Category: IGN

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Season 3 patch notes are here, revealing all the biggest changes coming to Multiplayer, Zombies, and Warzone as Verdansk makes its triumphant return.

Activision published the full breakdown for everything coming to players on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox on its website today. It’s an enormous wave of tweaks and additions across all of Black Ops 6’s modes, giving players everything they could ever hope to know about how Call of Duty will change when Season 3 launches on Wednesday, April 2, at 9am PT.

Headlines from the Black Ops 6 Season 3 patch notes include crossplay tweaks that allow console players to individually adjust the player pool option in both ranked and non-ranked modes. It’s a change that, as Activision admits, could negatively impact matchmaking queue times for those who turn crossplay off, but it’s at least another option for those looking to tailor their experience to include – or exclude – players on all platforms, all consoles, or only their preferred console of choice.

Shotguns, meanwhile, are coming out of the Black Ops 6 update as big winners, as the weapon class is receiving a small blanket buff for nearly all weapons’ damage, range, and rate of fire. This is all in addition to brand-new content, including the return of classic Multiplayer map Firing Range, the reintroduction of the Kilo 141 assault rifle, and a familiar Scorestreak in the Death Machine.

Zombies players have plenty to chomp down on, too, starting with the biggest highlight with its new map, Shattered Veil. The Raygun Mark II is also here with three new variants to explode zombies with, with fan-favorite Perk-A-Cola Double Tap also back from previous games. Both Multiplayer and Zombies have also been stuffed with a variety of bug fixes and adjustments to ensure the experience stays smooth when launch arrives.

Warzone patch notes get special treatment this time around, as Season 3 will soon usher in the return of one of the most important maps in Call of Duty history: Verdansk. Set to launch one day later, April 3, the Warzone Season 3 update mostly focuses on giving longtime fans a classic coat of paint that reverts some features back to their launch state from 2020. You can see our roundup of some of the biggest differences between modern and classic Verdansk here.

It means that Warzone will feel nostalgic in good and bad ways while still incorporating modern Call of Duty features like Omnimovement. Buy Stations, for example, now feature that OG, vertical UI design for a more streamlined purchasing process in the heat of battle but also come with added features, including a Redeploy All option. Veteran players will also notice that the Precision Airstrike will be much harder to dodge, as its mini-map notification has been removed.

“We have removed the Precision Airstrike’s approximate path indicator on the mini-map in order to return back to how it worked in 2020, where part of its purpose was to surprise your enemies,” the patch notes explain. “We will monitor feedback, data and sentiment on this as we look to the weeks ahead.”

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Season 3 launches in just a few days. In the meantime, you can read up on Activision’s latest anti-cheat update here. You can also check out how Call of Duty is welcoming players back to Verdansk with a limited-time mode and a collection of exclusive rewards. Finally, you can check out the full Season 3 patch notes below.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Season 3 Patch Notes

WELCOME TO SEASON 03

“Did Hudson figure out the Pantheon silver bullet all the way back in 89?” – Frank Woods

In a video recorded before his death, Special Agent Jason Hudson warns of the Pantheon moles who have been working in the shadows for decades ever since Vietnam. They’ve managed to avoid detection throughout the years, using conflict and chaos to cover their tracks. With some new leads in play, however, their secrecy is no longer certain. Time to pick up the trail tomorrow with the launch of Season 03.

Like always, stay up to date with what’s to come with our Season 03 launch, including details of new Multiplayer and Zombies Content and the latest balance adjustments, gameplay improvements, bug fixes, and more arriving tomorrow.

New Multiplayer Maps

• Firing Range (6v6)
  • Firing Range makes its glorious return in Black Ops 6 in a faithful remaster of the fan-favorite map. Watch for crossfire down the long center Road as Operators fight for control of the vantage points in the Tower and the upper levels of the Shoot House and Garage. Shooting targets move back and forth on their tracks behind the Office and several other spots adding a useful diversion while preparing for the next fight. Avoid the center chaos by branching off to the Dirt Road, keeping your guard up against ambush as you pass the Storage unit along the way.
• Barrage (6v6)
  • Revisit 1968 Vietnam as you follow Hudson’s clues surrounding one Summit Watch at the front lines of battle. The trees have been cleared and the landscape flattened to make room for this base housing an artillery battery in active combat. The area has taken hits with large chunks blown off buildings including the Command Center and Barracks, the damage opening new pathways through the map.
• Nomad (6v6, 2v2)
  • The Pantheon moles were in Afghanistan, too, when Woods fought there in 1986. Fight in the ruins of a fortified settlement commandeered for the ensuing battle, a parked missile carrier facing out over the valley where a convoy lies in ruins on the narrow road leading up to the map.

New Multiplayer Modes

Sharpshooter

• Flex your skills in this classic Black Ops free for all party mode where every Operator is assigned the same Loadout which changes every 45 seconds. Each cycle introduces a new Primary and Secondary Weapon from scoped Sniper Rifles to akimbo Pistols, plus a new Dedicated Melee weapon and Tactical and Lethal Equipment.
• Use everything at your disposal to eliminate enemies while unlocking bonus abilities for going on a streak:
  • 1st Elimination: Increased movement speed.
  • 2nd Elimination: Increased reload speed.
  • 3rd Elimination: Increased sprint recovery speed.
  • 4th Elimination: Increased ADS speed.
  • 5th Elimination: Earn double score for eliminating enemies.
• Keep the streak going to unlock double score and make a run for the top three. When you’re taken out, respawn and build up those bonuses again. A short countdown precedes each weapon swap. Adapt and win.

Demolition

• Alternate between attacking and defending two bomb sites. The attacking team must destroy both bomb sites to win the round, gaining a time bonus after detonating the first site. All attacking Operators spawn with a bomb and respawns are active for both teams throughout the match.
• Defense is all about running down the clock. Defuse planted bombs right away, as the match timer pauses whenever a bomb site is in active countdown. If one of the sites is destroyed, regroup and throw everything you have into defending the last one.

New Weapons (Multiplayer & Zombies)

• Kilo 141 – Assault Rifle (Call of Duty: Warzone Login Reward)
  • Fully automatic assault rifle with an ergonomic design that improves handling, and a steady fire rate helps stay on target.
  • The Kilo 141 is back and ready to tear it up across Multiplayer and Call of Duty: Warzone. The weapon’s smooth handling, manageable recoil, and steady fire rate give it room to shine in a variety of combat situations, leaving no doubt as to why the Kilo 141 was a favorite in Verdansk. Now that the location is back, it’s time to relive the glory days with this hard-hitting Primary Weapon.
  • Players will automatically unlock the Kilo 141 for use in Black Ops 6 and Call of Duty: Warzone after logging in to Call of Duty: Warzone at the launch of Season 03.
• CR-56 – Assault Rifle (Battle Pass)
  • This lightweight 7.62 x 39mm full-auto assault rifle is compact and powerful. Built exclusively for military use, the standard issue rifle is deadly at mid-range combat and easily configured for a variety of assault tactics.
  • Combining high-damage hits with a fast fire rate and good handling, the CR-56 AMAX is the perfect mid-range weapon for downing targets fast. Eliminate enemies in three to four shots up to 25 meters out, leaving plenty left over to chew through equipped armor. Quick reloads get you back into the action fast, a helpful trait no matter how you choose to customize the weapon via Gunsmith.
• HDR – Sniper Rifle (Battle Pass)
  • Anti-material bolt action sniper rifle chambered in 12.7 x 108mm ammunition. Bullets have a lower muzzle velocity but remain devastating even at very long ranges.
  • Veterans of Verdansk know the power of the HDR and the havoc a sniper can inflict with it when stationed in high vantage points like the infamous Airport Control Tower. The weapon’s long reach and heavy damage make it a favorite of sharpshooters, its distinctive firing sound sending squads running. Add the Reinforced Barrel attachment to further extend your damage range and bullet velocity, and don’t forget to hold your breath for difficult shots.
• Kali Sticks – Melee (Event Reward)
  • Two-hit kill. Extremely fast attack speed. Short range.
  • The infamous Kali Sticks return, dealing out damage with rapid swings that’ll take down your target in a flash. Smack them with fast follow-up hits using the weapon’s light attack or take them out in a more dramatic fashion by unleashing the heavy attack. Use Kali Sticks in Multiplayer with the new Close Shave Perk to deploy a quick whack against enemies without having to manually swap to your Dedicated Melee slot first.
• Nail Gun – Special (In-Season)
  • Full-auto Nail Gun. High damage at close range with fast handling speeds and very low muzzle velocity.
  • Stick it to them with this handy tool configured with a magazine of 15 nails that fires at full auto. The damage drops off quickly after 25 meters and performs best up close. The Nail Gun’s low muzzle velocity can make it difficult to land shots against fast moving targets, so get them in your sights and unload before they know what hit them. This armament is a reward earned during the Black Ops Tribute Event.

New Attachments

• Monolithic Suppressor (Battle Pass)
  • Monolithic Core provides superior sound suppression and increased range. Moderate weight increase affects agility.
  • Available for Assault Rifles (except AS VAL), SMGs, Shotguns, LMGs, Marksman Rifles, Sniper Rifles, and Pistols.
• SWAT 5.56 Grau Conversion (Battle Pass)
  • Convert the SWAT 5.56 into a fully automatic weapon with lower damage and range but improved accuracy, mobility, and handling. Equips a new default Barrel and Magazine and unlocks an exclusive 50-round extended Magazine. Blocks Barrel attachments.
• C9 10mm Auto 30-Round Mags (In-Season)
  • Conversion kit to use higher caliber 10mm Auto ammunition for increased stopping power. Though the conversion results in some increased recoil and a slightly lower fire rate, the extra damage, range, and velocity make this attachment a worthy consideration when approaching enemies on bigger maps.

