Rise on Every Front – Call of Duty's Massive Year of Content Starts with Vanguard

Call of Duty: Vanguard portrays World War II like never before.

From the cinematic single-player Campaign to an incredible amount of Multiplayer content and the franchise-first Zombies crossover, make sure you’re ready to play Vanguard when it launches on November 5.

With development led by the award-winning Sledgehammer Games, Vanguard’s launch is one of the biggest Multiplayer content drops in franchise history. It’s also just the beginning for an epic year of free offerings.

Fan-favorite Multiplayer Map Shipment leads the charge during the Preseason. Then ready yourself for Vanguard’s full integration with Warzone, commencing when Season One launches across both games on December 2. This massive season features a new Battle Pass, new iconic WWII weapons, Multiplayer maps and more. Season One is also the time to load up, drop in, and explore the brand-new Warzone map based in the Pacific: an entirely new island called Caldera.

There is also RICOCHET Anti-Cheat™, new Progression Systems, and a host of other surprises in store for Season One….

Prepare yourself: From October 28 onwards, Call of Duty begins a huge year to look forward to. Here’s your timeline for the next 35 days:

– October 28 (Console) and November 2 (PC): Call of Duty: Vanguard Pre-Loading Begins – Pre-order now to get your game ready to play immediately at launch, in addition to numerous bonuses across Vanguard, Black Ops Cold War, and Warzone.

– November 5: Call of Duty: Vanguard Launch – Expect epic experiences on all fronts with Campaign, Multiplayer, and Zombies. Additionally, RICOCHET Anti-Cheat begins its implementation with server-side initiatives.

– November 5 to December 2: Preseason in Vanguard – Access to Free Vanguard Tiers on the Black Ops Cold War Season Six Battle Pass System continues. Then on November 17, prepare to ship off to a fan-favorite map.

– November 18: Operation: Flashback Begins in Warzone – An encore limited-time mode for Verdansk, celebrating its past 18 months of hosting over 100 million players strong in Warzone. Ready for your last dance in Verdansk?

– November 24: Uncover the “Secrets of the Pacific” – Get intel on Caldera and its new points of interest through this event’s Warzone and Vanguard Multiplayer challenges.

– November 30 and December 1: Last Hours of Verdansk. – Bombs away – see what happens to Verdansk before Warzone goes dark to prepare for Caldera and Season One.

– December 2: Season One Begins – Vanguard players get new Multiplayer maps, 24 hours of exclusive access to Call of Duty®: Warzone™ Pacific and more to kick off Season One. All players can enjoy a new Battle Pass system and two free functional weapons. Plus: RICOCHET Anti-Cheat’s driver begins its rollout in Warzone.

VANGUARD LAUNCH - AN UNPRECEDENTED OFFERING

Clear your schedule and be ready to explore everything Vanguard has to offer starting on day one:

Campaign - The Birth of Special Forces

– A Fight on All Fronts. End Project Phoenix and relive the heroic moments of Task Force One, a multinational group of heroes including Arthur Kingsley, Polina Petrova, Wade Jackson, Lucas Riggs, Richard Webb, and many others united in the fight against evil.

– Learn the Origins of Special Forces and Essential Mechanics. Campaign should be the first stop for those who are new to Call of Duty, looking to brush up on skills, or be introduced to the game’s universe.

– Test Your Abilities. Choose from Recruit, Regular, Hardened, or Veteran difficulty settings, with both in-game and platform-based rewards granted for your achievements.

Learn more about Campaign here.

Zombies - A Franchise-First Crossover into the Dark Aether

– “Der Anfang” Awaits. The Dark Aether story expands in WWII. Battle the otherworldly entity raising the fallen and fight back against an army of the undead in this entirely new Zombies experience from Treyarch.

– Stalingrad and Other Iconic Sights Beyond the Portal. New locales like the undead enclave of Merville, along with the classic swamps of Shi No Numa and more, are just an Aether Portal away. Complete objectives, upgrade your skills via Covenants, and survive the horde before exfiltrating Stalingrad alive… or seeing how long you can last before falling to the undead army.

