Call of Duty: Warzone hasn’t even been around for a month (at the time of writing) and already it’s making big waves in the Battle Royale genre. At its core, Warzone offers the refined first-person gameplay that fans have come to expect from the long-running franchise, but it delivers an entirely different experience to the likes of previous CoD titles.
Activision has dabbled in the Battle Royale genre with games like Black Ops 4, but it perhaps didn’t hit the heights that players were looking for. This is arguably due to many fans being put off by the no-show of a single player campaign, something that the Black Ops series was – and is – very much known for.
However in recent years, games such as H1Z1, PUBG, The Culling and Fortnite have made huge strides in making the Battle Royale genre what it is today. When EA’s free-to-play Apex Legends, developed by Respawn Entertainment, hit the market with its initial 3v3 formula, it changed up the genre in a good way. Players responded to the refreshing take, and Apex boasted 50 million players in its first month.
Once Apex Legends entered the arena, fans believed it was only a matter of time until Activision came into play with their own free-to-play contender, and while it may have taken a little longer than expected, finally we got Call of Duty: Warzone.
Taking inspiration from the likes of BR games before it, Call of Duty: Warzone initially started off with two modes: Battle Royale and Plunder, both of which were also to be played in teams of three. However, just days later, Activision and Infinity Ward offered something more traditional, with both trio and solo modes.
Much like all other Battle Royale games, it’s the last player(s) standing that score the win, but Warzone offers something much more than that. The Call of Duty series is known for providing some of the most finely-tuned FPS gameplay mechanics of its genre, but Warzone truly stands out from the crowd in more ways than that. Not only does it support 100 player battle arenas in the huge Verdansk map, but both the Battle Royale and Plunder modes can handle up to 150 players, which is teased as just the beginning.
In its two main modes, Battle Royale and Plunder, players are thrown into the Verdansk map either solo or in a team of three. BR mode features most of the traditional aspects we’ve come to know and love, like dropping into a constantly-shrinking map. Plunder, on the other hand, encourages the player to collect and bank cash in order to purchase improved weapons, gear and Killstreaks to give them a tactical edge over their competitors.
Players are also encouraged to take on in-game Contracts to earn bonuses, such as extra cash to spend. Other rewards include gear and even the location of the next Safe Zone as the poisonous gas closes in on the map.
Since its launch on March 10th, Call of Duty: Warzone has secured itself as one of the fastest rising free-to-player Battle Royale games of all-time, with over 30 millions players downloading the game as of March 20th.
This week, some of the best Battle Royale streamers across the world in the first ever Call of Duty: Warzone esports tournament hosted by Twitch Rivals in partnership with Activision Blizzard.
So be sure to check out all the action , starting at 16:00 GMT/17:00 CET/9:00am PDT. We hope to see you there!
Part of a partnership between GameByte and Twitch Rivals.
Featured Image Credit: Activision