New Multiplayer Perks

Close Shave – Enforcer (Event Reward)

• Automatically use your Dedicated Melee attack when you perform a weapon butt attack. Simply tap the Melee button to attack. Like the old days!

New Scorestreak (Multiplayer & Zombies)

• Death Machine (In-Season)
  • Heavy minigun with a fast fire rate, high penetration, and a large ammunition capacity.
  • Wield the infamous Death Machine, a powerful weapon with a single large magazine that fires high impact rounds at a blistering rate of fire. Score earned while using the Death Machine contributes to your current Scorestreak progress, making this a great tool for bumping up to the next streak.

New Zombies Map: Shattered Veil

With the Sentinel Artifact in hand, the crew heads to the remote wooded hills above Liberty Falls to meet with S.A.M. at an old mansion in the forest which has been retrofitted to [[REDACTED]]. Only with the aid of S.A.M.’s synthetic mind can the team hope to unlock the ancient artifact’s mysteries and bring back Agent Maxis. What could possibly go wrong?

New Zombies Perk-A-Cola

• Double Tap
  • The classic rapid-fire Perk returns for the first time in nearly a decade, dramatically increasing your weapon’s fire rate to chew through enemy hordes in record time. Research the iconic Perk for powerful enhancements like an even faster fire rate and the chance to inflict double damage.
  • Double Tap is available in Shattered Veil along with the other previously accessible Zombies Perks. Note that some of these Perk-a-Colas are only available via the Der Wunderfizz machine.
  • Double Tap is available on The Tomb, Citadelle des Morts, Liberty Falls and Terminus maps via the Der Wunderfizz machine.
• Double Tap Augments
  • Major
    • Double Jeopardy
      • Normal zombies at low health have a chance to die immediately when shot.
    • Double Impact
      • Double hits on the same target in quick succession deal more damage.
    • Double Standard
      • All non-critical shots do double damage. Only applies to normal bullet weapons.
  • Minor
    • Double Time
      • Increases fire rate bonus.
    • Double or Nothing
      • Weapons have a chance to do double damage but also have a chance to do zero damage.
    • Double Play
      • Killing two enemies in quick succession has a chance to return two rounds to your magazine. Only applies to normal bullet weapons.

New Zombies Wonder Weapons

• Ray Gun Mark II (+ 3 Variants)
  • Drop multiple zombies at once with the upgraded and modestly unstable Ray Gun Mark II. Recovered from the Dark Aether by Project Janus, this powerful laser armament delivers three-round bursts of energy, can be Pack-a-Punched, and doubles as a bludgeoning instrument if you’re running low on ammunition.
  • Then there’s the three new variants.
    • Provided you’ve [[REDACTED]], you can experiment with an additional three variants of the Ray Gun Mark II:
      • Ray Gun Mark II-W: Offering similar bullet patterns to a submachine gun, this also has a random chance to ignite enemies.
      • Ray Gun Mark II-P: Shooting ammunition like a shotgun, with a chance to spawn a sigil with the ability to grant invulnerability to the player standing on it for a limited time.
      • Ray Gun Mark II-R: Dropping zombies with a Marksman Rifle-like discharge, expect a chance to spread a plague infection that can inflict area-of-effect damage.
• Wunderwaffe DG-2
  • Capable of striking down hordes with chain-lightning blasts, this has the bonus effect of stunning crowds of zombies, usually resulting in additional, and eventually terminal damage.

New Zombies Enemies

• Elder Disciple
  • Strange, floating apparitions have been seen flitting about the sprawling gardens and rambling mansion estate. Known to some as Elder Disciples, these powerful enemies likely spell trouble for the crew.
  • Elder Disciples gain strength as they empower the zombies around them while summoning more undead to join the battle. Using their dark magic, these fetid, floating carcasses can force their allies to evolve more quickly, allowing a lowly zombie to more rapidly transform into a Doppelghast or some other sinister form.
  • Eliminate the Elder Disciple before their forces grow too powerful, keeping it at a distance to avoid the scream it lets loose against players who draw too close. The deadly enemy grows more agitated as it takes damage, so try to get the job done fast.
• Toxic Zombies
  • As a sickly yellow fog descends across the mansion, expect the inhabitants to take on an even-more revolting pallor. Easily identifiable due to their greenish hue and more skeletal exterior, Toxic Zombies seem to have lost all but their base perambulatory functions and seem intent on sprinting toward their prey before exploding, leaving a damaging pool of acid in their wake. Listen for their telltale shriek and get the jump on them before they can close the distance.

New GobbleGums

• Tactical Diffusion (Rare)
  • Disables the next Nuke Power-Up explosion you activate and gives everyone 2,000 Essence instead.
• Support Group (Legendary)
  • Gobble up this tasty GobbleGum to acquire the ARC-XD, Mangler Cannon, Sentry Gun and Mutant Injection Support items.
• Die Pitched (Whimsical)
  • Zombies have high-pitched voices. Lasts three minutes.

New Features

• Camo Hub
  • The Camo HUB is planned to be added shortly after launch to provide players with a wealth of Camo information and assist all in their quest for Dark Matter and Nebula. Available via the Barracks > Challenges Menu, the Camo HUB gives players all the Camo information they need in a single location:
    • View all available Weapons by Weapon Class, with each Weapon sorted by furthest Camo progress
    • View the Next Camo Challenge for each Weapon
    • View the 2 available Special Camos for each Weapon
    • View the next unearned Camo Mastery Calling Card reward
    • Track/Untrack a Weapon’s Next Camo
    • Select a Weapon to go to that Weapon’s full Camo screen
    • “Tracked & Near Complete” tab now serves as the new home for the player’s manually tracked or automatically surfaced near complete Camo Challenges

New Operators

• R0-Z3 (BlackCell, Crimson One, Launch)
  • R0-Z3 returns to claim her status as a top BlackCell operative working in Verdansk. You know the drill. No witnesses.
• Hudson (Battle Pass, Rogue Black Ops, Launch)
  • Special Agent Jason Hudson, CIA operative, handler to Alex Mason, and KIA during Operation False Profit.
• Mace (Battle Pass, Crimson One, Launch)
  • The Special Forces Army Ranger turned PMC returns, ready to inflict serious damage on anyone who thinks they can best him in Verdansk.
• John Black Ops (Event Reward for Black Ops 6 owners, In-Season)
  • A mysterious Operator clad in a gray jump suit, sporting tactical goggles and helmet. Anonymous. Unassuming. Deadly.

New Events

• Black Ops Tribute (In-Season)
  • Don’t miss out on this legendary tribute to Black Ops in an event stuffed with rewards that honor the history of the series.
  • Earn XP in any mode to progress the Event and earn Black Ops themed rewards. Black Ops 6 owners will receive additional rewards only available to use in Black Ops 6.
  • Earn cosmetic content and functional equipment, including the Nail Gun (Special Weapon), C9 10mm Auto 30-Round Mags (Attachment), Thermite (Lethal in Call of Duty: Warzone), Death Machine (Scorestreak in MP/Support in Zombies), Close Shave (MP Perk), an Emote, GobbleGums, and the fan-requested Operator, “John Black Ops”.

GLOBAL

RICOCHET Anti-Cheat

This season, the focus remains on our commitment to taking down cheat makers, banning bad actors, and ensuring a great player experience. Our roadmap for anti-cheat extends beyond this season, but in the latest Progress Report we’ll focus on recent results and security-focused updates coming in Season 03.

Check out the Season 03 RICOCHET Anti-Cheat Update here.

Console Cross-Play Settings

In Season 03, we’re giving console players more granular options by separating the MP Ranked Play and Call of Duty: Warzone Ranked Play settings and adding a new Multiplayer-only setting for Quickplay, Featured, and Party Games matches.

Each of these three settings (Multiplayer Ranked Play, Call of Duty: Warzone Ranked Play, and Multiplayer Unranked) will include the following options:

• On: Enables matchmaking with all gaming platforms when playing in the selected playlists.
• On (Consoles Only): Enables matchmaking only with other consoles when playing in selected playlists.
  • May negatively impact matchmaking queue times.
• Off: Restricts matchmaking to your current gaming platform only in selected playlists.
  • Will negatively impact matchmaking queue times.

Additional details on how these settings interact with party members who are on different platforms.

• Players in a party who all belong to the same console platform will matchmake with the party leader’s preferred cross-play settings.
• Players who have selected “Cross-Play Off” and create a mixed platform party that includes a different console platform will have their cross-play settings temporarily adjusted to “Cross-Play On (Consoles Only)” to enable matchmaking. This temporary adjustment enables matchmaking for the duration of the mixed platform party, and disbanding this party will result in preferred matchmaking settings being restored.
• Players who have selected “Cross-Play Off” and create a mixed platform party with a PC player will have their cross-play settings temporarily adjusted to “Cross-Play On.” This enables matchmaking for the duration of the mixed platform party, and disbanding this party will result in preferred matchmaking settings being restored.
• Reminder: Adjusting Cross-Play settings may negatively impact matchmaking queue times.

UI/UX

Pre-Loading Shaders Improvements

• Improved menu framerate stability while compiling shaders.
  • The Pre-Loading Shaders warning has been split per game mode.
  • Significantly reduced the time required to compile shaders before launching a match.
• A new menu widget was added in the lobby to indicate the progress of Pre-Loading Shaders to let you know when you are ready to play!

PC Benchmark

• ICYMI: The PC Benchmark remains a useful tool to optimize your gaming experience. Located in the Graphics Settings menu of Black Ops 6 Multiplayer, it simulates a multiplayer match to help you fine-tune your graphics for optimal performance and higher framerates.

