Activision plans to take the originalCall of Duty:Warzoneoffline for a little over a week and a half. The outage is scheduled to begin whenCall of Duty: Warzone 2.0goes live on November 16th.
Call of Duty: Warzonelaunched in 2020 as a battle royale component for the reboot ofCall of Duty: Modern Warfare, which was released the previous year. It is also integrated withCall of Duty: Black Ops: ColdWarandCall of Duty: Vanguardand supports cross-play between all three games. The upcomingCall of Duty: Warzone 2.0is part of this year’sCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. However, players don’t need to purchaseModern Warfare 2if they want to experience the free-to-play battle royale.
RELATED:New Call of Duty: Warzone 2 DMZ Game Mode Details Revealed
Activision previously stated it intends to keep both versions ofWarzoneonline, so fans can play whatever game they prefer. However, ClassicWarzonefans will have to do without for about 12 days afterCall of Duty: Warzone 2.0goes live. Raven Software expects the game will come back online at 10 AM Pacific on the 28th, at which point it will relaunch under the nameCall of Duty: Warzone Caldera. The studio will be using this downtime to focus on rolling outWarzone 2.0and making sure that the game is running efficiently.
The studio didn’t clarify why exactly it thinks such a radical step is necessary. However, the downtime is partially to let team members take time off to celebrate the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday on November 24th. Activision is also givingWarzoneplayers a few free gifts if they decide tojump intoCall of Duty:Warzone 2.0. Unfortunately, the blog does not provide any indication of what those complementary items might be.
Additionally, while the originalWarzone’s in-game storefront is shutting down, players can transfer theirWarzoneCOD PointstoWarzone 2.0. However, weapons, Cosmetics, XP, Tokens, Bundles, and other items are non-transferable and will be staying inCall of Duty: Warzone Caldera. Activision explained that the publisher made this decision due to technical limitations and its desire to streamlineWarzone 2.0into a more seamless experience.
Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0introduces a variety of new features, including game engine improvements, drivable boats, and a new fuel mechanic for the expanded vehicle roster. Meanwhile,Warzone 2.0’s massive Al Mazrah mapis larger than any environment in the previous game. It also features a new DMZ mode, which may offer a significant shake-up toWarzone’s typical battle royale formula.
Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0launches on November 16th for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
