The annihilator of armies is on a collision course with the Kastovian’s capital city, and it will take Operators from all fronts to rise together and end its plot of complete destruction.

A sight unseen on the Eurasian continent since World War II, this armored train could level Verdansk with its row of powerful tank turrets. The Operators set their charges to stop this monstrosity before it seizes the city, but fate prevails: the engine fires up, and the wheels are set into motion toward the Verdansk Train Station.

Amid the chaos, intel suggests that hostile bombers are flying in formation only a few klicks away from the city; despite this, every Operator must keep calm and carry the city on their shoulders, using everything they have to destroy this steamrolling death machine.

And no matter how this mission ends, it will forever be known as the Battle of Verdansk.

This limited-time experience is only available from now until August 23 at 10:30 AM PT, and there are plenty of rewards for participating and mastering this unique Quads-based experience, the first-ever “PvE” (Player Vs. Environment) mode for Call of Duty: Warzone.

Here’s what you need to know about the Battle of Verdansk, including the studio behind it:

Battle of Verdansk — Developed by Beenox

Warzone^TM’s lead studio, Raven Software, is not the only contributor to this massive free-to-play combat experience. When it comes to cultivating a community of over 100 million accounts across Verdansk and Rebirth Island, numerous studios play a critical part in its constant development.

Beenox, known for developing Call of Duty®: Black Ops Cold War on PC and Rebirth Island in Warzone, is the frontline developer who led the creation of the Battle of Verdansk. In partnership in Warzone's lead studio Raven Software, Beenox built this highly explosive limited-time game event to introduce Call of Duty: Vanguard’s worldwide reveal trailer.

“One of Beenox’s core values is Teamwork,” said François Taddei, Design Director at Beenox who led the creation of the Battle of Verdansk. “When we started working on the idea of how to reveal Vanguard, we did it as a team 100% of the way. It was critical to maintain an aligned vision between everyone involved, so we held constant reviews and play sessions to allow everyone in the Warzone group to share their feedback with us. It was an amazing creative process to receive feedback from multiple perspectives, not only from our own developers, but also from all developers working in Warzone and Vanguard.”

Battle of Verdansk — When to Play and What to Expect

The Battle of Verdansk kicked off with its time in the spotlight earlier today on August 19 with no other playlist being available, bringing the entire Warzone community together for Vanguard’s reveal.

If you missed this initial deployment, keep calm: the event will be live in a dedicated Warzone playlist from now until August 23 at 10:30 AM PT.

Now, let’s carry on with our mission to save Verdansk.

Pregame Preparation and Loadout

In the Battle of Verdansk, eight different Quads fight together to defeat a death machine forged from the past. While Operators have plenty of modern weaponry at their disposal, do not discount this behemoth for its age; its turrets are deadly enough to eliminate combatants with ease and will quickly demolish any vehicle or Operator that dares stand in its way. And as it barrels towards the Train Station, its allies will call in cluster strikes for cover fire, making it harder for Operators to fire their armaments under constant pressure.

Speaking of armaments, Operators do not have custom Loadouts — instead, they’re given one of three starting weapons on deployment and on respawn:

·       AK-47 (from Black Ops Cold War)

·       FARA 83

·       C58

All three of these weapons can deal solid damage to the train – more specifically, its turrets first, then the cars themselves – over time.

The Secondary Weapon is always an RPG-7, a powerful anti-vehicle launcher that is phenomenal against the armored train. But note: your ammo for this Launcher is more limited than that of the Primary Weapon.

So, no need to fret over changing Loadouts — round up the squad, select “The Battle of Verdansk” in the Play menu, and get ready for the skirmish to come.

Infil and Set the TNT Charges

After reading the pregame loading screen, you will be on the infil plane flying over Southwest Verdansk. We advise dropping as close as possible to the first ambush point, located right at the train tunnel between the Verdansk Hospital and Torsk Bloc.

When you arrive, you’ll find TNT and set it up within the train tunnel in an attempt to yield this war locomotive. Interact with the TNT to pick it up, then find a spot within the tunnel (marked on your HUD) to place it.

After the charges are set by multiple squads, the fight truly begins…

The Behemoth Arrives — Ambush and Attack

Once the iron warhorse begins charging around Verdansk, all Operators must work together to destroy it before it reaches the Train Station.

Using the assault rifle and RPG-7 they are given, Operators must focus damage onto numerous sections of the train – first the turrets, then the cars that held them – until enough damage is dealt to it. While the train is being attacked, it will return fire with its massive cannons and continue moving along the track, destroying any Operator or vehicle that crosses its path in addition to frequent hostile cluster strikes. It also will not hesitate to focus multiple turrets on one Operator if that is the only one in range, so combined efforts from multiple squads may be key to prolonged survival.