Global

• Entering Prestige will no longer reset Operator, Calling Card, Emote, Spray, or Gobblegum customization.
• Addressed an issue where Finishing Move audio would continue to play after scrolling to a new tier in the Battle Pass.

Challenges

• BlackCell
  • BlackCell Daily Challenge
    • BlackCell owners can now complete an additional Daily Challenge in Multiplayer, Zombies, and Call of Duty: Warzone for an added 7,500 XP each. The BlackCell Daily Challenge counts toward the 3 challenges needed to earn the Daily Challenge Bonus XP.

Weapons

Multiplayer & Zombies

A major focus of our weapon balance changes in Season 3 is to enable more gameplay variety. Almost every attachment that modifies the core behavior of a weapon is receiving an improvement to help with its viability in the meta. It is our goal to ensure that all existing and future weapon mods feel fun and powerful to use.

Semi-auto weapons are another broad target for buffs this patch. The changes aim to make these weapons more accessible and competitive, as well as create more distinct gameplay feel between the faster semi-auto primaries.

As a last top-level note, the Season 3 patch includes adjustments to the Jackal PDW. More details on the thinking behind the change can be found below. Our weapon balance philosophy is to be conservative with nerfs, and to always consider whether there is an opportunity to elevate other weapons instead. In this case, we feel strongly that tuning down the Jackal PDW will be good for the health of the weapon meta going forward.

Shotguns

All three shotguns have improvements to their alternate ammo types: Dragon’s Breath and Slug Rounds. Dragon’s Breath now has a slightly higher damage over time, as well as longer range. Pellet damage is also being improved at various ranges. The goal is to make Dragon’s Breath a longer range alternative that still retains a classic shotgun feel.

Slug Rounds are getting significant buffs, with the goal of giving each shotgun a unique alternate playstyle. The Marine SP Slugs have a massive range improvement, which paired with better headshot damage turn it into a high risk, high reward precision weapon. The ASG-89 Slugs have much higher damage, converting it into a mid-range semi-auto slugger. Finally, the Maelstrom Slugs have higher damage and ranges that make it akin to a slow-fire rifle.

Shotgun Attachment Adjustments

• Dragon’s Breath
  • Burn damage increased from 25 to 30.

Marksman Rifles

As noted in the general section, semi-auto Marksman Rifles are getting buffs to help them contend with the other weapon classes. Rate of Fire is the main tool here, as that improves TTK and makes missed shots more forgiving.

Movement Updates

• Increased crouch to stand speeds by 15%.
• Increased crouch to stand speeds while ADS by 39%.
• Increased directional sprint animation blend speeds for improved fluidity.

Multiplayer

Maps

• Barrage (NEW)
  • New 6v6 map set in 1968 Vietnam.
• Nomad (NEW)
  • New 6v6/2v2 Strike map set in 1986 Afghanistan.
• Firing Range (Remaster)
  • Remastered 6v6 map, also available via Firing Range 24/7 playlist.

Modes

• Sharpshooter
  • Classic Black Ops free-for-all Party Game where every Operator is assigned the same Loadout, which changes every 45 seconds.
  • Each cycle introduces a new Primary and Secondary Weapon, plus a new Dedicated Melee weapon and Tactical and Lethal Equipment.
  • Eliminate enemies while unlocking bonus abilities for going on a streak:
    • 1st Elimination: Increased movement speed.
    • 2nd Elimination: Increased reload speed.
    • 3rd Elimination: Increased sprint recovery speed.
    • 4th Elimination: Increased ADS speed.
    • 5th Elimination: Earn double score for eliminating enemies.
  • Keep the streak going to unlock double score.
  • NOTE: Sharpshooter will be added to the new Party Games menu later in the season after it leaves the Featured Playlist selection.
• Demolition (Launch Window)
  • Alternate between attacking and defending two bomb sites. The attacking team must destroy both bomb sites to win the round, gaining a time bonus after detonating the first site.
  • All attacking Operators spawn with a bomb and respawns are active for both teams throughout the match. The match timer pauses whenever a bomb site is in active countdown.
  • The first team to win two rounds wins the match. If the score reaches 1-1, players enter a tie-breaking final round where both teams race to detonate a single neutral bomb site.

General Playlist Updates

• Season 03 Moshpit
  • Play respawn modes on the newest Season 03 maps: Barrage, Nomad, and Firing Range.
• Firing Range 24/7
  • Moshpit of respawn modes on Firing Range.

• Party Games
  • Added Party Games option in Featured Playlists with options to play Infected, Gun Game, Prop Hunt, or Gunfight.
  • Any additional Party Games will be added to this menu in the future.
• Gunfight
  • Moved to the Party Games menu going forward.

Spawns

• Addressed an issue where players could spawn at active Shock Charge placements.

Perks

• Close Shave (Launch Window)
  • Automatically use your Dedicated Melee attack when you perform a weapon butt attack. Simply tap the Melee button to attack. Like the old days!
• Dispatcher
  • Increased the score bonus for Interceptors from 100 to 125.

Scorestreaks

• Death Machine (Launch Window)
  • Heavy minigun with a fast fire rate, high penetration, and a large ammunition capacity.
• Interceptors
  • Reduced score cost from 1150 to 1025.
• War Machine
  • Reduced score cost from 1300 to 1150.

Movement Updates

• Reduced slide in max speed scale from from 1.6 to 1.55.
• Reduced slide max time from .7 to .65.

Ranked Play

Ranked Play continues in Season 03 with new rewards to claim and new Competitive Integrity systems to keep Ranked Play fair for all competitors.

New Ranked Play Systems

• Retroactive SR Adjustments
  • To help reverse the impact cheaters have on the Ranked Play SR system, retroactive SR adjustments will be made starting in Season 03.
    • When a Ranked Play cheater is banned, anyone they’ve recently beaten will receive a SR refund for those matches.
    • Players who we detect playing with cheaters may have SR for those wins taken away.
• Rejoin Matches in Progress
  • Starting with Season 03, players will be able to rejoin Ranked matches if they disconnect.
  • Players will have five minutes to rejoin the match in progress and avoid quit penalties and suspensions. Teammates will receive a reduced SR Loss if a matchmade teammate rejoins and they lose the match.

Season 03 Rank Setback

• Competitors who are continuing their conquest in Ranked Play from Season 02 will notice that their accounts may have been set back as outlined in previous notes.
  • Every new Season, your Rank may be rolled back based on where you ended the previous season, as follows:
    • Bronze or Silver Rank players are not impacted by the Seasonal setback and will be able to pick up where they ended Season 02 with no SR deduction.
    • Gold or Platinum Rank players will start Season 03 in Tier I of Gold or Platinum respectively.
    • Diamond Rank and above players will start the Season 03 at Diamond I.

Demotion Protection

• Demotion Protection will be active for everyone’s first 3 Ranked Play losses in Season 03, and players can expect 1 free loss per day via Daily Loss Forgiveness like in Season 02.

Ranked Play Season 03 Rewards

• Ranked Play Season 03 Rewards
  • Rank Weapon Blueprints: Jackal PDW SMG
    • Each Rank Gold and above has a unique Rank-themed Weapon Blueprint that you can earn to show off your rank.
      • Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Crimson & Iridescent: Start in (or above) or reach the applicable Rank anytime in Season 03 to instantly earn the corresponding Jackal PDW Blueprint.
      • Top 250: Finish Season 03 in the Top 250 to earn the “Top 250 Issue Jackal PDW” Blueprint.
  • Rank Calling Cards
    • Each Rank Silver and above has a unique Calling Card reward:
      • Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Crimson, Iridescent: Start in (or above) or reach the applicable Rank anytime in Season 03 to instantly earn the corresponding Season 03 Rank Calling Card..
      • Top 250: Finish Season 03 in the Top 250.
      • Top 250 Champion: One-of-a-kind Calling Card awarded to the single player who finishes Season 03 in the #1 position on the Top 250.
  • Pro Issue AMES 85 Weapon Blueprint: Unlocked by winning 10 Ranked Play matches in Season 03.
  • 100 Season 03 Wins Large Decal: Unlocked by winning 100 Ranked Play matches in Season 03.

Challenges

• “Hard and Fast” Prestige Master Challenge: the description now mentions the Fast Hands Perk, which also needs to be equipped to progress the Challenge.

UI

• Updated the Quartermaster, Hunter’s Instinct, and Slipstream Perk descriptions to be clearer.
• Addressed an issue where the Scoreboard would be blank when opening it at the end of a round or match.
• Addressed an issue where Forward Intel Perk would produce inconsistent minimap zoom functionality.
• Added a timer to the Winner’s Circle that counts down the delay before Emotes can be performed. An Emote triggered during the countdown will automatically play as soon as the timer ends.
• Addressed a Private Match issue where Game Setup was unresponsive after queuing for Gun Game.
• Addressed an issue where the winning map would be displayed as vetoed after the Veto Vote concludes in Ranked Play.
• Updated the SR Protection string in the Ranked Play lobby to be more descriptive.

Stability

• Addressed various stability issues.

Zombies

Maps

• Shattered Veil (NEW)
  • New map available in Season 03. Main Quest goes live at 9AM PT on April 2.
• Liberty Falls
  • Directed Mode
    • Addressed an issue that prevented the Round Cap from updating properly during the Liberty Falls Pack-a-Punch quest.
• The Tomb
  • Addressed an issue where rarely the monocle wouldn’t spawn at the Shock Mimic’s location when killed for the Wonder Weapon Quest.
  • Addressed an issue where zombies could damage Staff of Ice from behind the Plinth.
  • Addressed an issue where some zombies could appear jittery when attacking the Staff of Ice.
  • Addressed an issue that caused black smoke to come out of a playable character on death.
  • Addressed an issue where the Max Ammo after a special round would spawn far away from the player if they were in the Roma Mausoleum.
  • Addressed an issue where sections of the barrier denoting the Vermin Trial zone were not always present.