– A Unique Experience Like No Other. No two matches will be alike due to objective-based gameplay, evolving strategies, and randomized upgrades via the all-new Altar of Covenants. Keep pushing onward to expand your forward operating base and unlock new abilities.

See what Treyarch has in store for Vanguard here.

Multiplayer - Fight Enemy Operators Across 20 Maps, Play Your Way with Combat Pacing and Other Features at Launch

Vanguard’s Multiplayer brings plenty of maps, modes, and other features to master right at launch.

Starting on November 5^th, Vanguard will include seven core (and hardcore) modes – a collection of Call of Duty’s mainstays plus Patrol, a new contender for competitive fun:

Core and Hardcore Modes:

– Free for All

– Team Deathmatch

– Kill Confirmed

– Domination

– Search & Destroy

– Hardpoint

– Patrol

Additional modes, including two newer ones that recently became a competitive standard and a small-team tactical mainstay respectively, should be expected following launch.

These core modes can be played across 16 maps – learn about this fight across five continents by clicking left and right through the carousel below.

Champion Hill — Rise Above the Competition with Your Squad

Vanguard Multiplayer also brings you another new mode: a multi-arena survival tournament known as Champion Hill, featured in the game’s Alpha and Beta earlier this year.

Invite your Duo, form your Trio, or go solo as you build a Loadout in this fast-paced, limited-life mode. Earn Cash by picking up drops, eliminating enemies, and winning rounds, then spend it on upgrading weaponry or getting new armaments, equipment, Perks, or tide-turning Killstreaks.

Learn more about this new mode here.

Play Your Way — Combat Pacing, Hardcore Playlists, and Private Matches

Outside of the developer-curated Featured Playlists, Vanguard features a Quick Play system with Combat Pacing, a new filter that gives players more choice in their Multiplayer experience.

From the standard Multiplayer experience to chaotic battles on an epic scale, players canchoose from the Combat Pacing options within Quick Play, or set their filter to “All” and experience them at random:

– Tactical: These are the lobbies that franchise veterans know well. This is the experience that you’re used to with familiar Call of Duty combat timing. Tactical Combat Pacing always has a 12-player maximum in matches for traditional 6v6 play.

– Assault: Balanced combat pacing that gives you enough room to breathe and a lot of targets to kill. A middle ground between Tactical and Blitz featuring matches with 14 to 36 players (7v7 to 18v18) depending on the size of the map.

– Blitz: High-action lobbies where the intensity is cranked up to frenetic levels. Prepare for plenty of combat when choosing to join a Blitz, as matches here range from 16 to 48 players (8v8 to 24v24) depending on the size of the map.

Quick Play also has a selection of modes in Hardcore, a variant of regular Multiplayer where base health is drastically reduced, healing is limited to Stim equipment, and the HUD is minimal. Meant for those who want a more realistic FPS experience, or who like to win fights based on who lands the first shot, Hardcore will test your Call of Duty skill set in its rawest form.

Need to practice before you dive into public matches? Want to create your own game modes with friends? Head into Private Match, where you can fine-tune dozens of options for existing modes, test out all Loadout items and attachments available at launch, and play against computer-controlled enemies or your friends.

Meet the Special Forces – 12 Playable Task Force Operators at Launch

Task Force One — codenamed Vanguard — was the first Special Operations Task Force. What came after were four unique Task Forces – S.O.T.F. 002 through 005 – led by the members of Task Force One; Arthur Kingsley, Polina Petrova, Wade Jackson, and Lucas Riggs.

These Task Forces are ready to fight in Multiplayer and Zombies at launch and are prepared to deploy in Warzone upon Vanguard’s integration in Season One.

Let’s meet Vanguard’s core four Task Forces:

Each Operator comes with plenty of customization options, from their attire (or Skin) to new comments for the enhanced Quip system, which goes beyond kills and shows off an Operator’s personality in moments such as capturing objectives. You can also change their Finishing Move, Infiltration Pose, and MVP Pose, a display of flash and force shown only when you lead a squad to victory.

