Mercenaries of Fortune — The Mid-Season Update for Warzone and Vanguard

“I have to stay functional until my mission is complete. Then it doesn't matter.” – The Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgment Day.

Once a battleground for the living, Call of Duty: Warzone and Vanguard is about to be swarmed by zombies and overrun by machines in Mercenaries of Fortune, a mid-season update launching on July 27.

Following a Vanguard update at 9 AM PT on July 26 and a Warzone update at 9 AM PT on July 27, both games will receive new playlists and a new Assault Rifle to unlock. Vanguard Multiplayer players will also get Desolation, a medium-sized intricate village map set at a Pacific Listening Station.

As part of this mid-season rollout, expect the Model T-800 and T-1000 Terminators to arrive from the future via Operator Bundles. There will also be “Titanium Trials: Endurance” in Caldera, the rise of Zombies in Rebirth of the Dead… and more!

Stay tuned for patch notes from Raven Software and Sledgehammer Games for full details – this announcement brings the most important messages we received from the future. But first, there is something you can do right now in Warzone in anticipation of this Reloaded Update:

Fortune’s Keep: Cursed Ground Public Event Live Prior to Update

As first found by Warzone’s Operators this week, Fortune’s Keep is now considered Cursed Ground – and now has an event to match.

Right now in Warzone, there are several “cursed chests” hidden around the newly discovered island. These chests contain power-ups and high-quality items… but can only be unlocked by brave souls who survive a hungry horde.

Once the event begins, Zombies will continuously spawn in the vicinity of the cursed chest. Eliminate them near the chest to harvest Wisps; as your collection grows, more difficult waves of zombies will rise to protect their Cursed Ground.

Harvest enough Wisps within the time limit to secure victory and access the rewards within, including Cash, Killstreaks, Equipment, and possibly Perk Tokens.

Just remember that the Circle Collapse can devour you just as effectively as the disturbed animated corpses that rise from the cursed soil of Fortune’s Keep…

Portable Redeploy Balloons, Armored SUV Nitrous Upgrade

Need more flexibility in movement options? The mid-season update brings two new movement options to Caldera: Portable Redeploy Balloons and a nitro boost to the Armored SUV.

Portable Redeploy Balloon

The Portable Redeploy Balloon is a quick way to reposition around the game’s largest island. It can be found as a Field Upgrade in loot or as a Contract reward, such as for a successfully cracking open a Supply Drop.

Able to be deployed anywhere with a clear sky above, any Operator can take advantage of this balloon in a box— even enemies reaching an already-deployed balloon — during the 30 seconds that it is inflated. Using it is as easy as using the standard Redeploy Balloon; hitch that zipline to it and be mindful of enemies below.

The balloon can be destroyed and has about half the health points of a static Redeploy Balloon. It also does not extend as far up in the air as the static version, either, but its flexibility in placement more than makes up for the lack in distance it can provide. 

Armored SUV – Now with Nitro Boost Power

After a quick pit stop for upgrades, the four-passenger Armored SUV will now include a Nitrous Boost.

When you need to move fast around the map, hit the Nitro Boost for immediate acceleration, great for catching targets and getting out of dangerous situations.

Expect this quick movement update to add a slight wrinkle to the vehicle power rankings, as if a massive SUV with turrets was not enough to change how the squad races to victory.

Rebirth Island: Battle or Become the Horde in Rebirth of the Dead

After hearing rumors of out-of-control experiments on Rebirth Island, our Operators are ready to investigate and eliminate whatever threats lurk in the fog.

In Rebirth of the Dead, a re-imagined version of Zombie Royale presented by Beenox, ten quads will deploy to the island, ready to battle fellow Operators, both living and undead.

Eliminated Operators return as zombies, intent on adding to their numbers by pursuing the remaining humans. To revive as an Operator, zombies must locate and collect four antivirals, which can be found in several ways:

• Lone antivirals, visible through obstacles, are found in crates and at Buy Stations.
• Eliminate an Operator to earn two antivirals.
• Earn all four antivirals by performing a Finishing Move as a zombie, earning your instant revival and netting you the animated “Head Scratcher” Calling Card in the process.

Throughout the match, the Infestation Meter will fill up as zombies are eliminated. Once it is filled, all spectators will be revived as Zombies.

Those skilled enough to win a match as a human will receive the animated “Last Alive” Calling Card, a true testament to your ability against all enemies, alive and undead.

Ready to face the shambling undead? Then read up before you tool up with our Rebirth of the Dead guide, coming next week.