Modes

• Team Cranked (Launch Window)
  • Rules
    • The Cranked Timer starts when the first enemy is eliminated. The timer is shared across the whole team and any kill from any team member fills it.
      • The timer starts at 30 seconds. Each enemy eliminated replenishes the timer to its current maximum, and every round survived causes the maximum timer to be reduced by 1 second.
        • Essence earned by eliminating zombies is increased compared to Standard/Directed Mode
        • The Time Stopper Field Upgrade replaces your loadout’s Field Upgrade.
        • Main Quests and Easter Eggs are enabled.
  • Abilities
    • Time Stopper: Temporarily pause the Cranked timer for all teammates. All Operators begin the match with the Time Stopper Field Upgrade equipped.
      • Time Extended: Grab this rare power-up to fill the Cranked timer and add a small amount to the maximum time allowed.
  • Rewards (Survive past Round 50)
    • A custom selection of six GobbleGums per map.
      • Each contains one high-rarity GobbleGum and five GobbleGums of other rarities.
        • 15,000 XP per map, for a total of 75,000 XP across all maps.

Wonder Weapons

• Raygun Mark II (and Variants)
  • Drop multiple zombies at once with the upgraded and modestly unstable Ray Gun Mark II. Recovered from the Dark Aether by Project Janus, this powerful laser armament delivers three-round bursts of energy, can be Pack-a-Punched, and doubles as a bludgeoning instrument if you’re running low on ammunition.
  • Then there’s the three new variants.
    • Provided you’ve [[REDACTED]], you can experiment with an additional three variants of the Ray Gun Mark II:
      • Ray Gun Mark II-W: Offering similar bullet patterns to a submachine gun, this also has a random chance to ignite enemies.
      • Ray Gun Mark II-P: Shooting ammunition like a shotgun, with a chance to spawn a sigil with the ability to grant invulnerability to the player standing on it for a limited time.
      • Ray Gun Mark II-R: Dropping zombies with a Marksman Rifle-like discharge, expect a chance to spread a plague infection that can inflict area-of-effect damage.
• Wunderwaffe DG-2
  • Capable of striking down hordes with chain-lightning blasts, this has the bonus effect of stunning crowds of zombies, usually resulting in additional, and eventually terminal damage.
• Ray Gun
  • Addressed an issue where the Ray Gun would not automatically reload when emptying magazine ammo.

Perk-A-Colas

• Double Tap (New)
  • The classic rapid-fire Perk returns for the first time in nearly a decade, dramatically increasing your weapon’s fire rate to chew through enemy hordes in record time. Research the iconic Perk for powerful enhancements like an even faster fire rate and the chance to inflict double damage.
  • Double Tap is available in Shattered Veil along with the other previously accessible Zombies Perks. Note that some of these Perk-a-Colas are only available via the Der Wunderfizz machine.
  • Double Tap is available on The Tomb, Citadelle des Morts, Liberty Falls and Terminus maps via the Der Wunderfizz machine.
• Double Tap Augments
  • Major
    • Double Jeopardy
      • Normal zombies at low health have a chance to die immediately when shot.
    • Double Impact
      • Double hits on the same target in quick succession deal more damage.
    • Double Standard
      • All non-critical shots do double damage. Only applies to normal bullet weapons.
  • Minor
    • Double Time
      • Increases fire rate bonus.
    • Double or Nothing
      • Weapons have a chance to do double damage but also have a chance to do zero damage.
    • Double Play
      • Killing two enemies in quick succession has a chance to return two rounds to your magazine. Only applies to normal bullet weapons.

Ammo Mods

• Light Mend
  • Dual Action
    • Addressed an issue where consuming a healing glyph would not temporarily allow the player to heal faster.
  • Antibiotic
    • Addressed an issue where healing glyphs would not damage enemies that touch it.

Field Upgrades

• Tesla Storm
  • Overclocked
    • Addressed an issue where activating Tesla Storm would not increase the player’s movement speed.
  • Lithium Charged
    • Addressed an issue where the extended duration would apply to all players activating Tesla Storm if at least one player had it equipped.

GobbleGums

• Addressed an issue where players weren’t able to use their GobbleGums in their pack after entering a Prestige.

Power-Ups

• Max Ammo
  • Addressed an issue that prevented the Max Ammo powerup from refilling ammo for players that are using a Mutant Injection.

Enemies

• Mangler
  • Addressed an issue where Manglers could attack the player with their cannon from outside playable space.

Challenges

• GS45 Military Camos
  • Changed requirement to Eliminations instead of Critical kills due to these weapons becoming explosive after being Pack-a-Punched.
• LR 7.62 Military Camos
  • Changed requirement to Eliminations instead of Critical kills due to these weapons becoming explosive after being Pack-a-Punched.
• Titan Felling (Get Elite Kills with Shotguns)
  • Now allows Special Zombie kills to progress the challenge.
• Perfectly Charred (Kill Special Zombies with Molotovs)
  • Now allows Thermobaric Grenades to progress the challenge.
• Stalking Prey (While inside smoke from a Smoke Grenade, kill Zombies with Melee Weapons)
  • Removed melee weapon requirement so all weapons can progress the challenge.

UI

• Addressed an issue where the earned reward was missing from the notification after completing a Main Quest.
• Addressed an issue where the vote prompt could stay on screen after taking a fast travel.
• Addressed an issue where the Deadliest Weapon was incorrect in the After Action Report.
• Addressed an issue where reward notifications would overlap with the Round Cap callout in Directed Mode.
• Addressed an issue where the equipped Ammo Mod was hidden behind your Support when using akimbo weapons.
• Addressed an issue where Blueprint icons would be misaligned when viewing ground loot.
• Addressed an issue where players are able to interact with certain machines while spectating.
• Addressed an issue where the Calling Card awarded for completing a Main Quest would not be shown in the After Action Report.
• Addressed an issue where Mutant Injection HUD was displayed during a cutscene.
• Addressed an issue where a ping on the Mystery Box would stay after it changes location.
• Corrected some typos.

Graphics

• Addressed an issue when using the Time Out GobbleGum while a white flash occurs could leave the screen white.
• Addressed an issue with visuals during the Gold Armor Side Quest on The Tomb.
• Addressed an issue where the Ray Gun would be misaligned with players hand when in 3rd-person prone supine.
• Addressed an issue where the Pack-a-Punch camo for the “Donatello’s Bo Staff” Blueprint would not cover the entire weapon.
• Addressed an issue that caused the “Fire Eater” Beamsmasher Blueprint to not be visible at short distances.
• Addressed an issue where some white flashes could be seen during the Terminus Boat Race Side Quest.

Audio

• Addressed an issue where no sound effects played when interacting with the bottom row of keys on the Keypad in Terminus.

Stability

• Addressed various stability issues.

Warzone

GLOBAL

RICOCHET ANTI-CHEAT

This season, the focus remains on our commitment to taking down cheat makers, banning bad actors, and ensuring a great player experience. Our roadmap for anti-cheat extends beyond this season, but in the latest Progress Report we’ll focus on recent results and security-focused updates coming in Season 03.

Check out the Season 03 RICOCHET Anti-Cheat Update here.

BATTLE PASS

Memories are a powerful tool, and even the departed can change the course of history. The road back to Verdansk involves unlocking some core memories, as well as some unforgettable weaponry and new Operators. A flashback to agent Jason Hudson, bringing echoes of his frontline savvy, Hudson is unlockable by progressing within the Battle Pass. Joining him is Mace, the metal-faced mercenary, who will bring the war anywhere, anytime, for anyone, unlocked instantly upon Battle Pass purchase.

The Season 03 Battle Pass includes over 110 pieces of unlockable content (excluding BlackCell) including free, earnable armaments; two new Base Weapons, the Monolithic Suppressor Attachment, and more. Check out the BlackCell, Battle Pass and Store Bundles blog prior to Season 03 launch for a closer look at what’s coming.

CONSOLE CROSS-PLAY

In Season 03, we’re giving console players more granular options by separating the MP Ranked Play and Call of Duty: Warzone Ranked Play settings and adding a new Multiplayer-only setting for Quickplay, Featured, and Party Games matches.

Each of these three settings (Multiplayer Ranked Play, Call of Duty: Warzone Ranked Play, and Multiplayer Unranked) will include the following options:

• On: Enables matchmaking with all gaming platforms when playing in the selected playlists.
• On (Consoles Only): Enables matchmaking only with other consoles when playing in selected playlists.
  • May negatively impact matchmaking queue times.
• Off: Restricts matchmaking to your current gaming platform only in selected playlists.
  • Will negatively impact matchmaking queue times.

Additional details on how these settings interact with party members who are on different platforms.

• Players in a party who all belong to the same console platform will matchmake with the party leader’s preferred cross-play settings.
• Players who have selected “Cross-Play Off” and create a mixed platform party that includes a different console platform will have their cross-play settings temporarily adjusted to “Cross-Play On (Consoles Only)” to enable matchmaking. This temporary adjustment enables matchmaking for the duration of the mixed platform party, and disbanding this party will result in preferred matchmaking settings being restored.
• Players who have selected “Cross-Play Off” and create a mixed platform party with a PC player will have their cross-play settings temporarily adjusted to “Cross-Play On.” This enables matchmaking for the duration of the mixed platform party, and disbanding this party will result in preferred matchmaking settings being restored.
• Reminder: Adjusting Cross-Play settings may negatively impact matchmaking queue times.

