Call of Duty: Warzone is bringing again the battle royale map that began all of it: Verdansk. It’s been simply over three years since gamers final dropped into the beloved location’s iconic POIs, so we’ve taken the time to spotlight its largest modifications.
Verdansk is nothing with out every particular person constructing that gamers spent tons of of hours dodging (and taking) bullets by means of – and Activision is aware of it. That’s why veterans who performed the OG Warzone map again when it launched in 2020 will discover that its Ukraine-inspired streets, rivers, and buildings have been introduced again virtually fully unaltered. It’s the map you understand and love, constructed from the floor up to go well with the up to date playstyle launched with Black Ops 6 and squash a couple of of the extra notable points gamers have harped on by means of the years.
“This model of Verdansk has been painstakingly rebuilt from the floor up to provide you with the highest battle royale expertise doable,” Activision defined at the moment in a blog post. “That have balances the immersion, adjusted motion mechanics, and the signature gameplay you keep in mind from the unique Call of Duty: Warzone with one overriding aim: To relive the basic and nostalgic Verdansk map all of us keep in mind.”
Kitted Out
The writer behind Call of Duty says its return to Warzone’s roots features a model of Verdansk that’s “95%” correct to its unique launch construct. It’s been greater than three years since the map was retired in late 2021, so naturally, the workforce felt it was due for at the least a couple of tweaks that shouldn’t intervene with that nostalgic design.
One normal rule of thumb, of course, is that Verdansk will profit from improved lighting that falls extra in step with the visuals seen in final yr’s Black Ops 6. Upgraded visuals on a finer element degree can even be present in areas like Grazna Bridge and people widespread hearth stations, which characteristic barely extra weathered paint jobs and chunkier bricks. One other instance of beauty modifications to Verdansk’s iconic areas might be present in a weed drawback on Storage City’s roofs, extra reflective puddles, and added electrical pipework.
Your common Call of Duty fan isn’t going to discover the further blades of grass added to a random area subsequent to the northwest facet of Stadium, however what they may discover are some surface-level design tweaks to a couple of particular person POIs. Storage City Constructing 3 is one instance of a construction that’s been touched up, with Activision explaining that it’s been gifted a ladder so as to nerf its earlier spot as an “unfair energy place.” As various related buildings have additionally invested in ladder additions, gamers will discover that different areas, equivalent to the Hangars, now characteristic repositioned automobiles and extra cowl.
Verdansk Reheated
Even for those who’ve lived 100 lifetimes in Verdansk’s unique incarnation, none of these aforementioned modifications are true gamechangers. Nonetheless, to accommodate issues like Black Ops 6’s omnimovement and swimming mechanics, Verdansk wanted to obtain a couple of extra alterations which might be a bit greater than pores and skin deep.
Verdansk, a historically very snowy map, has had its temperature turned up ever so barely, leading to the melting of rivers that had been beforehand frozen. Meaning you’ll find a way to swim in some of the deeper our bodies of water like the Kastovian Sea – and make extra noise when sprinting by means of some of the ankle-deep rivers polluting the map. Undrivable automobiles have additionally been given a facelift to guarantee there’s no confusion about whether or not or not they can be utilized for a fast getaway.
Moreover, these steep, rocky trails and cliffsides that you simply and your pals have virtually definitely died without delay earlier than have been tweaked to be extra forgiving to gamers on the run. You’ll additionally discover that tall buildings like phone poles have been barely shortened, making for much less annoying descents into the Warzone. If you end up questioning tree placement come April 3, simply know that, sure, the workforce at Activision has made a couple of minor changes to tree placement to shake issues up, too.
In the meantime, doorways react rather more dynamically to the motion round them, as bullets and explosions could cause them to swing in both route relying on the place affect happens. Ascenders, which had been beforehand featured in Call of Duty: Fashionable Warfare 2019 however added post-Verdansk elimination, have additionally been retrofitted to make some of these harder-to-access rooftops simpler to attain.
Heads-Up
Whereas these modifications might appear to be loads when all unfold out, Activision reiterates that the “overwhelming majority” of Verdansk 2025 has been revived as a “one-to-one duplication.” Examples of areas that stay largely untouched are Karst River Quarry and Superstore, which look and play the similar inside and outside.
In the meantime, the video game-y elements of Call of Duty: Warzone’s nostalgia play additionally search to return to the feeling gamers had when dropping into the battle royale mode again in 2020. This may be seen in an entire overhaul to Contracts, Public Occasions, Discipline Upgrades, automobiles, and even Killstreaks, which have all been reverted to match the choices present in the 2020 Verdansk construct. Meaning the whole lot from the OG helicopter to the hum of a close-by chest to that basic loading display screen is again.
As different experiences like Fortnite ship up to date takes on basic choices, it appears to be like like Call of Duty is right here to provide its personal model of one of its hottest moments in time. So, whereas one thing like a lighting tweak could appear inconsequential at first, Activision needs gamers to know that these modifications had been made with that notorious Roze pores and skin, for instance, in thoughts. Ought to the whole lot play out as anticipated, Verdansk’s reintroduction might present the definitive approach to expertise that map ever.
Call of Duty: Warzone brings again Verdansk April 3, 2025. It’ll launch at some point after the introduction of Black Ops 6 Season 3 and following a one-day down interval for gamers. When customers boot up Warzone on Verdansk launch day, they’ll find a way to get pleasure from a particular, limited-time occasion known as Return to Verdansk that comes with distinctive cosmetics, sprays, Operators, weapons, and far, rather more.
Michael Cripe is a contract contributor with IGN. He is finest recognized for his work at websites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be certain to give him a observe on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).