automatically unlocked at Tier 0 with purchase of the Season One Battle Pass.
PLUS: Bundle Bonus Skin, Other Instant Rewards
Tier 0 also offers these instant rewards upon Battle Pass purchase:
– “Alleyway” Arthur Kingsley Skin. Dive into the Pacific prepared for the heat with this new Skin for Vanguard’s leader.
– Season One XP Boost. Enjoy a 10% increase on Player XP throughout Season One.
– 45-Minute Double Weapon XP Token. Level up those new armaments faster with this token.
Those who want to get access to up to 100 Tiers of the Battle Pass — and do so with a head start — have another reason to pick up the Battle Pass Bundle: the Legendary “Battleprepped” Operator Skin for sharpshooter Polina Petrova. Although the gas mask is not functional against Caldera’s circle collapse, your presence will be even more menacing to those trying to escape it while wearing this gear.
Later This Season: Trident’s Reinforcements Lewis Howard and Isabella Rosario Dulnuan Reyes
During Season One, all of Trident will make their presence known in Warzone Pacific, Multiplayer, and Zombies, starting with Lewis Howard before the end of the year.
Lewis Howard survives even against insurmountable odds, being drafted into the war with zero knowledge of weaponry before becoming the USA’s deadliest sniper. His preferred weapon is the Gorenko Anti-Tank Rifle, also featured within the Battle Pass.
After the New Year, Trident will be complete when close-quarter battle (CQB) specialist Isabella Rosario Dulnuan Reyes joins the fray.
Get Lewis and Isabella in their own featured Bundles, set for launch during Season One. Those who have all three members of Trident and level them up to 20 will get special gold-trimmed outfits, as well as some incredibly badass Diamond Operator Skins if they maxed out all 12 Operators from the other four Task Forces.
PlayStation exclusive Combat Pack
Get an edge over the competition with the Season One Combat Pack, free for PlayStation®Plus members starting this December to celebrate the inaugural season of Vanguard and Warzone Pacific.
The Combat Pack includes an Epic Operator Skin for Lucas Riggs, the Legendary “Blue Glitz” Shotgun Weapon Blueprint featuring 10 attachments, the Legendary “Mermaid Scale” Melee Weapon Blueprint, an Epic Emblem, Watch, Sticker, and Calling Card, and a 60-minute Double XP Token.
Season One new weapons
For the first time in Call of Duty history, players will receive not just two, but three free functional weapons in a seasonal Battle Pass system. And later this season, a new SMG and an additional melee weapon will grant players some great CQB options after completing their respective challenges or getting their hands on one of their Weapon Blueprints.
Cooper Carbine: Assault Rifle (Launch, Tier 15 of Battle Pass System)
An American hybrid rifle with SMG-like properties, the Cooper Carbine is a short-range Assault Rifle that’s easy to control with a fast fire rate.
It could best be compared to the Automaton, another popular fast-firing Assault Rifle that community members have gravitated toward since launch. By default, the Cooper Carbine has a slightly slower rate of fire, shorter effective range, and a bit more horizontal recoil, but in exchange offers better damage per shot, quicker centering speed, and a bigger default magazine.
Dive into the Gunsmith, and you’ll find attachments that can boost its rate of fire past 1,000 rpm, put its damage into three-shot elimination territory in Multiplayer, or provide a 60-round drum magazine that fully commits this weapon to its SMG roots.
Expect it to be a solid midrange option for Warzone Pacific and Multiplayer, or as an Overkill backup to the other ranged weapon in the Battle Pass system.
Gorenko Anti-Tank Rifle: Sniper Rifle (Launch, Tier 31 of Battle Pass System)
The Gorenko is going to hit enemies hard.
A heavy semi-automatic rifle, the Gorenko offers the most damage per shot of any ballistics-based weapon, capable of one-shotting any enemy in Multiplayer with ease. Even though it is semiauto, follow-up shots may be hard to take due to the incredible kick its high-caliber bullets produce.
This can be remedied with some available barrel attachments, or those who can somehow tame it could bump up the fire rate and Aim Down Sight speed for a wildly aggressive sniping Loadout.
As the only weapon of its kind in Vanguard, it fills a unique role when facing foes. However, in Warzone Pacific, the Gorenko could rival similar sniper rifles from other Call of Duty titles and may wind up being the go-to long-range option for top players in tough trials and competitions.
Sawtooth: Melee (Launch, Tier 37 of Battle Pass System)
The first functional melee weapon to ever be dropped within the Battle Pass system packs a serious bite.
Sewn with shark’s teeth along the club’s perimeter, the Sawtooth can whack and slice up foes just as well as the FS Fighting Knife.
Consider it an alternative option to the lone Secondary Melee Weapon in Vanguard.
Katana: Melee (Launch Window)
This single-edged Japanese longsword adds another deadly close-quarter combat option alongside the FS Fighting Knife and Sawtooth.
Welgun: SMG (In-Season)
A prototype developed by Captain Butcher’s S.O.E., the Welgun finds its way into the Vanguard arsenal despite being produced in limited quantities.
Similar to the Sten with the default ammo it chambers, the Welgun is extremely compact and has relatively decent balanced thanks to built-in grips.
Unlock the Katana and Welgun during Season One in Vanguard or Warzone Pacific either through a challenge or within new Store Bundles, both to arrive during the season.
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.
The Season One Battle Pass ends with an explosion of Legendary content, starting with the “Hold the Line” Weapon Blueprint for the new Sniper Rifle within the Battle Pass, available at Tier 95.
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.
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.
