Editor’s Note: A lawsuit has been filed against Activision Blizzard by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, which alleges the company has engaged in abuse, discrimination, and retaliation against its female employees. Activision Blizzard has denied the allegations. The full details of the Activision Blizzard lawsuit (content warning: rape, suicide, abuse, harassment) are being updated as new information becomes available.
Call of Duty: Vanguard’s maps, modes, and operators have been detailed ahead of launch, unveiling everything players can expect to experience when the game releases on November 5. The Sledgehammer Games-developed Call of Duty promises World War II-era action, bringing the tragic war to digital life through its campaign, multiplayer, and zombie game modes. And while some jumped into Call of Duty: Vanguard during the beta in September, there is a lot Sledgehammer Games has shielded from players until now.
Call of Duty: Vanguard has so far been branded as the Call of Duty: World at War sequel fans never got. The FPS has gone back to more traditional gameplay that has reminded some of the 2008 installment, as players are pinned against one another on the Eastern front and Pacific theatre. The historical entry adds new semi-destructible environments and also introduces a higher level of gore than previous games, with severed limbs and bloody stumps littering the battlefield as matches get underway. And with launch only a week away, Sledgehammer Games has finally dropped the veil on other features soldiers can expect.
Call of Duty: Vanguard’s maps, modes, and operators were detailed in a new Call of Duty blog post. There will be 20 maps at launch and seven core (and hardcore) modes that will introduce the many locales of World War II-themed battles. In Decoy, troops collide on the training course for Special Forces, and in Castle, opposing forces unload lead throughout an old fortress on the southernmost Japanese prefecture. There are 16 maps that house the seven core modes of Vanguard, including staples like Kill Confirmed and Team Deathmatch, and the new Patrol game mode. Vanguard also introduces the multi-arena survival tournament Champion Hill, which has solos, duos, or trios building Loadouts and battling to earn cash. Call of Duty: Vanguard allows players to experience everything with Combat Pacing, which adds filters and choices to create fan-designed Quick Play playlists. Tactical, Assault, and Blitz lobbies all contain their own unique game modes, or players can filter to “All” to drop into any one at random.
There will also be a selection of Hardcore modes in which base health is reduced and HUD is minimal, creating a more true-to-life gameplay experience in Call of Duty: Vanguard. Vanguard will also house Private Matches that can be populated with bots or friends to hone combat skills. The blog post also introduced the 12 playable Task Force Operators that will be available at launch. There are four Task Forces – S.O.T.F. 002 through 005 – which each contains three Operators. Led by the original members of Task Force One, each Task Force introduces unique Operators that can be played in Multiplayer, Zombies, and in Warzone when Vanguard’s integration occurs during Season One.
With less than one year since Black Ops Cold War launched, Call of Duty: Vanguard seems to be adding a fair amount of variety from previous iterations to create a unique Call of Duty experience. Containing both game mode staples of the past and new ones at launch – with more to come post-launch – Vanguard multiplayer is shaping up to hold a lot of unique flavor.
As with any new game, hype is one thing, but the execution is another. Hopefully, Call of Duty: Vanguard will deliver on its promise and provide a unique World War II FPS experience while improving on the Call of Duty formula.
Call of Duty: Vanguard launches on November 5 for PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
Source: Call of Duty