Activision recently announced that the original free-to-play battle royale game, Call of Duty: Warzone, will be shutting down definitively on September 21st. This decision was made in order to allow the developers to focus on future Call of Duty content, including the current Warzone (originally called Warzone 2.0) free-to-play experience.
On the shutdown date, all gameplay, player progression, inventories, and online services related to the original Warzone will expire. This means that players will no longer be able to access any content or features associated with the game. However, any Caldera content that was purchased in Modern Warfare, Black Ops Cold War, or Vanguard will still be accessible in those respective games.
Warzone was initially introduced in 2020 and quickly gained popularity. It featured two gameplay modes, battle royale and plunder, and a single map called Verdansk that supported up to 150 players at a time. The game shared a battle pass, weapons, and cosmetics with 2019’s Modern Warfare. It quickly became a massive success, reportedly reaching 30 million players just 10 days after its launch.
Following the release of Warzone 2.0 in November 2022, the game was renamed Call of Duty: Warzone Caldera, after the 2021 Caldera map. However, the game has recently been rebranded simply as Warzone. Activision is now encouraging original Warzone players to transition to this new title. They promise a wide range of gameplay choices, including three Battle Royale maps, ranked play, the DMZ Beta with multiple Extraction Zones, BlackCell offerings, and more.
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Despite the excitement surrounding the new Warzone, some players have expressed their disappointment with the decision to shut down the original game. They compare it to earlier battle royale games like Blackout from Black Ops 4, which still have operating servers. These players feel that it is unfair to discontinue the original Warzone while older games are still playable.
Others have voiced their displeasure about resources being redirected to Warzone: Mobile. They argue that the focus should remain on the existing platforms and content rather than expanding into new territories. Additionally, some players are upset because they will lose all the Warzone cosmetics they have acquired over time.
While the shutdown of the original Warzone may come as a disappointment to some players, it is important to remember that developers must constantly evolve and adapt in the gaming industry. By focusing on the current Warzone experience, Activision aims to provide an enhanced and more immersive gameplay experience for its dedicated fan base.
As the September 21st shutdown approaches, players will have an opportunity to reflect on their time spent in the original Warzone and may choose to say goodbye to the game that first introduced them to the exhilarating world of battle royale. But with the promise of new maps, features, and gameplay choices in the updated Warzone, players can look forward to an exciting and ever-evolving experience in the Call of Duty universe.