UI/UX/TECH

• Pre-Loading Shaders
  • Improved menu framerate stability while compiling shaders.
    • The Pre-Loading Shaders warning has been split per game mode.
      • Significantly reduced the time required to compile shaders before launching a match.
  • A new menu widget was added in the lobby to indicate the progress of Pre-Loading Shaders to let you know when you are ready to play!
• PC Benchmark
  • ICYMI: The PC Benchmark remains a useful tool to optimize your gaming experience.
  • Located in the Graphics Settings menu of Black Ops 6 Multiplayer, it simulates a multiplayer match to help you fine-tune your graphics for optimal performance and higher framerates.

CUSTOMIZATION

• Weapon & Blueprint Customization
  • You’re now able to customize any Black Ops 6 base weapon or Weapon Blueprint with a skin you’ve unlocked or purchased, across Multiplayer, Zombies, and Call of Duty: Warzone.
    • For Base Weapons, you can only change the skin of the Base Weapon, not any Attachments.
    • For Blueprints, you can customize the skins with other existing Attachments.

CHALLENGES

• BlackCell Daily Challenge
  • BlackCell owners can now complete an additional Daily Challenge in Multiplayer, Zombies, and Call of Duty: Warzone for an added 7,500 XP each. The BlackCell Daily Challenge counts toward the 3 challenges needed to earn the Daily Challenge Bonus XP.

WARZONE

EVENTS

Return to Verdansk

Welcome back to Verdansk!

Celebrate Verdansk’s return by logging into Call of Duty: Warzone from April 3rd to 15th to earn up to 20 rewards including six instant unlocks and the Kali Sticks Melee Weapon.

Open safes in various locations to secure rewards, such as the exclusive “Trail Blazer” Operator Skin for Caine. You may even get especially lucky during your search!

Be sure to log in to instantly unlock the Kilo 141 and two Operator Skins. Original Verdansk veterans also get bonus items: the “Blue Legacy” Contrails, “Coming Home” Parachute, and “Like We Never Left” Gun Screen.

Visit the Return to Verdansk Blog for full details.

MAPS

Classic

• Verdansk
  • Welcome Home: Verdansk has returned! The map that started it all in Call of Duty: Warzone – including a breadth of classic and memorable features that naturally come with it.
  • Below is a recap of some of the improvements made to Verdansk that players can expect to see – as outlined in the Return to Verdansk blog:
    • Trees slightly repositioned from the original map.
    • Non-drivable vehicles clearly marked as smoldering wreckage.
    • Swimming now possible – southern coastline expanded into Kastovian Sea (not critical to gameplay).
    • Improved traversal in steep areas – new “goat trails” added.
    • Shorter telephone/electrical poles for easier parachute landings.
    • Additional ladders and adjusted paths to rooftops for better accessibility.
    • Doors now double-hinged, allowing barging, shooting, or blowing open/closed.
    • Ascenders returning mid-season, already available in Plunder mode; updated to faster “L” shape design for increased fluidity and speed when getting on and off
    • Enhanced exterior lighting, improved visibility, and reduced glare.
    • Interior lighting adjusted to reduce hiding spots, especially against dark corners.
    • Added detail enhancements, such as extra debris and scenery around Fire Stations and riverbanks.
    • And for console players, the ability to view Verdansk in up to 120 FOV for the first time.
  • For a full breakdown of the map details, check out the Tac-Atlas guide here.
• Gulag Showers
  • The original Gulag from 2020 is back, with all three variants included.

• Gulag Overtime: Capture the Flag (CTF)
  • When Gulag match-ups don’t resolve fast enough, a flag will spawn in the middle of the arena. The winning player is the one that either dispatches their rival as normal or captures the flag within the time limit.

Returning

• Rebirth Island
  • Rebirth Island, which is currently live, will remain part of our Season 03 offering. Resurgence Quads will be added to the playlist shortly after the launch of Season 03, with the remaining squad sizes coming later into the season.

MODES

New

• Battle Royale Casual At Launch
  • The Battle Royale experience is branching out with the introduction of a new mode featuring bot players. This is designed as a stepping stone for players to go from the Warzone Bootcamp tutorial mode to an experience closer to our traditional, player-only, experience. Players can learn the game and hone their skills in a lower-stress environment while still embracing the core survival challenge of being the last squad standing among 148 players.
  • Map:
    • Verdansk
  • Player Count:
    • 28 Players
    • 120 Bots
• High Trip In-Season
  • Players can look forward to a new limited-time event highly inspired by this time of year. Join your squad in a joint effort to light up your enemies and blaze the trail to victory. Details will be rolled out as we draw closer to the event date.

Returning

• Battle Royale At Launch
  • Our core experience, Battle Royale challenges players to scavenge, survive, and outlast their opponents as the map shrinks, with the ultimate goal of being the last squad standing.
  • Map:
    • Verdansk
  • Player Count:
    • Solos, Duos, Trios → 150
    • Quads → 152
• Plunder At Launch
  • Plunder returns to Verdansk, challenging players to loot, complete contracts, and battle to earn $2 million, with respawn enabled and loadouts intact—ideal for leveling weapons, exploring the map, and experimenting with strategies.
  • Map:
    • Verdansk
  • Player Count:
    • 100
• Warzone Bootcamp At Launch
  • Call of Duty: Warzone Bootcamp is a training mode with up to 20 players and 24 bots, offering mode-specific matchmaking to help players practice skills, learn basic strategies without affecting their stats.
  • Map:
    • Verdansk
  • Player Count:
    • 20 Players
    • 24 Bots
• Resurgence Launch Window
  • This mode offers a faster-paced, aggressive take on Battle Royale, with respawn timers allowing eliminated players to redeploy as long as teammates survive, encouraging riskier play and frequent engagements.
  • The playlist will be updated to include Resurgence Quads shortly after the launch of Season 03. Other squad sizes for Resurgence will be included later into the season.
  • Map:
    • Rebirth Island
  • Player Count:
    • 44

PLAYLIST

For information about upcoming Playlists, please check out the dedicated Call of Duty: Warzone Trello Board.

RANKED PLAY

Now that Season 02 has officially wrapped up, Ranked Play will be temporarily offline during the first half of Season 03. This downtime will give players a much awaited opportunity to rediscover and relearn Verdansk before diving back into the competition.

We plan to bring Ranked Play back online with the Season 03 Reloaded update. Upon its return, all player ranks will undergo a full reset to Bronze, offering everyone equal footing and the excitement to climb back up through the ranks. When Season 04 arrives, we’ll resume the standard soft reset, pulling players back by only a few ranks.

Thank you for your patience during this transition period – now go drop into Verdansk and have fun!

GENERAL

Classic

• 150 Players
  • The number of players in a Battle Royale match has been increased to 150 players, up from 120.
  • There are 152 players in the Quads playlist.

We tipped our hat at this by running it in Season 02 Reloaded, however it was all to serve a greater purpose. We’re officially coming home with a mix of 150 of your friends and enemies.

• Freefall Shooting
  • Players can shoot while freefalling (also known as skydiving) using their secondary weapon. If no secondary weapon is equipped, they will default to their backup pistol.

We’re restoring some of the early game intensity that keeps you on your toes immediately leaving the infil plane, and enables more of a response during a freefall.

• 360-Degree Revive Rotation
  • Players can now rotate their view 360 degrees while reviving a squadmate, instead of being fixed on their squadmate’s downed position, giving the perfect opportunity to call out if your squadmate is being pushed by an enemy as they revive you
• End-Game Circle Pacing
  • The gas circle pacing is faithful to the original timings of the gas closing as well as the circle size and movement.This means that Battle Royale matches will run longer to create a more well-defined initial looting phase.

We’ve some good memories of games ending in the woods above Quarry, or in the deep forests on the East or West of Verdansk, and this change to circle logic brings back those possible end games. Be warned! This does mean that the circle can move very quickly if you are caught deep outside when the gas starts to move. Respect the circle, and you’ll stay alive.

• Map Assets
  • Many models and textures found across Verdansk now feature classic aesthetics including but not limited to Armor Plates, Armor Satchels, Buy Stations, and Contracts.

GAMEPLAY

Classic

• Ascenders on Verdansk Battle Royale
  • To bring back the classic feel of Verdansk, external ascenders have been disabled at launch but are scheduled to return in the mid-season.
  • Internal ascenders within elevator shafts remain operational.

Adjustments

• Gulag Loadouts
  • Loadouts within the Gulag has been reworked to improve variety and balancing.
  • These loadouts will change as the game progresses, allowing players that return to the field victorious to do so with a competitive weapon in hand for a better chance at recovery.
• Infil & Backup Pistol
  • Players will now infil and spawn with the 9mm PM, replacing the GS45.

• Late-Game Redeploy
  • Late-game redeployments will now spawn players closer to the ground, reducing the need to hover while positioning during final circles. This system has not been turned on since BO6 launched.

• Player Respawn Angles Quality of Life
  • Players will now respawn looking approximately 30 degrees downward instead of directly at the horizon, providing a clearer view of potential landing areas.
  • This adjustment aligns with natural player behavior when scouting landing spots.

• Unsuppressed Red Dot Distance
  • The distance at which unsuppressed weapons display a red dot has been reduced in Resurgence to better align to the map size:
    • Reduced to 112.5 meters on Rebirth Island, down from 250

Unsuppressed Red Dots are core to the Call of Duty: Warzone experience, and while developing Verdansk we took great care in evaluating the strength of red dots on each map – which previously was a static value regardless of play-space. While reviewing these values, we felt that given the vastly smaller map size of Rebirth Island, the Red Dots should be better aligned to the small-map experience. These adjustments are based on both player feedback and our design goals, ensuring that visibility of unsuppressed gunfire matches the intended combat dynamics for each map.

