Fans have been waiting for some significant changes to be made to Call of Duty: Warzone for some time now. While the addition of Rebirth Island was nice, it is essentially just a reskinned version of Alcatraz from Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. Likewise, a new cargo ship point of interest will be fun for a brief period, but like other additions to Verdansk it could quickly fade into obscurity. While the rumors of a new map have been exciting, as a completely fresh location is the type of change fans have been requesting, it is starting to sound like this new map could come with a cost.
Recent leaks have been pushing the idea that Call of Duty: Warzone could be removing Verdansk entirely, taking the map away from fans in favor of an entirely new location. Made up of fresh points of interest, a new visual style, and features seen in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War like swimming, players getting the new map they have waited so long for is certainly a plus. However, getting rid of Verdansk to make way for this map would be controversial at best and devastating at worst — as plenty of fans may not want to say goodbye to the map they have been playing on since the battle royale game launched.
If Verdansk truly is going away, at least it will be doing so with a bang. According to @WarzoneNewz and @ModernWarzone on Twitter, two popular leakers that have proven correct in the past, Verdansk is being nuked into oblivion. A nuke event has been rumored for several months, and according to these leakers, the map will be decimated by an explosion on March 11. It remains to be seen if this nuke will lead to a brand-new map in an entirely different setting or allow players to explore a reworked version of Verdansk where the map is entirely different following the nuclear explosion — though rumors of an Ural Mountains map would imply the former.
Call of Duty: Warzone fans believe they know the cause for this nuclear detonation as well. While it seemed like Captain Price stopped the Verdansk bomb from going off at the end of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2019’s extended storyline, the arrival of Zombies in Call of Duty: Warzone could cause a new nuke to be triggered. If players head to the port of Verdansk, Russian letters will flash on-screen in a similar way to the teasers before Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. These letters spell out the word “outbreak,” and sure enough, Verdansk’s next point of interest will be a tanker carrying mysterious cargo.
With Call of Duty: Warzone’s cargo tanker heavily teased in Rebirth Island and being described as something that will bring “a dark wave” to Verdansk, it seems likely that Zombies will arrive in some form. If this happens, and a Zombies infestation is seen in the map, a nuke being dropped to contain the outbreak seems like an extremely exciting turn of events. While this will undoubtedly be a memorable way for Verdansk to go if it does happen, as plenty of eyes will be on Call of Duty: Warzone, the removal of the map seems all but guaranteed to be a divisive decision.
The prospect of taking Verdansk out of Call of Duty: Warzone seems confusing considering how much effort has gone into expanding the map. Over the past year, the map has been expanded upon through the addition of subway stations, bunkers, and the opening of the stadium. Doing away with all this hard work seems like a waste. After all, there is nothing stopping Verdansk from staying in Call of Duty: Warzone alongside a brand-new map. If the worry were dividing the player base, the addition of Rebirth Island likely would not have happened at all.
Whether it be Apex Legends or PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, new map additions have not resulted in the complete destruction and subsequent removal of the original map. Having multiple maps to play on is seen as a good thing in multiplayer, and the same can be said for battle royale games — meaning that the complete elimination of Verdansk is an utterly confusing decision. Though many Call of Duty: Warzone players have hoped for a new map, none have pushed the idea that Verdansk should be replaced entirely. In fact, many would likely want the option to switch between Verdansk and an entirely new location.
While Verdansk being nuked and forgotten about as Call of Duty: Warzone enters a new era would be a bold decision, it may not be the right one. Throughout major tournaments, dozens of metas, and countless additions of new operators, Verdansk has remained. Many fans are familiar and comfortable with playing in locations like the hectic airport and expansive prison, and they may not want to give that up. Though the short-term appeal of destroying and abandoning the original map is thrilling and encourages people to give its replacement a try, the long-term effects could certainly be negative.
Calling Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War divisive would be an understatement. Not only did some of Activision’s marketing rub fans the wrong way, as it pushed them away from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, but the latest Black Ops game launched with a limited amount of content and prevalent bugs. While these issues can mostly be blamed on a rushed development cycle and COVID-19, and several patches have come that improve the game and its level of variety, there is no denying that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2019 was received far better by fans.
Considering that the next Call of Duty: Warzone map is supposedly set to incorporate Treyarch’s gameplay style and map design, some players could be put off by such a change. Not only do some fans enjoy the doors seen in Verdansk, but some dislike the swimming mechanics and water-based vehicles of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. With the next Warzone map supposedly combining the Fireteam maps of Black Ops Cold War into one huge location, though, Treyarch’s style of gameplay will likely be seen clearly. While many may enjoy this, those that preferred Call of Duty: Warzone’s similarities to Modern Warfare may find such a concept to be off-putting.
This would hardly be an issue if Verdansk remained in the game. In fact, being able to switch between the two styles could make Call of Duty: Warzone even more appealing, as fans of Treyarch’s content and Infinity Ward’s content could each have a map built around the respective styles. If Verdansk is going away, though, Activision would be forcing players to play Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War-style content, as only Rebirth and the new map would be available to play on. This decision could disappoint a large portion of the Call of Duty player base, bringing about even more unnecessary Call of Duty: Warzone controversy.
While the new map could be amazing and players could have no issues making such a switch, Activision, Raven Software, and everyone else involved with Call of Duty: Warzone is instantly put in a tough position if the map is not well-received. Players may simply want Verdansk back, and if it is removed, this risky decision could quickly lead to outrage amongst the community. With no real reason to remove Verdansk, it is hard to think of a situation where taking the map out of the game satisfies the fans. While the Zombies outbreak and nuke event should happen, as they would be fun for the community, a version of Verdansk should remain — regardless of whether the map is altered by the explosion or left alone. It may be time for Call of Duty: Warzone to get a new map, but its arrival should not come with the cost of fans losing something they already love.
Call of Duty: Warzone is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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