New Warzone Island Hinted For Black Ops Cold War
We always knew Activision was going to have a few tricks up its sleeve with Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, but in what could be potentially the biggest reveal to date, the latest rumours suggest a whole new island (yes, island) could be coming to Call of Duty: Warzone.
It was no secret that Infinity Ward, Raven Software, and Treyarch are going to work together to bridge to iconic eras of the franchise and make sure the fan-favourite Warzone was ready for the next-gen consoles.
Despite only launching in March 2020, Warzone's timing at the start of a global pandemic couldn't have been better. The battle royale spectacular is everywhere and amassed 60 million players in its first two months alone.
Since then, we've seen it grow and grow, with the recent Season 6 adding four brand new maps and an inventive subway system. There have been some well-placed Easter eggs and character ties to link Warzone with Cold War, but now, we've got a better understanding of how they'll work hand in hand.
What is the new Call of Duty: Warzone island?
Whereas Call of Duty used to hop between developers each year and leave the likes of Treyarch to tell Black Ops stories and Infinity Ward in charge of Modern Warfare, Cold War is a more collaborative affair.
Since Warzone's release, we've become accustomed to traipsing around the fictionalised lands of Verdansk - getting to know every sniping point, every hidden corner, and looking under every rock.
Although Black Ops Cold War will put its own spin on the real-life events of the Cold War, it's easy to imagine the likes of Frank Woods and Russell Adler being sent on a mission to Verdansk. When Activision unveiled its Cold War Season 1 roadmap, there was a mention of a "classified" Warzone experience coming soon.
Looking a little closer at the redacted text, there's mention of the word island, as well as the Russian translation of "Rebirth Island". Those up on their Black Ops history will know Rebirth Island is an important part of the lore and could serve as a Soviet version of Alcatraz.
When can we expect Black Ops Cold War in Warzone?
According to TheGamingRevolution, the overhaul of Warzone will come in March 2021. It gives us plenty of time to get to grips with the main game and continue making the most of Verdansk before something new comes along. To tide you over, an Alcatraz map will be a reskin on Blackout's fan-favourite and could arrive in December.
Alcatraz maps are nothing new to CoD, however, the chance to revisit it in next-gen form with the hype already surrounding Cold War should have everyone excited. Also, think of the potential. That's right, more Alcatraz Zombies. You might also remember Alcatraz made a welcome return as part of Call of Duty: Mobile Season 11.
There are plenty of questions surrounding how integration between Modern Warfare and Cold War will work in Warzone. Players have been told it won't happen straight away, but even then, it's unclear whether we'll be waving goodbye to Verdansk forever and if there will still be Modern Warfare references in the Cold War-themed Warzone.
Interestingly, a March timeframe for out with the old, in with the new, would also coincide with Warzone's one-year anniversary - which makes perfect sense. One way or another, it looks like we're going (whoah) back to the island.