Players Won't Ever Land On The Pre-Nuke Warzone Map Again
Call of Duty players have answered the "call" and it's official, the original Warzone map is "not coming back". It's been just over a year since we parachuted into the fictional land of Verdansk, but in that time, a lot has changed. From the roof being blown off the Stadium to the introduction of the Metro system, Leatherface chainsawing his way through players in the Haunting of Verdansk to the S.S. Vodianoy bringing zombies to the map, we've seen it all. There was also a second map in the form of Rebirth Island, but when it comes to big event, the destruction of the original Verdansk takes the crown for jaw-dropping finales.
Despite players overloading servers thanks to the sheer popularity of the Destruction of Verdansk, the in-game event has been huge. It wasn't exactly a surprise that the missile silos that opened at the start of Season 2 were going to lead to some sort of cataclysmic event. It was anyone's guess how Activision and Raven Software would deliver on the promise to integrate Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War into Warzone, however,2019's Modern Warfare had to step aside.
Capitalising on the popularity of the fan-favourite Zombies, and trying into the '80s-themed Black Ops Cold War, things came together neatly to usher in a whole new era with Warzone Season 3. As we say hello to Verdansk '84, it's time to wave goodbye to the OG...forever.
Will the pre-nuke Warzone map be back?
While some of us held out hope the first iteration of Verdansk is out there somewhere or could return as a limited-time mode, those at the top confirmed it ain't gonna happen. Amos Hodge, Raven Associate Creative Director, confirmed, "Players don't know it, but current-day Verdansk, they'll never play in that state again. Current day Verdansk is gone and it's not coming back". Speaking to PC Gamer, Hodge explained how the changes to Verdansk '84 are fundamental in overhauling the whole of Warzone.
In particular, now is a time to wipe out any glitches lurking in the back end: "This is a good chance for us to go in there and update all the glitch locations as well as make quality of life improvements". Despite the massive popularity of Warzone, it's been far from a smooth first 12 months. We regularly report on glitches that range from slipping under the prison to being awarded an automatic win before even parachuting onto the map. Of these, none is more frustrating (or well-known) than the recurring stim glitch. By starting from scratch, hopefully, Hodge and the team have nuked the glitches.
Is this really the end of the pre-nuke Warzone map?
The question is, what comes next? Verdansk '84 is probably destined to be an equally short-lived affair and could have a lifespan of just over a year. Remember that 2021 is supposed to herald the release of the rumoured Call of Duty: WW2 Vanguard. Sledgehammer Games is tipped to head back to the very start of the CoD story and deliver another outing set in the muddy trenches of WWII. Taking this as fact, we guess Warzone will go back even further in time from its current '80s setting with Verdansk '84.
As much as we'd like to see the OG Verdansk back in action, it looks like it really is just a smouldering crater in the ground. Some have suggested Warzone run both versions of Verdansk at the same time and let players choose, but ultimately, the processing power would probably blow up Activision HQ. We've seen the game struggle just to hold one version of Verdansk, let alone two. Then again, we'd like to imagine a future where Warzone delivers its own all-stars playlist where the maps rotate through classic Verdansks through the ages.
Elsewhere, the debate of bringing back the original Fortnite map is a point of contention for some. Remembering the whole debacle surrounding the move from Chapter 1 to Chapter 2, will there be a similar campaign when it comes to Warzone? Whether you want the old Verdansk back or are happy with this fresh meat, it sounds like you'd better get used to Verdansk '84 - for now.
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