Is it finally time to bring the Blackout map back to Warzone?

Treyarch is champing at the bit to roll out its latest masterpiece in the Call of Duty series, with the studio tipped to pair with Microsoft for a [Redacted] Direct showcase (which we all know is Black Ops 6).

It already looks like the studio is getting its fingers in the Modern Warfare 3 pie too, as leaks continue to pour out that suggest Operators and weapons from its sub-series are being littered in for a bit of pre-release hype.

And it's looking likely that Black Ops 6 will be a certified banger.

But what happens to Warzone? Will the same fate befall the battle royale as when Cold War was integrated into Verdansk? Well, fans think that there's one easy way for Treyarch to get off on the right foot, and that means bringing back Blackout.

Warzone fans eye Blackout return with Black Ops 6

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Blackout was a fantastic battle royale map, and if it wasn't for the futuristic era that Black Ops found itself in becoming quite exhausted (and its $50+ paywall) it might have even rivalled Verdansk given half the chance. 

But it has never seen the light of day again, not even in Spec Ops or Ground War. So would it make sense to bring it back? Fans think so.

In a Reddit post titled "Would you like the Blackout map to be added to Warzone at some point?" fans have now been quizzing whether it would be worth bringing it back as the Warzone map in 2024, given that many players might never have played it and the battle royale has streamlined many different systems where Blackout faltered, such as loot.

"Yes but with some changes to open field areas and some more structures for loot. Blackout map was so fire tho I miss it and blackout itself," said one fan.

A second fan echoed this, saying, "Best BR map of all time, it needs to come back."

Others went one further and said the whole mode should return, with one Blackout loyalist adding, "I just want Blackout to come back. Grappling around the map was fun. Looting perks, guns, and attachments were great. There wasn’t a hyper-focus on the “meta” it was just making use of the best thing available to you like a true BR."

There appears to be quite the market for it, but would it serve better than other options?

What about Verdansk?

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Blackout might be quite the fanciful option, but what about Verdansk? According to an Insider Gaming report from back in December, Treyarch plans to bring back Verdansk and ride that wave of nostalgia all the way to the bank.

Verdansk would be incredibly popular, and players have been calling for it ever since Fortnite broke multiple records by bringing back its OG map.

I think that Blackout would be the better option for 2024, at least with a bit of tinkering to add a bit more to the landscape, given that the open plains and fields feature shades of Caldera. 

It's a Treyarch baby, suits the TTK and pace of Warzone, and would even give the developers ample opportunity to test out other POIs and subsequently new remastered maps.

As for Verdansk, we all know that it will always be at the top of the archives pile, but why not wait until Infinity Ward returns to pole position, given that Warzone was first made on its engine? That way, there will be no "IW did it better" or "Treyarch ruined its legacy" debates if the map doesn't quite live up to its hype again.

Warzone does need a refresh, having become incredibly stale as of late, and Blackout would offer the perfect overhaul.