Over Three Dozen Weapons to Use in Revamped Gunsmith at Launch

Over three dozen weapons are available in Vanguard at launch, and most can be completely overhauled in a revamped Gunsmith and outfitted with up to 10 attachments.

Customize your armament and choose from over 200 unique weapon attachments to fill in those slots — from barrels and ammo conversions to over 40 Weapon Perks, also known as Proficiencies and Kits.

No two weapons share the same selection of attachment options. The possibilities are incredibly deep and allow you to suit your favorite weapons to your playstyle. For example, Assault Rifle Alpha alone has 83 attachments, and expect over 60 attachment choices for your pistols.

The following breaks down the weapons available at Vanguard’s launch (click through to see all categories):

There are also other Loadout items — six Perk choices for each of the three slots (18 Perks at launch, plus over 40 Weapon Perks via Proficiencies and Kits), and six Lethal and Tactical Equipment pieces — as well as over a dozen Killstreaks to use in combat.

Progression — A Love Letter to Elite Players with New XP Systems and Tons of Challenges

Gold camo grinders, Prestige warriors, or leaders of the (currently frozen) Regiment system, listen up:

Vanguard Multiplayer and Zombies – as well as Warzone, following Season One –  is here to reward you for personal progress. The best of the best can expect to be decked out in Gold — and then some — from their Operator to their fully loaded 10-attachment weapon.

For those who play the game day in, day out, this is a taste of the experience you can gain from the challenges that Sledgehammer Games put together:

– The Ranking E(XP)erience — 55 Enlisted Ranks to unlock all Loadout items. Seasonal Prestige system to return.

– Weapon Progression — Weapon XP unlocks attachments and Camo Challenges. Use attachments across all modes and unlock two sets of striking cosmetic camouflage rewards: one through Zombies and another through Multiplayer or Warzone.

– New Operator XP, Leveling, and Rewards — All 12 Operators at launch and others to come — can be leveled up to unlock new Skins, including special Gold attire, Weapon XP for specific weapons, and more. Use their Favorite Weapon to earn bonus Weapon and Operator XP.

– Clans: Play with Friends, Get Rewarded — Replacing Regiments, Clans invites friends to play together and unlock exclusive rewards by earning Clan XP. Represent your squad with a custom Emblem and unique clan tag and play with your clan members for a global percentage bonus to regular, Weapon, Operator, and Clan XP.

Essentially, every time you play Multiplayer, Zombies, or Warzone Pacific, you’ll unlock something new or at least progress toward it. And that doesn’t even include the rewards available during the seasonal Battle Pass system, another way to earn content at the start of Season One.

RICOCHET Anti-Cheat – The Initiative Begins with Back-End Features at Vanguard’s Launch

The launch of Call of Duty: Vanguard marks the launch of the RICOCHET Anti-Cheat initiative for PC, as multiple server-side upgrades take effect.

No additional download is required for this part of RICOCHET Anti-Cheat; just play the game. At Vanguard’s launch, all Multiplayer gameplay will be examined closely to identify suspicious behavior, but you should always do your part to combat cheaters by reporting any suspected foul play through the in-game reporting tools.

This is just the beginning for RICOCHET Anti-Cheat in Vanguard, as the kernel-level driver is currently planned to roll-out for PC at the launch of Warzone Pacific.

For more information on RICOCHET Anti-Cheat, keep reading for information on that driver, or visit the announcement page here.

AN INCREDIBLE PRELUDE TO SEASON ONE OF VANGUARD AND WARZONE

Shipment's Return Highlights Vanguard Preseason Content

Call of Duty: Vanguard’s unparalleled content drop continues after launch with a few free special deliveries in the days leading up to Season One.

Headlining that batch of free content is Shipment, the classic frenetic Multiplayer experience re-fitted for Vanguard, currently scheduled for a November 17 arrival. Newcomers and veterans alike can ready up for a fresh take on the map that’s entertained Call of Duty fans for over a decade, providing all Vanguard players a chaotic playground for destruction.

Stay tuned for more intel on Vanguard’s post-launch offerings prior to Season One. Or read on for Secrets of the Pacific, a limited-time event coming to both Vanguard and Warzone.