LOOT & ECONOMY

Classic

• Floating Loot
  • Loot found on the ground will once again float in the air for better visibility and interactability.

The return of floating loot is the foundation of many improvements we’re making to loot interaction this season. Floating loot by itself will improve your ability to pick up, or simply notice important items when at a distance.

Adjustments

The return to Verdansk comes with some refinements to Battle Royale’s loot philosophy that brings us back to its roots: life is valuable, adaptability is key, great loot must be earned, and contracts are central to earning cash.

In order to create more intentionality around looting, the various sources of loot have been adjusted to be more reminiscent of the classic Verdansk days, with some improvements.

• Ground Loot Refresh
  • Common to Epic weapons now sport a selection of random attachments that align with the weapon’s natural strengths.
  • Legendary weapons come with a variety of fixed builds tailored to specific roles, that are randomly selected match over match.
  • This change aims to maintain the excitement of random loot while preserving the reliability of weapon performance.

Looting in recent years has become a little too static- a blue (rare) tier weapon often providing the most valuable attachments and devaluing an epic or legendary find. This change aims to bring some different outcomes in the more commonly found weapons, and makes legendary weapons (or loadouts) highly sought after.

• High Value Loot Zones
  • This season, HVLZs remain consistent every match, allowing players to reliably identify Hospital, Military Base, and Superstore as Points of Interest (POIs) with enhanced ground loot and an increased number of Supply Boxes.
  • Further enhancements to this feature will be added in future updates.

• Supply Boxes
  • Basic
    • These boxes provide consistent cash rewards and average to high-quality weapons, occasionally offering premium equipment such as legendary weapons, killstreaks, and gas masks.
  • Legendary
    • Legendary Supply Boxes have received significant upgrades for a more rewarding experience. These boxes guarantee top-tier weapons and some of the best loot available, with increased chances of obtaining substantial cash.
  • Reusable
    • These boxes replenish every 90 seconds, serving as an ideal means for players to regain strength in the mid-to-late stages of a match, particularly after returning from the Gulag or redeployment. They supply players with a viable weapon, an armor plate, and some cash to quickly return to combat readiness.

• Duffel Bags, Medical Cabinets, & Weapon Lockers
  • These sources of loot have been removed to better service the classic feeling of Verdansk.

• Second Chance Mechanics
  • The following items have been removed from loot:
    • Gulag Tokens
    • Reinforcement Flares
    • Redeploy Tokens
  • The only available methods to return after death are:
    • Gulag Victories
    • Buy Station Buybacks
    • Jail Break Public Events

• Self-Revive Kit
  • Self-revives can only be acquired via the following sources:
    • Legendary Supply Boxes → Random drop
    • Scavenger Contract → Random drop
    • Buy Station → $4,000
    • Fire Sale → Free

Your life matters. In returning back to the classic feeling of Verdansk, we are going back to a simpler set of Second Chance Mechanics that are faithful to the original Battle Royale experience.

• Death Tax
  • Cash dropped upon death has been adjusted to assist players returning from the Gulag, providing them with a larger portion of their previous cash balance for mid-to-late game recovery:
    • 50% of the cash balance will drop on the ground
    • 50% will remain with the eliminated player, up from 20%
    • Previously, 50% of the cash balance dropped on the ground, with players keeping 20% and 30% being entirely removed from the economy.

After months of playtesting we noted that regain in the mid-to-late game was almost impossible, so the design intent of this is to better allow players to redeploy with a little more cash to give them a slight leg-up when it comes to getting back into the flow of the game.

• Loot Angle Quality of Life
  • Interactions now require more precise aiming to reduce accidental item pickups, resolving most unintended looting situations, such as inadvertently picking up items during reloads.

• Rarity Outlines
  • Rarity outlines now gradually fade into view only when players are within a logical proximity, rather than remaining visible at all distances.

• Loot Card Positioning
  • Loot cards are now centered over items to improve readability, particularly when combined with floating loot.
  • Loot cards remain at a fixed height rather than moving with the player’s view.
  • Loot cards are hidden when players sprint, dive, slide, or use lethals, tacticals, and field upgrades.

Loot cards now have contextual prompts. For example if the player has an empty weapon slot, a weapon loot card prompt will display “Equip”, but if the player has two weapons equipped, the prompt will display “Swap”.

BUY STATIONS

Classic

• Vertical Redesign
  • The vertical list is back! The Buy Station interface has been streamlined, returning to a vertical list layout to more clearly display purchasable items and teammates eligible for redeployment.
  • The left side of the Buy Station now clearly shows all gear available for purchase, including equipment, killstreaks, and field upgrades.
  • The right side of the interface will display teammates who have been eliminated and are eligible for buyback, provided they are not currently awaiting a Gulag battle.
  • Importantly, controller players can still press ‘Up’ to access the ‘Loadout Drop Marker’ in one button press as we wanted to retain the carousel interface to allow for quick access to items further down the list.
  • To enhance navigation efficiency and emphasize loadout acquisition, individual weapon purchases have been removed.

Our aim is to recapture the classic Battle Royale feel reminiscent of playing on Verdansk five years ago. Adjustments to the Buy Station reflect this vision, featuring a reduced selection of purchasable items and updated prices aligned with the game’s new economic balance. We intend for players to experience an economy more akin to Call of Duty: Warzone in 2020, where strategic cash management becomes essential to gameplay decisions.

New

• Redeploy All Button Quality of Life
  • We have introduced a single-button shortcut at Buy Stations, allowing players to redeploy all teammates simultaneously.
  • Although the Redeploy All button is executed with one button press, individual flares and sound effects will trigger for each teammate redeployed, alerting nearby enemies to the total number of returning players.
  • In scenarios where insufficient funds prevent buying back the entire squad, the Redeploy All feature will prioritize teammates carrying the highest cash amounts.

We recognize the urgency of quickly redeploying teammates under pressure, especially when attempting hero plays amidst heavy combat. After careful consideration, we determined that prioritizing teammates with the highest cash aligns most closely with the most prominent behavior that we’ve observed.

• Item Icons Quality of Life
  • Each entry in the vertical buy station now shows the icon of its respective item, as we found that this vastly sped up the at-a-glance navigation in playtesting.

• Item Count Quality of Life
  • Players can easily see how many of an item they already own while in the Buy Station before making a decision on what to purchase.

• Category Subheaders Quality of Life
  • We appreciate that for new players, being able to see the equipment category like “Killstreak” or “Field Upgrade” is helpful to know what item slot will be equipped or swapped when an item is purchased.

Adjustments

• Spawn Locations
  • Buy Stations will spawn in the same exact 30 static locations across every match.

• Inventory Pricing
  • We have updated the prices of the various items in the buy station as follows:
    • Armor Plate: $300
    • Cluster Strike: $3,000
    • Precision Airstrike: $5,000
    • UAV: $6,000
    • Gas Mask: $3,000
    • Self Revive: $4,000
    • Munitions Box: $2,500
    • Armor Box: $4,000
    • Loadout Marker:
      • Solos: $6,000
      • Duos, Trios, Quads: $10,000
    • Squadmate Redeploy: $4,000

• Interact Angle
  • The Buy Station can now be accessed from any angle, including behind it, providing increased flexibility during tense engagements.

MOVEMENT

Adjustments

The introduction of Black Ops 6’s omni-movement system revolutionized gameplay and has become the foundation of player movement in Call of Duty: Warzone. While the system launched with multiplayer-inspired values, we’ve recognized the need for adjustments to better align movement dynamics with the unique demands of Call of Duty: Warzone’s limited-life modes.

Season 03 focuses on fine-tuning the Black Ops 6 player movement by ensuring a balance between fluidity and responsiveness. The adjustments to the movement mechanics are as follows:

• Movement Speed
  • Crouch Movement Speed reduced by 10%
  • Crouch-to-Stand Speed increased by 15%
  • Crouch-to-Stand Speed While ADS increased by 39%
  • Prone Movement Speed reduced by 5%
  • Sprint Movement Speed reduced by 4.9%
  • Directional Sprint Animation Blend Speeds increased for improved fluidity

These values bring Call of Duty: Warzone’s movement speeds closer to the spirit of the original experience while still preserving the fluidity of Black Ops 6. We encourage players to go hands-on with these fine-tuned changes, as they can be hard to express in a patch note. The proof is in the pudding!

• Jump Cooldown
  • Reduced the cooldown by 40% for improved responsiveness during repeated jumps.

• Omni-sprint Side & Back Speed Scaling
  • Reduced by 8.5%, to better balance strafe movement.

• Slide Friction
  • Increased by 4% to reduce overly slippery engagements.

These adjustments address the dominant power of strafe engagements while maintaining fluidity for mechanics such as sprinting, strafe reloading, and general navigation. Responsiveness across movement systems has been improved to ensure smoother gameplay while striking a better balance for Call of Duty: Warzone’s fast-paced encounters. This will bring back the feeling of a classic Warzone experience that we all know and love.

CONTRACTS

Classic

• Recon Contract
  • Replacing the Intel contract, the Recon Contract provides players with a 4-minute timeframe to capture a designated domination point.
  • Rewards for completion include cash and a preview of the next circle.
• Supply Run
  • The much-loved “Supply Run” Contract returns! Players have 2 minutes to reach a designated Buy Station to earn rewards, which include cash and a single-item Fire Sale for each squad member at the targeted Buy Station.
  • Supply Run contracts will not appear on the map until the first circle has fully collapsed.