Among these items is the Legendary “Canopy Stalker” Skin for Roland and two Legendary Weapon Blueprints that are perfect for a sniping Loadout with Overkill: the “Pythonidae” bolt-action Sniper Rifle Blueprint and the fast-firing “Acinonyx” Assault Rifle Blueprint. It also has a home run of an MVP highlight in “Knuckleball” for Vanguard, if you choose to jump back into Multiplayer and try out or level up new weapons before that next infiltration into the Pacific.
Mastercrafts will also appear in Vanguard before the end of the year, starting with the Fire Starter Mastercraft Bundle, featuring the “Helm of Darkness” Assault Rifle Blueprint, which is perfect for the fiery Legendary Skin for Francis within the Battle Pass. An all-around menace that features a deadly Bayonet and Reach Kit combo, this 10-attachment weapon is ready to light up the lobby, especially with its included Incendiary ammunition.
Those who want to look toward the future of CQB combat will want to grab the Enjoy the Retreat Mastercraft Bundle, featuring the “Demo Kit” SMG with heavy-hitting short ammo, where every shot can be vital to your success up close. Expect solid accuracy with this weapon thanks to its barrel and hand stop, as well as a faster fire rate due to the Recoil Booster it has at the muzzle.
Love tracers and gold? Vanguard’s initial bundle offerings will bring back some of the more popular features and styles seen for the past dozen seasons.
Among the initial offerings of tracer packs is the Tracer Pack: Blue Thunder Bundle, which features an SMG and an Assault Rifle fitted with blue tracer rounds. The “Bioluminescence” SMG is built for covert operations, with a silencer and Subsonic ammo able to keep those smaller caliber bullets off the radar, while the “Flame Painted” Assault Rifle is a 10-attachment beast built for long-range combat.
Those who rather be regal and auric in dealing damage will want to look at the Noble Death Bundle – its highlights are a Legendary “Imperial” Skin for Constanze and two golden Weapon Blueprints that could be used in a full loadout. Take the “Imperator” Assault Rifle as a Primary Weapon and send silent, yet highly accurate, shots down range, and when the enemy gets too close for comfort, deal with them with the fully-automatic “Executor” Handgun.
Also expect plenty of Bundles themed around the upcoming Festive Fervor — the in-game event and holiday celebration across Vanguard and Warzone — that will arrive alongside these Mastercrafts.
– 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.
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!
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.
Another, more respawn-heavy mode, is set to drop during for Festive Fervor, and any veteran since the Modern Warfare 3 days should be prepared to get in the zone for it…
Ready those Loadouts for some new Perks and Equipment.
Through the Season One Battle Pass, you can unlock three new options across all Vanguard Loadouts, which are set to rival the already stiff competition between the Lethal Equipment and Perk 1 and 2 slot choices:
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.
– 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.
Season One introduces a new batch of content for Zombies, as Treyarch adds in a new Objective, new Covenants, new weapons, new Career Challenges, and 20 Season Challenges on December 8.
New Objective: Purge
Eradicate the Augmentors from this plane of existence in Purge, the newest Objective coming to “Der Anfang.” These aethereal worms feed on the dimensional energy that powers Kortifex, and can only be stopped by capturing powerful Control Runes. But beware: the Augmentors will spawn waves of enemies as a defense mechanism as you attempt to purge them from our dimension.
Prepare to take on this Objective among those already available from launch across all arenas, from Stalingrad to Shi No Numa. Earn a new Sacrificial Heart with each completion to spend at the Altar of Covenants.
14 New Covenant Upgrades
Fourteen powerful upgrades across five new Covenants are coming for those ready to stop Kortifex’s forces, including one that calls back to a classic Zombies Perk:
– Brimstone: Deal damage to nearby enemies (Rare/Epic/Legendary Rarity).
– Deadshot: Aiming down sights snaps the crosshairs to headshot location on enemies. Bonus damage on first crit for each enemy. Removes weapon sway (Rare/Epic Rarity).
– Dead Wire: Stuns enemy (Rare/Epic Rarity). Stuns enemy and nearby enemies (Legendary Rarity).
– Scrapper: Gain more Salvage from pickups (Rare/Epic Rarity). Gain more Salvage from pickups and Objective rewards (Legendary Rarity).
– Swift Vengeance: Deal more damage the faster you move. Activates shortly after you start moving. Fire while sprinting (Rare/Epic Rarity). Activates immediately upon moving (Legendary Rarity).
The Big Guns Are Here — Season One Weapons and Launchers Inbound
Ready to blast away the hordes with a Bazooka or the Panzerschreck? How about an anti-tank rifle?
Season One’s newest weapons — the Cooper Carbine, Gorenko Anti-Tank Rifle, and Sawtooth melee weapon — will become available in Zombies Loadouts once they’re unlocked in the Battle Pass system. Watch for them to join the Mystery Box rotation later in the season, as well.
All four Launchers will also be available in Loadouts and the Mystery Box for Zombies at the start of Season One, adding another layer of strategy for surviving Kortifex’s legions. Be sure to equip Splatterfest at the Altar of Covenants and let the rockets fly.
New Zombies Career Challenges and Season Challenges
Earn unique Calling Cards and XP bonuses by conquering new sets of Zombies Career Challenges in Season One, which will offer more ways to test your undead-slaying skills in “Der Anfang.”
Zombies players can also unlock and complete 20 new Season Challenges at the start of the season to earn even more XP and Calling Card rewards throughout 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. Speaking of which…
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!
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.
Rise on every front.
Source: Call of Duty Blog
Image Credits: Activision