Warzone: Operation: Flashback, Secrets of the Pacific, and Last Hours of Verdansk

While Vanguard gets Shipment and other offerings to supplement its already massive amount of single-player, co-op, and Multiplayer experiences, Warzone will be preparing for the end of Verdansk as we know it.

Operation: Flashback – An Encore for Verdansk Begins on November 18

The city and its surrounding area hosted over 100 million players for the past 18 months, and plenty has changed since March 10, 2020. From blasting back to the year 1984 to hosting ’80s Action Heroes and Hauntings, Verdansk proved to be the place to drop in again and again.

To celebrate – and bring back –these classic moments and many more, lead developer Raven Software created a special “Operation: Flashback” limited-time mode, featuring plenty of surprises that cover Verdansk’s action-packed history.

Two unique rewards will be up for grabs:

– An Emblem for participating in the event

– And an animated Calling Card for those who claim victory!

Enjoy the nostalgia and get rewarded with an Emblem just for playing. Those who claim victory will also receive an animated Calling Card, proof of mastery for Warzone’s past and present, as we look forward to the future.

More information on this mode, including what public events you can expect to happen at the start of every new circle, will be revealed prior to its launch on November 18.

Uncover Intel on Caldera Through Secrets of the Pacific, Starting November 24

As we prepare for the end of Verdansk, prepare to uncover more about the mysterious Caldera map by digging up Secrets of the Pacific.

This limited-time event developed by Beenox will grant you vital information on Caldera and its various points of interest prior to its launch in December, but only if you complete challenges across Vanguard and Warzone. Each game will have its own set of tasks and rewards for completing them, such as acquiring and protecting Pacific artifacts while fighting to survive in Verdansk.

Get the details you need to know about this event in mid-November.

ALERT: THE COUNTDOWN TO THE END OF VERDANSK IS ON – LESS THAN 40 DAYS REMAINING!

Don’t miss the end of Warzone as we know it; the destruction begins on November 30.

We have yet to get declassified information on this Beenox-developed event, except for this: expect a spectacular and fitting end to your time in Verdansk as we say farewell to the Kastovian city… forever?

SEASON ONE BRINGS VANGUARD INTEGRATION, CALDERA MAP TO WARZONE AMONG OTHER FREE CONTENT

Welcome to Caldera – A New Map Arrives as RICOCHET Anti-Cheat Heats Up with Kernel-Level Driver

–  The Warzone Pacific Era Begins. Caldera’s only true comparison to Verdansk is its scale. This brand-new map, built on learnings from the community, is launching with Season One.

–  RICOCHET Anti-Cheat Driver Launching with Season One. Arriving with the new map, expect RICOCHET Anti-Cheat to help keep you focused on the fun.

Lush forests and rocky crags. White sand beaches and mysterious ruins. And a dormant volcano that towers over the 200-plus points of interest.

Warzone will change its title to Call of Duty: Warzone Pacific, or “Warzone Pacific.” The new Pacific formally launches as part of Vanguard’s first season of content. A map roughly the size of Verdansk, which it will replace as part of the update, this new map is based on two years of research and listening to the community.

Built on the same tech and engine as Call of Duty: Vanguard, this map is visually appealing as it is ready to support this new game’s armaments, and will support fully optimized cross-play, cross-progression, and cross-gen support.

It, as well as Warzone as a whole, will also support RICOCHET Anti-Cheat. Our upcoming initiative, supported by a team of dedicated professionals focused on fighting unfair play, will already have several backend anti-cheat security features by Vanguard’s launch on November 5.

As part of the Season One update, RICOCHET Anti-Cheat will deploy the server-side upgrades to Warzone as well as a new, internally developed kernel-level driver on PC to assist in identifying cheaters, which can allow players on all platforms to focus more on the fun new offerings across Vanguard and Warzone Pacific. The kernel-level driver will subsequently release for Vanguard at a later date.

Learn more about the RICOCHET Anti-Cheat system here.

