Call of Duty's second foray into the Battle Royale genre has arrived, this time with Modern Warfare's version called Warzone. The new mode had various leaks hinting to its existence, but it'll officially launch on March 10, 2020.
Warzone follows the typical Battle Royale formula but uses its own unique mechanics. One of the more impressive changes is that Warzone supports up to 150 players per match, unlike the typical 100-player matches of something like Fortnite or PUBG.
Of course, many players might be wondering if they need to own Modern Warfare in order to jump into Warzone. Here's the answer.
How to Play Warzone Without Modern Warfare
Call of Duty: Warzone is actually a standalone experience from Modern Warfare. Unlike the Blackout mode in Black Ops 4, Warzone doesn't require that players own Modern Warfare to play.
For anyone that owns Modern Warfare, the new mode can be accessed through the menu of the base game and required an update that takes up roughly 18-22 GB. Players that don't own Modern Warfare will need to make sure their systems have a bit more space open. Downloading Warzone separate from Modern Warfare will require between 83-101 GB, not a small size by any regard.
Warzone is free-to-play, so there's no subscription required; simply download Warzone and boot it up. The only benefit Modern Warfare owners get is four hours of early access.
Everything in Call of Duty Warzone
Warzone will be launching with two different modes, Battle Royale and Plunder. Battle Royale, as you might expect, has players grouped in teams of three, fighting to be the last squad standing. However, there's a unique mechanic known as the Gulag that makes Warzone stand out. On their first elimination players will be taken to the Gulag and wait for other players to be eliminated. From there they'll face off in 1vs1 elimination, and whoever wins will be redeployed into the game. Past that, a squad can complete Contracts and earn in-game cash to revive eliminated teammates.
The other game mode in Warzone is Plunder, a mode entirely focused on earning in-game cash. There are unlimited respawns and players earn cash by looting, killing other players and stealing their cash, and completing Contracts. The first team to meet the threshold wins. Both modes take place on the new map of Verdansk, and players will be able to use a variety of vehicles like ATVs and helicopters. Warzone features both crossplay and progression linked to Modern Warfare's multiplayer.
Call of Duty: Warzone releases for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on March 10, 2020.