Vanguard Zombies Camos Available in Warzone

There's no better way to fight the undead masses, than with Zombie Camo weapons!

In Mercenaries of Fortune Reloaded, those who unlocked Vanguard Zombie Camos – including Golden Viper, Plague Diamond, and Dark Aether – can use them on their Vanguard weapons in Warzone.

Show them off in Rebirth of the Dead or in Caldera and Fortune’s Keep!

Titanium Trials: Endurance

First there were the Iron Trials – now, inspired by the rise of machines in the near future, it’s time for all Operators to gear up for the Titanium Trials in Caldera.

To simulate the toughness of a Terminator model, the maximum base armor threshold will be increased to 300 hit points, with the Tempered Perk appearing more frequently as ground loot for more efficient armor repairs. Each player begins the game with a Self-Revive Kit and core health regeneration takes longer to restore, making it a high-skill, high time-to-kill (TTK) game mode.

Titanium Trials features a custom-built loot table to support the higher TTK gameplay, including exceedingly rare Redacted Weapons that are a step more powerful than Loadout Weapons. There are also fewer overall resources in the map to reward Operators who act aggressively towards the opposition, with the cost of Loadouts beginning at a higher price point and decreasing through the duration of the match.

Titanium Trials: Endurance, using the Battle Royale ruleset on Caldera, goes live on August 11 for two weeks only. Be there or be terminated.

Challenges and Rewards

Prove your worth as a Terminator in the Titanium Trials: Endurance event, featuring eight challenges set to test your skills in the limited-time mode. Through challenges prevented in this event, players can earn 2XP Tokens, the “Titanium Chrome” Weapon Camo, a Battle Pass Tier Skip, and up to four Terminator 2: Judgment Day-themed Calling Cards.

Complete all eight challenges to unlock the Ultra “Liquid Metal” Weapon Camo. And don’t stop there. Rumors of hidden rewards persist for those most dedicated to the Titanium Trials….

New Vanguard Multiplayer Map — Desolation

Deploy to a Pacific listening post in Desolation, a new medium-sized Multiplayer map set in a labyrinthine village cut directly into the mountainside, with a crashed plane in flames on the nearby cliffside.

Traverse the winding alleys and confined shanties on the ground floor where close-quarters combat can erupt at any moment or over the rooftops and walkways above, mantling from position to position. The listening post itself lies near the center, right in the middle of the chaos. The Operators who combine fast reflexes with smart movement are sure to find success here.

Look for a full guide to this map, coming soon to this Blog.

Ikenna Olowe Joins Butcher and Hendry

Task Force Immortals is getting its tactical reinforcement:

Ikenna Olowe understood strategy from a young age. As a child in Nigeria, he excelled at chess, quickly surpassing his teachers. He grew strong studying Gidigbo, a martial battle of wits. Balanced in body and mind, Ikenna joined the war effort as a battlefield engineer, establishing critical supply lines around the globe.

His preferred weapon is the new Vargo-S Assault Rifle — use it while playing as Ikenna Olowe to gain bonus Operator XP and Weapon XP.

Unlock Ikenna Olowe by purchasing his Bundle, scheduled to go live in the Store in Mercenaries of Fortune.

Vargo-S

Trading firepower for improved accuracy and fire rate, this rifle excels in medium and long-range engagements.

Accuracy is king with the Vargo-S Assault Rifle, paired with a high fire rate for added aggression. Though outclassed in power, its reliability finds success in a variety of Gunsmith configurations, from fast-handling and snappy for tight mid-range play to adding a scope and additional stability to better compete from a distance.

Unlock the Vargo-S by completing its in-game challenge or by purchasing a Store Bundle to be released later this season, featuring a Weapon Blueprint from this weapon’s family.

Part Man, Part Machine: Become the Terminator

From the iconic 1991 film Terminator 2: Judgment Day, the T-800 and T-1000 Terminator units are deploying in two limited time Bundles available throughout the month of August.

Tracer Pack: Terminator T-800 Mastercraft Ultra Operator Bundle

“I need your clothes, your boots, and your motorcycle.” — T-800 Terminator

The first cybernetic organism developed by Skynet, the Model T-800 is perfectly able to blend in with humans utilizing living tissue over a hyper alloy skeleton. Now is your chance to become the classic Model T-800 Terminator.

This ten-item Bundle features the Ultra-rarity “Model T-800” Operator paired with its own Finishing Move, Play of the Game, and MVP highlights for a truly immersive experience. Also get the “Neural Net Processor” Ultra Assault Rifle Weapon Blueprint, “Coltan Alloy” and “Motorhead” Legendary Weapon Blueprints, “Always Scanning” Charm, “I’ll Be Back” Animated Emblem, and the “Infrared Optics” Reticle.