With the return of the “Supply Run” Contract, we want to make sure that its return fits within the gameplay loop and the economy. This adjustment to be available from the second circle onwards allows for the Contract to be more centered around travel and vehicles, which in playtesting we have found to be a more fun and engaging Contract experience.

• Contract Multiplier
  • Returning from the Verdansk era, the contract multiplier enhances cash rewards as players complete more contracts.
  • Each contract completed now grants a +30% cash bonus, stacking up to a maximum of +150% additional cash rewards in both Battle Royale and Resurgence modes.

Stacking up on completed Contracts in the early game is a great way to improve your chances if you need a mid-to-late game regain, as the multiplier will carry throughout the entire game to give greater financial rewards later on.

• Tablet Models
  • All contracts have reverted to their original tablet models, providing players with a nostalgic experience.

Adjustments

• Spawn Rebalancing
  • Contract spawn rates have been adjusted throughout base Battle Royale to enhance distribution and improve overall gameplay balance.

• Payout Updates
  • Contract payouts have been updated to align more closely with values reminiscent of the Verdansk era, although not exactly matching them.
  • Supply Run and Recon contract payouts are now standardized to match the Scavenger contract values in both Battle Royale and Resurgence modes.
  • Completing a Most Wanted contract no longer results in a supply cache drop.
  • Plunder-specific contract payouts have been adjusted for consistency across modes.

• Recon Contract Progress Quality of Life
  • Added upward arrows indicating how much faster a Recon contract is being captured by your team depending on how many players are on the target location assisting with the capture.

EQUIPMENT

Classic

• Thermite
  • In Season 03, Thermite returns as a specialized anti-vehicle and area denial tool, echoing its original use in Verdansk.
  • Unlike previous versions, Thermite no longer guarantees a kill upon sticking an opponent. It will, however, deal sufficient damage to down players with two armor plates or fewer.
  • Thermite now instantly explodes vehicles if their health reaches zero from its damage ticks, similar to C4.
  • Unlockable via the Black Ops Tribute event.

Adjustments

The following is an outline of the full arsenal of Lethal & Tactical equipment – including how to acquire them across a match in Battle Royale on Verdansk:

SATCHELS

• Available Satchels
  • Armor Satchel
  • Munitions Satchel
    • Available via Bandolier Wildcard

ARMOR

Adjustments

• Maximum Armor Plates
  • Default maximum capacity reduced from 6 to 5 to match the classic experience.

• Armor Satchel Capacity
  • Now increases plate capacity by an additional 3 plates (totaling 8 armor plates when equipped), down from the previous 6, to also match the classic experience.

• Armor Drops
  • Eliminated players will consistently drop at least 1 armor plate in Battle Royale and Resurgence matches.
  • This does not apply to bots in Bootcamp and Battle Royale Casual.

Armor is your first line of defense and gauges how freely you’ll take engagements. Recently armor supplies have been so plentiful that enemies are able to reinforce armor several times in the middle of a fight and the notion of “downtime” or the need to resupply has been lost. This massively affects the pace of the game and also changes how you’ll rotate to the next safe zone.

To maintain balanced gameplay, armor has become less abundant, ensuring players experience meaningful downtime and strategic decisions between engagements. This returns the gameplay feel to a more classic experience, emphasizing the value of armor resupply.

• Gulag Armor Removed in Unranked
  • In unranked Battle Royale modes, the Gulag now features health-only combat, placing greater emphasis on precision and tactical movement, reminiscent of the classic Gulag experience.

• Armor Plate Color Improvements Quality of Life
  • The Armor Plate color has received an improvement where the color hue will be darker if the player doesn’t have full plates. The color will remain the familiar bright color hue when the players are full. This will better indicate to players when they have almost full plates.

FIELD UPGRADES

New

• Field Upgrades in Squad Widget Quality of Life
  • The Squad Widget now expands to display squadmates’ active Field Upgrades to show their entire inventory to allow for improved comms and strategy.

Adjustments

The following is an outline of the full arsenal of Field Upgrades in a match of Battle Royale on Verdansk:

• Heartbeat Sensor
  • Increased battery life from 60 to 120 seconds.

We can’t return home properly without welcoming back the Heartbeat sensor. While not infinite like its great predecessor, we understand that a minute of battery time is simply not enough to utilize effectively.

• Reclaimable Field Upgrade Icon Quality of Life
  • An interactable icon (white dot) now appears on reclaimable Field Upgrades to better highlight that they can be re-equipped.

KILLSTREAKS

• Precision Airstrike Indicator
  • To return to the classic feeling of Verdansk, the Precision Air Strike Mini-Map notification that was added last year has been removed.

We have removed the Precision Airstrike’s approximate path indicator on the mini-map in order to return back to how it worked in 2020, where part of its purpose was to surprise your enemies. We will monitor feedback, data and sentiment on this as we look to the weeks ahead.

• Crowded Airspace Notification Quality of Life
  • The “Airspace too crowded” message will now appear when a player attempts to pick up or aim down sights (ADS) with a killstreak in an area where too many aerial killstreaks are currently active.
  • This removes uncertainty about killstreak usability upon looting.

PERKS

Adjustments

• Lootable Perks
  • All lootable perks have been removed from Battle Royale as we return to the classic feeling of Verdansk.
  • These may return in a future update depending on feedback.

WEAPONS

Reflecting on our 5th Anniversary, it’s important to acknowledge our journey and current state, including in regards to combat. This milestone presents an opportunity to celebrate our successes and critically assess our shortcomings. The game has continuously evolved through the addition of new features, systemic enhancements, economic adjustments, and philosophical shifts in balancing. These improvements help us better understand what is effective and where further refinements are needed.

Call of Duty: Warzone was designed to deliver the essence of a Call of Duty Battle Royale, combining exceptional, precise gunplay within a strategic and intense “limited life” scenario. While this core principle remains intact, certain distractions have at times impacted the intended pacing and intensity of gameplay.

Building upon recent adjustments, such as the reduction of Armor reserves to improve economic pacing, we are introducing substantial buffs to weapon damage. Initially, these enhancements will focus on the Black Ops 6 catalogue, subsequently extending to legacy weapons.

Our goal with these changes is to increase the lethality of every encounter, reinvigorate overlooked weapon classes, and encourage players to adopt a more thoughtful and deliberate strategy in preparation for engagements.

Classic Weapons

• Kilo 141 Assault Rifle
  • Fully automatic assault rifle with an ergonomic design that improves handling, and a steady fire rate helps stay on target.
  • Available via Call of Duty: Warzone Login Reward
• CR-56 AMAX Assault Rifle
  • This lightweight 7.62 x 39mm full-auto assault rifle is compact and powerful. Built exclusively for military use, the standard issue rifle is deadly at mid-range combat and easily configured for a variety of assault tactics.
  • Available via Battle Pass Page 6 HVT Tier Reward, Completion Page Battle Pass Blueprint
• HDR Sniper Rifle
  • Anti-material bolt action sniper rifle chambered in 12.7 x 108mm ammunition. Bullets have a lower muzzle velocity but remain devastating even at very long ranges.
  • This weapon is able to one-shot headshot enemy players from any distance.
  • Available via Battle Pass Page 3 HVT Tier Reward, Page 11 Battle Pass Blueprint
• Kali Sticks Melee
  • Two-hit kill. Extremely fast attack speed. Short range.
  • Available via Event Reward

New Conversion Kits

• SWAT 5.56 GRAU Conversion Kit
  • Convert the SWAT 5.56 into a fully automatic weapon with lower damage and range but improved accuracy, mobility, and handling. Equips a new default Barrel and Magazine and unlocks an exclusive 50-round extended Magazine. Blocks Barrel attachments.
  • Available via Battle Pass Page 5 Reward

New Attachments

• Monolithic Suppressor
  • Monolithic Core provides superior sound suppression and increased range. Moderate weight increase affects agility. The ideal attachment for extending your damage range on big maps like Verdansk while retaining the concealment provided by a suppressor.
  • Available via Battle Pass Page 7 Reward

General Adjustments

• Default Loadouts
  • Default Loadouts available via Loadout Crates during a match have been updated with more competitive options.

This season, we have updated the Default Loadouts with a new selection of weapons and equipment. Our goal is to provide viable options that cater to both new and returning players. To ensure these loadouts remain competitive, we are committed to making frequent adjustments.

VEHICLES

Classic

• Heli
• Cargo Truck
• Polaris
• LTV
• ATV

Adjustments

With the return of Verdansk we are looking to capture the original essence of vehicles in Warzone. In collaboration with our friends at Treyarch, we have tuned movement, health, damage resistance, and equipment interactions to feel much closer to the original vision.

We know that nobody wants paper thin vehicles and we also know that vehicles are more fun when they can efficiently get you from point A to B. Traversal shouldn’t feel restricted to roads alone. That said, there will be appropriate counters to vehicles reminiscent of the past.

The chart below serves as a high level view of the equipment lethality against vehicles. With greater vehicle responsiveness comes the need for more powerful and more memorable, moment-inducing equipment counters.

Pinging Near Vehicles Quality of Life

• Made improvements to the accuracy of pings to loot near a vehicle to avoid the ping to ‘snap’ to vehicles.

UI/UX

Classic

• Victory Screen
  • The iconic Warzone Victory screen returns to the classic Victory animation.

• Tac Map & Compass Icons
  • The Tac Map has the circular cursor from the classic Call of Duty: Warzone experience.
  • All Map icons are also spiritually faithful to the color pallet from Verdansk with some improvements to help better identify certain items at a glance.
• Ping Visuals
  • The Ping Shape has been reverted from the triangle shape to a lollipop shape that featured in classic Verdansk
  • “Go To” pings now also have classic visuals, improving legibility.
• Score Feed Colors
  • Standard score events now appear yellow for that classic look.
  • Special score events are highlighted in white for better distinction.

