With the recent launch of Call of Duty: Vanguard, we’re only days away from the start of Season One, bringing with it the launch of the new map Caldera in Warzone Pacific. Caldera marks a new era of pulse-pounding tactical combat on a massive scale.
Beginning December 8 with the start of Season One, Vanguard players get 24-hour early access to Caldera before it opens for everyone else on December 9. Featuring a dedicated Playlist with new vehicles, the introduction of Vanguard weapons, and more, there’s a whole lot to look forward to as we kick off another epic year of free content.
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Introducing Caldera
This is one big island. Caldera comprises 15 huge, distinct areas to explore and fight across, including hundreds of points of interest to investigate and use to your advantage. We’ve highlighted just three to give you an idea of what’s ahead:
Naval Arsenal
This sprawling shipyard on Caldera’s northern coast features a strategic mix of interior and exterior combat opportunities, including unusual fighting locations like the deep drydock basins and radar array. Farther inland is a cluster of large buildings housing plentiful loot.
Clear Water Lagoon
An old lighthouse overlooks a shallow bay with bamboo huts alongside a quaint coastal community with more-recently constructed homes. Traverse the lagoon to uncover its secrets, including what remains of Captain Butcher’s plane.
Caldera Capital City
Set into a huge natural basin along the southern shore of the island, Caldera’s main city features a variety of historical structures built on either side of a working tramway system. Hillside suburbs and a lighthouse offer space and height compared to the bustling downtown, while coastal developments south of the city offer a luxurious beachfront yacht club and bar.
There’s the central volcano, too, after which the island is named. Only the fiercest Operators can hope to face its perils.
Season One Brings Vanguard Integration
When Season One launches on December 8, all Call of Duty: Warzone players will gain access to Vanguard content, including 40 new weapons, over a dozen new Operators, plus Vanguard Calling Cards, Emblems, and more.
Cross-progression between Vanguard and Warzone will also be enabled, allowing you to rank up through Seasonal Prestige and unlock new content through the Battle Pass system, Challenges, and in the Store via new Vanguard content across both games.
Try the new content on Rebirth Island, too, as Season One brings Vanguard to the entire Battle Royale experience.
Duke It Out in Vanguard Royale
Jump into Vanguard Royale, the leading Featured Playlist at Season One launch. Including a fresh set of vehicles like fighter planes and the 4×4 all-terrain vehicle, plus a streamlined loot system exclusively supporting Vanguard weapons, it’s the best way to get the World War II experience on Caldera. Experience in-game events at each collapse and discover powerful items in the world and as rewards for completing Contracts.
Return to Rebirth Island
To celebrate the launch of Season One, experience special one-day-only Rebirth Island Playlists — Resurgence and Mini Royale — right at the start of the season on December 8, before everything shifts to Caldera for the week of the third.
During the season, Featured Playlists will include returns to Rebirth Island for Resurgences and other game modes, and new limited-time modes will focus on Caldera, such as Vanguard Plunder, Vanguard Resurgence, and other festive surprises.
Innovations to the Warzone Experience
Keep Your Gulag Equipment: Players who win their Gulag match will now drop back into the map with the equipment given to them prior to the duel. Deal with the enemy efficiently and return to Caldera with more tools at your disposal.
Balance Adjustments: To prepare for the launch of Warzone Pacific, Raven Software looked closely at a range of balance changes. Dead Silence is being nerfed. Stopping Power Rounds are gone. Stun Grenades, Heartbeat Sensors, and dual-wield melee weapons are also being adjusted. Expect buffs too, particularly for Lethal and Tactical equipment.
Pacing Adjustments: Players will only be able to purchase Loadout Drop Markers from Buy Stations after the Loadout Drop event occurs in the match, increasing the importance of the looting gameplay loop while slightly shifting back the power curve balance of the match.
Gas Mask Changes and New Gas Canisters: Gas Masks won’t interrupt as many actions as before, so you can focus on the action at hand when fighting in and around the circle collapse. Season One also introduces the Gas Canister, which on detonation releases the same noxious vapors, though within a smaller radius.
Shallow Waters: The shallow waters in areas like the Lagoon make it harder to see enemy footprints, even with the Tracker Perk equipped. Operators who crouch in knee-high water also gain the effects of Cold Blooded. Finally, fire-based equipment now emits smoke when hitting water, offering new layers of tactics when traversing through shallow pools.
Contracts and Public Events: Caldera introduces fresh contracts like the Supply Drop Contract and the Big Game Bounty. Public Events like Restocks and Resurgences from Rebirth Island are also coming to Caldera.
Explore Caldera in Secrets of the Pacific
From November 24, uncover vital intel on Caldera through the Secrets of the Pacific limited-time event across Warzone and Vanguard. Drop into Verdansk in its final days to secure and extract intel on Caldera’s points of interest, and earn in-game rewards for use when Season One debuts on December 8.
Stay tuned for more about all the free new content coming in Season One, like new weapons, a new Operator, new Vanguard Multiplayer maps, and more.
See you online.