Vehicles can still be found around Verdansk, and they will be helpful in keeping up with the train as it barrels through the city’s more industrial area, following the same path as the regular train found in typical Warzone matches.

Death is not permanent in this mode. If an Operator dies, they will reinfiltrate with another random Loadout composed of one of the three choices above.

Outside of these default Loadouts, Operators can also find special Loadout Drops that often arrive following the destruction of a train car. This drop contains powerful weapons to use against the train — think Light Machine Guns, the Minigun, and other heavy weapons.

In short: take out those turrets, then destroy the cars, and you will be ready to exfiltrate the area… But the fight is far from over.

The Sky Grows Dark — Time to Exfil

Once the train is destroyed, the fight is still far from over.

Suddenly, the sky will be filled with hundreds of bomber planes ready to bombard all Operators below, ready to finish the job that the armored war machine started. When this happens, an Exfil Point will be marked on your map — the icon is similar to that of the secret “Contraband” Contract.

Do whatever it takes to reach this Exfil Point, even if you know the chances of surviving this barrage are slim to none… 

Battle of Verdansk — Reward Breakdown and Tips

Completed the Battle of Verdansk? Congratulations! You were part of a once-in-a-lifetime event alongside the Call of Duty® community.

However, this is not a one-and-done experience. The Battle of Verdansk can be replayed up until August 23 at 10:30 AM PT, and if you want all the rewards from the event, you may need to jump back into the fight against the behemoth.

There are three distinct reward categories based on the nine objectives for this event: participation, exfil, and damage to the train.

Play the Battle of Verdansk — Reward: Call to Arms Emblem (Epic)

Complete the Battle of Verdansk — Reward: Dark Forest LMG Blueprint (Legendary)

If you came here right after playing the Battle of Verdansk, you should find these rewards already in your account. (If not, contact Activision Support)

Otherwise, simply play through the event once and get rewarded. That Dark Forest LMG Weapon Blueprint is worth considering for your Loadouts, so grab it before it’s gone!

Interact with the Exfil Point — Reward: Little Shark Weapon Charm (Epic)

Although it’s no easy task, it is possible to reach the Exfil Point during the Battle of Verdansk.

First, familiarize yourself with Zhokov Scrapyard’s layout, as you will need to run in, around, and over containers and broken plane parts to reach the extraction site. The Official Warzone Strategy Guide breaks down the area here, and in addition to studying it out of game, we recommend you either drop into this zone in standard Warzone matches or replay the event to find the best route to safety.

Second, notice the weapon you’re carrying at this stage of the event. Heavier weapons will hinder your speed just like they would in a typical Battle Royale match, so consider dropping your weapons to get that extra speed boost.

30,000 Total Squad Damage to the Train — Reward: Republic Impaler Knife Blueprint (Epic)

45,000 Total Squad Damage to the Train — Reward: Dogfight Sticker (Epic)

60,000 Total Squad Damage to the Train — Reward: Timetable Watch (Epic)

75,000 Total Squad Damage to the Train — Reward: Clashing Sides/Checkpoint Charlie/Sicilian Slice Animated Emblem (Legendary)

100,000 Total Squad Damage to the Train — Reward: Siberian Strider Dirt Bike Skin (Epic)

135,000 Total Squad Damage to the Train — Reward: Warbound Animated Calling Card (Legendary)

The largest objective section has to do with you and the whole squad dealing damage to the train.

You can see “Total Squad Damage” right below your current health and armor levels at the bottom left corner of the screen. As your squad deals damage to the train, the meter will increase until it fully fills to the next milestone (e.g., 25,000 damage, 50,000 damage, etc.).

Outside of grabbing Loadout Drops whenever possible (as they contain more powerful weapons to use against the train), notice the red outline around the train’s turrets indicating that they need to be destroyed first before the train car itself. After focusing fire on a specific turret, either continue firing at the train car itself or shift to another turret that may be targeting you.

Also, even though touching the train from the ground results in death, it is possible to land on the train. This risky maneuver can allow you to directly damage turrets up close, but of course, failure to find adequate cover on the train car may result in a swift death.

Finally, as elite Operators know by now, it is possible to fire your weapons while in the beginning of a free fall — cutting your parachute gives you temporary access to your Loadout, making it possible to fire down a rocket or a dozen bullets at a turret or car before you refocus on landing. It may not be a massive damage spike, but every point of damage counts toward those awesome rewards.

Whether you reach the exfil point or not, and whether your squad racks up damage or focuses on survival, we need all Operators in Verdansk to defeat this death machine from the past… And get a glimpse into the war to come on November 5^th.

Time to rise on every front — see you online.

For more information on Call of Duty®: Warzone™, check out: www.callofduty.com and www.youtube.com/callofduty and follow @RavenSoftware and @CallofDuty on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. 

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