Tracer Pack: Terminator T-1000 Ultra Operator Bundle

“Say, that’s a nice bike.” — T-1000 Terminator

Skynet’s advanced AI model, the Model T-1000 is developed from a mimetic polyalloy liquid metal capable of shape shifting to better impersonate the human resistance.  

The Ultra “Model T-1000” Operator leads this ten-item Bundle, also featuring its own Finishing Move, Play of the Game, and MVP highlights as well as three Legendary Weapon Blueprints: the “Liquid Metal” SMG, the “Persistent Mission” Assault Rifle, and the “Identity Theft” LMG. Also equip the “Alternative Future” Watch, the animated “Full Chase” Emblem, and the animated “Unstoppable” Calling Card.

Welcome to Championship Season: CDL Champs 2022, World Series of Warzone

Prepare for the 2022 Call of Duty League Championship Weekend

Major bag alert! There’s $2.5 million on the line at the 2022 Call of Duty League Championship Weekend going down live at the Galen Center in Los Angeles on August 4–7.

The best pros in the world will take the stage to battle it out in high stakes matches for glory and cash. Get tickets to witness this unmissable event and make sure you snag the in-game 2022 Champs Pack before it’s gone. Follow the League on Twitter for the latest updates.

Worlds Series of Warzone 2022 Hits the Beaches of Caldera 

The Call of Duty® World Series of Warzone™ presented by Prime Gaming returns in 2022, bringing you the biggest names in Warzone, massive cash prizing, and a new open qualification path to crown the best on Caldera. 

WSOW will showcase two online competitions - WSOW North America and WSOW EU, each featuring a $300,000 prize pool. Head to worldseriesofwarzone.com for more info on how to watch and how you can participate. The WSOW In-Game Open begins August 12th @ 9am PT - grab your trio and sign-up now!

Stay tuned for the World Series of Warzone Battle Pack available September 2 through Prime Gaming. Connect your account to stock up on an Operator skin, two Weapon Blueprints, and more! *Claim your content at www.Gaming.Amazon.com/CallofDuty

Modern Warfare II Pre-order Incentives

Is everything in Mercenaries of Fortune not enough free content for you? Need a fresh Operator and Blueprint to navigate the meta?

Included as a bonus with a digital pre-order of Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare II on any platform, the Final Judgement Bundle provides immediate access to the Legendary “Deathknell” Operator Skin and the Legendary “Bloodthirsty” Weapon Blueprint for use in Vanguard and Warzone, plus a hefty 1,500 COD Points that you can put toward your next Battle Pass or Store Bundle purchase.

That is one of just several instant pre-order rewards for Modern Warfare II before its official launch on October 28… And intel suggests a familiar foe may be crossing over into Vanguard as part of another bonus bundle, coming soon….

Rise on every front.

*Requires Call of Duty® Vanguard and/or Warzone™. Limited time only. Amazon Prime subscription and Activision account required to claim. Content can be accessed where Prime Gaming is available – see Prime Gaming FAQ for details.

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

© 2022 Activision Publishing, Inc. ACTIVISION, CALL OF DUTY, CALL OF DUTY VANGUARD, CALL OF DUTY WARZONE, and WARZONE are trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day, T2, THE TERMINATOR, ENDOSKELETON, and any depiction of Endoskeleton are trademarks of STUDIOCANAL S.A.S. All Rights Reserved. © 2022 STUDIOCANAL S.A.S. ® All Rights Reserved.

For more information on Activision games, follow @Activision on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

About STUDIOCANAL (a CANAL+ Company) STUDIOCANAL, a 100% affiliate of CANAL+ Group held by Vivendi, is Europe’s leader in production, distribution and international sales of feature films and series, operating in all five major European markets - France, United Kingdom, Germany, Benelux and Spain - as well as in Australia and New Zealand. It finances and produces around 30 films per year, distributes around 50 films per year and owns one of the largest film libraries in the world, boasting nearly 6,500 titles from 60 countries. STUDIOCANAL also produces more than 200 hours of TV series each year at an international level, either directly or through its award-winning network of European production companies (STUDIOCANAL SERIES GmBH, RED PRODUCTION COMPANY, URBAN MYTH FILMS, BAMBÚ PRODUCCIONES, STUDIOCANAL ORIGINAL, 2e BUREAU, SUNNYMARCH TV, SAM Productions, DUTCH FILMWORKS).