New Playlists: Vanguard’s Integration with Warzone, Including 24-Hour Exclusive Access Period, Dedicated Main Playlist and Dogfighting, Detailed

– Dogfighting, New Vanguard Content, Shine in Dedicated Playlist. Available to all players, take to the skies or maneuver AA guns to breakup epic aerial battles in Vanguard Royale, featuring a streamlined loadout and weapon pool.

– Honoring Your Progression. The integration adds Vanguard content – expect all your Operators, Calling Cards, and more from Black Ops Cold War and Modern Warfare® to stay in Warzone, as well as cross-progression and Seasonal Prestige.

– 24-Hour Exclusive Access to Caldera for Vanguard Players. Play the new Pacific map a day early by owning Call of Duty: Vanguard. Rebirth Island will remain live during this time for all other players.

Caldera is just the beginning of Vanguard’s full integration into Warzone, and there’s no better place to experience all this fresh content than in the dedicated Vanguard modes for Warzone Pacific.

Available to all players in Season One, Vanguard Royale mode– and later, Vanguard Plunder mode – showcase all new content from the Season One update onwards, including weaponry and vehicles like biplanes and AA trucks.

The Pacific is home to dogfighting, aerial battles in the azure skies above the majestic isle. Think of a Precision Airstrike where you are in the cockpit, ready to rain down fire on a squad or defend yours from an enemy pilot. That, in its most basic terms, is what you can imagine aerial combat is like in the Pacific.

Expect a new machinegun fighter aircraft to add another element of strategy and firepower to your squad’s winning Warzone Pacific tactics. These are also just part of a brand-new set of vehicles for these Vanguard-focused modes; another is an anti-air (AA) truck that provides a solid solution to grounding planes other than launchers, LMGs, stationary AA turrets or taking to the skies yourself.

In these modes, only Vanguard weaponry can be used in Loadouts. This limit streamlines the meta, granting new players an opportunity to jump in without facing fully maxed-out loadouts right at launch. It also grants room for experimentation with these new weapons, giving the most hardcore community meta prophets a place to focus on the future for a winning loadout.

Good news: Those Operators with previously earned Warzone content can use what they’ve acquired after Vanguard’s integration. In fact, the December 2 integration will follow the same format as when Black Ops Cold War came to Warzone:

– All Operators – from Vanguard, Black Ops Cold War, and Modern Warfare – can be used across all of Warzone after the integration, even in the Vanguard playlist.

– Your progression – for your Player Level, Battle Pass system, etc. – is synchronized across Vanguard, Black Ops Cold War, Modern Warfare and Warzone Pacific, and the Seasonal Levelling and Prestige System will return. This also means your level will reset to Military Rank 1 within all games, but this only applies to XP; all content you previously unlocked will still be available.

– Your personal profile – Calling Card, Emblem, etc. – can be comprised of what you already have in Black Ops Cold War and Modern Warfare, use what you will earn in Vanguard, or be a combination of anything from those games.

– The Store will stock Vanguard Bundles as well as legacy Black Ops Cold War and Modern Warfare content – all of which can be used in Warzone Pacific.

In addition to getting to try out the new weapons and Operators in Vanguard, those who purchase Call of Duty: Vanguard prior to Season One’s official launch will be able to participate in a 24-hour Caldera exclusive access event in Warzone Pacific starting on launch day, December 2.

As for Black Ops Cold War and Modern Warfare weaponry, they still have a place across both of Warzone’s islands…

Familiar Playlists: Access All Legacy Content in Standard, Rebirth Island Playlists

–The Biggest Arsenal in Call of Duty. At the start of Season One, you can use 150+ weapons in Caldera within standard Battle Royale and Plunder modes as well as…

–Rebirth Island Returns. The Resurgence continues. Expect the alternate, small-scale map to continue supplementing the main Warzone map.

– “Original Warzone Vehicles” Still Cruising. Your pink anime truck isn’t going anywhere. All original vehicles and their Vehicle Skins – including ATVs and other Verdansk-era modes of transport – still exist in these playlists.

Warzone is big enough for two islands after all.

