Activision has confirmed that spin-off Call of Duty battle royale Warzone won’t be retired upon the release of its sequel, as both multiplayer shooters will exist side by side.
Warzone 2 is being pitched as a standalone release rather than a continuation or replacement of Activision’s current free-to-play shooter. According to an official blog post, it will feature a brand new progression system that won’t carry over or change any content from the original Warzone.
“Today’s Warzone will continue as a separate experience that will include a continuation of player progression and inventories within that Warzone experience,” Activision said. “We can’t wait to share more details soon.”
Current Warzone players will still be able to play the game as it stands now, and won’t be forced to jump into the sequel. However, no player-earned content will be carried over to Warzone 2, giving you a fresh start in the upcoming battle royale.
In the same blog post, Activision said the progression reset is needed to deliver a “state-of-the-art experience”. It also billed Warzone 2 as an “extension of the Modern Warfare 2 universe” that will come with “new technology, new features, and new gameplay that work seamlessly together”.
In a final tease, it said we could expect to hear more information on Warzone 2’s new sandbox mode and a “brand-new playspace” closer to launch.
Divisive decisions
This approach to Warzone will be a cause for celebration among some players, and disappointing for others. Current players will feel let down that their progression will amount to nothing when Warzone 2 launches, and irritated that their content unlocks and stats won’t carry over.
However, the time and money they’ve spent on the game won’t be made entirely redundant. As Activision continues to keep the battle royale alive, dedicated players who aren’t ready to move over to the sequel can keep shooting their way across Caldera.
It looks like a fine middle ground. Activision has found a way to relaunch Warzone on a clean slate while catering to players who don’t want a fresh start. It’ll likely be hoping that this two-pronged approach will offer fans something new and allay the concerns of Warzone heavyweights who aren’t keen on a change of scenery.
It’s a starkly different approach to the one Activision Blizzard is taking towards Overwatch 2. All the PvP updates made to that sequel will be rolled out to Overwatch 1, with only the PvE story content locked behind Overwatch 2’s walls. Players of the live-service title will be able to jump into Overwatch 2 without sacrificing their progress from the first game. Time will tell which release system proves more popular.
