The new season of Call of Duty: Warzone has just started, and with that comes a brand-new map. There's just one major problem: Warzone's new map is basically the exact same as the old one.
The end of Warzone's last season included the detonation of what appeared to be a nuclear bomb in the middle of Verdansk, leading fans to believe this new map would include a giant crater, or some resemblance of chaos and destruction from the fallout. In a strange turn of events, the Call of Duty developers decided to turn back the clock, and revealed a similar map that is set decades earlier than the previous Verdansk, seemingly a nod to the Cold War era that Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is set in.
Now, this new (old) Verdansk Warzone map does have some noticeable differences from the game's previous setting. For one, The Dam is gone, and in it's place is an area known as the Summit, which includes a large base and several buildings where a frozen lake once stood. Based on the previous Warzone map, it can be assumed that at some point the dam was constructed, and the structures seen now had been below the surface this entire time. Players will also notice that there is a giant scaffolding in the middle of the new Warzone map in an area known as the Grid Array, indicating that players are in a time when Verdansk is still being built. The Grid Array can be seen from all points of the map, making it an ideal spot for snipers to hide out and pick people off from incredibly long distances.
Warzone's Map Feels News, But It Isn't
Areas like Warzone's Stadium and The Airport still remain, but with a slight twist. The buildings seem to resemble structures from the 1980's, giving these places a new feel, and include new buildings in the surrounding areas. Aside from that, the map is still the same size and shape as the previous Verdansk, although it appears the area is a bit warmer (or perhaps players have experienced a change of seasons), as there are no frozen rivers and lakes.
To coincide with the map's time-travel, the weapons available in the new Warzone map reflect the time period players find themselves in. The Modern Warfare weapons of the previous version have been replaced with weapons from the Cold War era. Player loadouts remain the same, but guns found throughout the map itself are significantly different from the previous weapons available. Players won't find any thermal scopes, and many weapons come equipped with a flashlight, as opposed to a laser, for hip-fire accuracy.
For those who are fans of the 1980's, this new Warzone map might be preferred to the more modern Verdansk, as it definitely gives players a sense of being in a time long ago. The buildings look as though they are brand-new, and the architecture for the time period is spot-on. For those who were hoping for a post-nuclear Verdansk, and were excited about the prospect of exploring a giant crater (and potential zombies full of radiation) however, this map is a major disappointment and feels more like a reskin than anything actually new.