For those with Warzone experience since integration with Modern Warfare and Black Ops Cold War, all those 100+ weapons you levelled up and perfected loadouts for can still be used across the many Warzone Pacific playlists. Here are two we can reveal right now:

The first are playlists that include Rebirth Island. From Resurgence to Mini Royales and many more surprises to come, Rebirth Island is back to complement the main Warzone Pacific experience. 

The other is your familiar Battle Royale and Plunder experiences, but taking place on Caldera. Whether it is modern, from the Cold War, or just came with Vanguard, any of the 150+ weapons you have earned or levelled up can be used in the normal playlists.

The usual playlists are also home to the “original” vehicles you’ve driven before – ATVs, SUVs, Helicopters, and the like. While the dedicated Vanguard modes will have all new ways to get around Caldera, such as planes and AA Truck, the original vehicle set, as well as any Vehicle Skins you’ve unlocked for them, will still exist in these other playlists.

Season One: New Battle Pass, Armaments, Multiplayer Maps and More

All these exciting Warzone additions aren’t the only pieces of new content coming with Season One.

Starting on December 2, Vanguard players can expect three new Multiplayer Maps, three unique Operators, new Zombies content & features like additional Covenants, a new Objective, fresh Challenges, new weapons, and more.

Plus, this season marks the first Battle Pass system across Vanguard and Warzone, where up to 100 Tiers of items – including a selection of free Weapon Blueprints, cosmetic content, and two functional weapons – are yours to unlock.

There are also plenty more functional weapons, Weapon Blueprints, Operator Skins, and other content that will become available during the season via Challenges and the Store via bundles.

PREPARE FOR VANGUARD, WARZONE PACIFIC

PRE-ORDER REWARDS

Need a few more reasons to get Vanguard? In addition to getting early access into Caldera and all its day one content, pre-ordering the game digitally grants you multiple rewards across Vanguard, Black Ops Cold War, and Warzone.

Most notably, those who pre-order the game can pre-load before its November 5 launch, as well as unlock the “Ghost of War” Ultra Skin, the “Night Raid” Mastercraft SMG and Arthur Kingsley Operator in Black Ops Cold War and Warzone.*

Digital pre-orders also receive the Frontline Weapons Pack, containing two SMG Weapon Blueprints for Vanguard. Plus, there are even more rewards, including the Task Force One Pack and Double XP Tokens, for those who pick up the Cross-Gen Bundle or Ultimate Edition.

Vanguard’s legendary pre-order rewards are fit for a fight on all fronts, and you can explore all of the pre-order options here and in the carousel below:

Earn Free Vanguard Content in Current Season Six Battle Pass for Black Ops Cold War and Warzone

Want a head start in Vanguard?

Through the Season Six Battle Pass system in Warzone and Black Ops Cold War, you can unlock up to 24 FREE tiers of Vanguard content — including four Weapon Blueprints — just by playing those two games. You can even level up two Vanguard weapons to max level in Warzone, well before the game’s November 5 launch and its integration later this year.

For more information, including how these weapons fit into the current Warzone meta, click here.

Ready Up for an Epic Year of Free Content

This is all just the beginning of Vanguard and Warzone’s post-launch content. We haven’t even scratched the surface of what Season One is bringing on December 2 and the weeks to follow, let alone the seasons after that.

But before Season One rings in the holiday season, Vanguard has plenty to offer when it launches on November 5. Be there at the start of an incredible year of content to come.

Call of Duty®: Vanguard is published by Activision. Development of the game is led by Sledgehammer Games, with Zombies development by Treyarch. Additional support across Vanguard development by Beenox, Demonware, High Moon Studios, Raven, and Activision Shanghai Studio.

Call of Duty®: Warzone™ Pacific development is led by Raven Software. Additional support across Warzone development by Beenox, Demonware, High Moon Studios, Activision Shanghai Studio, Toys for Bob and Treyarch.

Rise on every front.

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.

© 2021 Activision Publishing, Inc. ACTIVISION, CALL OF DUTY, CALL OF DUTY BLACK OPS, CALL OF DUTY MODERN WARFARE, CALL OF DUTY VANGUARD, CALL OF DUTY WARZONE, MODERN WARFARE and WARZONE are trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc.

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