Call of Duty: Warzone 2has finally released, being one of the most hotly anticipated elements of the currentCoDlife cycle. With players having already become deeply familiar with the standard multiplayer modes ofModern Warfare 2, many are more than ready to finally delve into a fresh battle royale experience with a multitude of exciting new features.
Given the increased scale ofCall of Duty: Warzone 2and how it is predictably aiming to exceed the expectations set by its successful 2020 predecessorWarzone, the changes made offer some comprehensive differences to the franchise’s core gameplay. Ranging from new maps and vehicles to entirely new modes, there are many unique elements offered byWarzone 2that fans should become familiar with before playing.
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Warzone 2.0’s New Map: Al Mazrah
Like many expected prior to the game’s launch,Warzone 2features a brand-new map called Al Mazrah, to give the title a unique sense of identity and to better match the tone of the game to the core narrative ofModern Warfare 2’scampaign. Al Mazrah is the capital city of the fictional country of the United Repubic of Adal, and possesses the necessary scale and infrastructure of such a location.
The map is decidedly ambitious, withAl Mazrah being larger than Verdansk, the fan-favorite original map of the firstWarzone. Containing points of interest ranging from a sprawling city to a floating island fortress, there are an abundance of locations for fans to explore within Al Mazrah.
Al Mazrah also debuts some brand-new changes to the circle mechanics ofWarzone 2. The maps of most battle royales have long been typified by shrinking circular safe zones that players must remain in, forcing opponents into an ever-contracting environment with one another to ensure combat and chaos. This formula is taken even further withWarzone 2, as end-game circles will be able to duplicate and branch off, containing two separate safe zones that fracture the late-game player count into different areas of the map that then re-form at the very end of a match.
Warzone 2.0’s New Mode: DMZ
DMZ is a separate mode to the standard battle royale gameplay ofWarzone 2, speaking further to the ambition of the freshly launched title.The DMZ mode ofWarzone 2is greatly inspired by the popular shooterEscape From Tarkov, with the new mode necessitating scavenging, perma-death, and exfiltration as core motifs to its gameplay.
In DMZ, players drop into an Al Mazrah greatly populated by AI enemies as well as other player operators, withAI strongholds also being a factor of standardWarzone 2gameplay. With the player then having to loot and scavenge for resources, cash, and equipment, the player has the freedom to exfiltrate at any time, keeping what they have gathered for their next mission. Should a player become too greedy and die, they lose all of their gathered loot and progress, fostering an addictive high risk versus high reward environment.
Warzone 2.0’s New Gulag
The Gulag was a defining feature of the originalWarzoneand the franchise’s identity, greatly setting the title apart from the many other battle royales within the industry.Warzone’sGulag provides an opportunity for two eliminated players to fight each other to the death in a small map, with the winner then re-deploying back into the lobby.
This successful formula has undergone some changes withinWarzone 2, with the standardGulag now being 2v2 combatas opposed to 1v1. As well as this, a powerful enemy AI known as the Jailer will be deployed into a Gulag fight after a certain amount of time has elapsed, with the players then having to choose between either continuing fighting one another or forming a tentative alliance. Should the players within a Gulag team up against the Jailer and kill him, all surviving players will win re-deployment, regardless of being on different teams.
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Warzone 2.0: New Vehicles and Underwater Combat
Aquatic combat is another new addition withWarzone 2, adding an entirely new element of combat for players to engage in and be weary of. With players able to shoot and dive to the depths of the many bodies of water around Al Mazrah, the range ofWarzone 2’scombat opportunities speaks for itself.
Warzone 2.0: Proximity Chat, Buy Stations, and Third-person Playlists
One of thebiggest allures ofWarzone 2is the addition of proximity chatto its core gameplay. A staple of some of the original battle royales likeH1Z1,Warzone 2will arguably be the most high-profile battle royale to feature the ability to hear and talk to enemy players at close distances. With things like interrogations also being added toWarzone 2to find out where enemies are, players are already salivating at the potential interactions that proximity chat could bring.
Buy stations have also undergone changes inWarzone 2,with players no longer being able to purchase their full loadouts (which was the meta of the originalWarzone) and only being able to buy individual weapons instead. The final most comprehensive change that has come withWarzone 2is theexistence of third-person playlists, which offer a huge spin to the standard FPS gameplay thatCall of Dutyis otherwise synonymous with. It is clear thatWarzone 2had to implement changes to compete with the popularity of the original game, and the game has spared no expense in doing so.
Call of Duty: Warzone 2is available now on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