New

• Weapon Inspect to View Attachments Quality of Life
  • Inspecting a weapon now displays all its attachments on-screen, allowing players to see exactly how the gun is configured.
  • This can be disabled with the “Weapon Inspect Attachment Info” option.

We’re excited to introduce this update as part of our ongoing efforts to improve clarity and onboarding. Seeing a weapon’s full attachment setup at a glance helps players better understand builds and especially the weapon they picked up from the ground. We’re investigating other ways to use the Inspect interface to assist with onboarding and better explaining the player’s loadout. We’ll keep listening to feedback to ensure this improvement feels helpful without adding clutter.

• Detailed Death Recap Quality of Life
  • We’ve expanded the Death Recap Widget to provide more detailed information about how you were eliminated. In addition to showing attacker count and damage dealt, the widget now highlights key conditions that contributed to your death:
    • Affected by Live Ping: Indicates if the enemy had you pinged.
    • Affected by UAV: Indicates if you were revealed on the minimap by a UAV, UAV Tower, or Advanced UAV.
    • Affected by Unsuppressed Weapon: Indicates if firing an unsuppressed weapon exposes your position to nearby enemies.
      • For the first few days of the new season, players will notice “Unsuppressed Weapon” saying “Weapon Ping” while the team works to get the wording updated.

We’re excited to introduce this update as part of ongoing efforts to improve clarity and address concerns around unfair deaths. This is just the beginning — we’ll continue expanding the Death Recap Widget with future patches. Our goal is to create a helpful tool that allows players to better understand what led to their death, recognize enemy advantages, and ultimately improve their gameplay. While we’re committed to adding meaningful insights, we’ll ensure the widget remains clean and informative without overwhelming players.

We’re eager to hear your feedback as we refine this feature further.

• Prioritize Favorite Loadout in Gunsmith Quality of Life
  • When you’ve finished your preferred Loadout in the Call of Duty: Warzone Gunsmith, and set it to Favorite in the Loadout Options, the Loadout is prioritized and moved to the top of the list for ease of access.
• Mission Items in Squad Widget Quality of Life
  • A new slot has been added to the Squad Widget to show each squad member’s most recent mission item icon for improved coordination.
    • A mission item refers to things like Keycards or easter-egg items that might require some coordination with allies.

Adjustments

• Death Skull Icon Quality of Life
  • The size of the Death Skull Icon has increased to make it easier for players to locate their previous death location based on feedback that it was difficult to spot.

• Navigation Pings
  • Updated to provide clearer, more intuitive iconography, with a design that may feel familiar to veteran players.

• Player Icons
  • Mini-map and Tac map player icons have been enhanced to visually differentiate between:
    • Talking
    • Firing a weapon
    • Staying quiet
    • Ghost perk on / off

• Leaving Match Confirmation Quality of Life
  • Players attempting to leave a match while a teammate is still alive will now receive a confirmation prompt to prevent accidental exits.

• Ping Distance Text on Map Quality of Life
  • Added dark backing to pings on map to improve readability of the distance text on the map.
• Ping Duration Setting Quality of Life
  • This new setting lets players decide how long pings last on their screen. Select between Off, Infinite, or On which will let players pick the duration between 1 and 20 seconds.

• Tacmap Centering Options Quality of Life
  • New setting, “Map Assist”, provides a few different options to enable players to have more agency over their experience:
    • Auto Zoom & Center: Upon opening the map, it will auto zoom and auto center on the player each time
    • Auto Center: Upon opening the map, it will auto center on the player each time
    • Zoom & Center Once: Upon opening the map, it will auto zoom and auto center on the player one time per match
    • Center Once: Upon opening the map, it will auto center on the player one time per match
    • Off: Upon opening the map, it will be showing the last location the tacmap was closed on. This means players will need to manually adjust the map each time they open it.

We’re excited to provide more options to players to adjust the map to their preference. We will continue to monitor feedback about this improvement as players get to experiment with it.

AUDIO

Classic

• Cinematics
  • Infil, Gulag, and Exfil
• Music
• Announcer
  • Re-recorded by original announcer Julian Stone (2020)
• Hit Markers
• Including Armor and Armor Breaks
• Death’s Door
• Footstep Recordings
• Loot Chests
• Buy Stations
• Contracts
• UI Sounds
  • Pings, Splashes, and Progression

Adjustments

• Occlusion & Reverb
  • Transitioned from older ray-casted occlusion system to Microsoft Triton acoustics audio middleware, providing realistic audio occlusion, obstruction, and reverberation.
  • Improved sound behavior around corners and surfaces.
  • Custom-tuned data specifically optimized for Call of Duty: Warzone.

• Sound Modifiers
  • Adopted new procedural audio technology (developed by Treyarch) that dynamically adjusts sounds based on gameplay elements (entity speed, angle, elevation).

• Footsteps & Ladders
  • Unique tuning for Call of Duty: Warzone footsteps separate from premium titles (introduced with MWIII).
  • Friendly teammates’ footsteps reduced when positioned behind the player.
  • Footstep loudness dynamically scales with entity speed.
  • Footstep pitch changes based on player elevation (above vs. below).
  • Ladder sounds amplified and adjusted based on player movement speed.
  • Boosted audio cues for jumping, landing, and distinctive ceiling footsteps to clearly indicate players running overhead.

• Cloth/Gear & Mantling
  • Cloth & Gear sounds are now distinctively tuned for Call of Duty: Warzone, separate from premium titles.
  • Increased clarity and volume of mantling and melee sounds, differentiating friendly and enemy movements.
  • Enhanced mantling audio to resemble footsteps for greater situational awareness.

• Loot Supply Boxes
  • Audio pitch now dynamically adjusts based on vertical elevation, providing clearer vertical positional feedback.

BUG FIXES

• Fixed an issue that caused the Death Recap Widget to register bleed damage while in last stand.
• Fixed an issue where Bomb Squad incorrectly allowed fuse resets; this functionality is exclusive to Reflexes.
• Fixed an issue causing players to be eliminated when mantling onto care packages.
• Fixed an issue where players were eliminated upon interacting with the Most Wanted reward crate.
• Fixed an issue causing a UI error preventing players from creating new loadouts.
• Fixed an issue causing a Dev Error when opening the Armor Challenge menu.
• Fixed an issue causing a Dev Error when exiting private matches.
• Fixed an issue where the Corvus Masterkey Underbarrel occasionally caused instant downs at any range.
• Fixed an issue preventing the Quartermaster Suppressor from unlocking properly.
• Fixed an issue causing certain equipment to duplicate upon redeployment.
• Fixed an issue where players would teleport across the map when using an ascender in the pre-game lobby.
• Fixed an issue with the incorrect display of full ATVI IDs.
• Fixed an issue where players lost control after Jailbreak revivals.
• Fixed an issue with the gas mask overlay not aligning properly with screen boundaries.
• Fixed an issue preventing restocking of Gulag lethals and tacticals from ammo caches or munitions boxes.
• Fixed an issue allowing infinite submissions of Biometrics Keycards.
• Fixed an issue causing loss of player control when interacting with a loadout after redeploying from the Gulag.
• Fixed an issue causing incorrect cash displays for spectating players.
• Fixed an issue causing loss of field upgrade deployment ability after using a loadout.
• Fixed an issue with MW2 and MW3 camo descriptions not clearly stating weapon-level requirements.
• Fixed an issue preventing immediate weapon fire after cutting a parachute without re-pressing the fire button.
• Fixed an issue causing obituary messages to overlap with the squad widget in the HUD.
• Fixed an issue causing incorrect elimination crediting to uninvolved players.
• Fixed an issue with contract icons incorrectly displaying elevation information.
• Fixed an issue where Bunker Buster gas damage bypassed gas masks if equipped within the gas.
• Fixed numerous legacy weapon descriptions and statistics.
• Fixed an issue preventing MW2 and MW3 weapons from appearing correctly in the loot feed.

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).

Amazon’s Big Spring Sale will soon reach its conclusion today, March 31, so you’ve got until the end of the day to secure a great deal. While it might not have the same hype as Black Friday or Prime Day, the discounts speak for themselves, and there’s so many great offers to choose from still— including the lowest prices of the year on tech like Apple AirPods, Kindles, Fire TV Sticks, and must-have items like 50 series GPUs, and Pokémon TCG cards back in stock for a limited time.

Amazon’s dedicated Spring Sale hub has plenty of deals, but we’ve done the heavy lifting for you on the final day of the sale, highlighting only the best discounts actually worth your time. Every deal we feature is either at its lowest-ever price, matches its best price of the year so far, or is so hotly sought after we can’t help but mention it. We’re keeping this list fresh with real-time updates, so you won’t miss out on the biggest savings before the sale ends.

Best Amazon Spring Sale Deals Today (Last Chance)

There are already some incredible doorbuster deals in the Amazon Spring Sale 2025. One of the best is the INIU 10K power bank for just $9 with code S7LY7824 and clipping the 50% coupon – a record low price. It’s an absolute must-buy, especially for iPhone users, but even beyond that, it’s just an outstanding power bank at an unbeatable price. If you grab only one thing from this sale, make it this. You can find more coupons worth clipping to score additional savings on books, robot vacuums and more.

Other tech deals include the standard slate of Apple products, like AirPods and the newest Apple Watch, as well as Amazon devices like Fire TV.

Best Deals Under $25

Pokémon TCG Deals

It’d be silly not to mention the latest round of Pokémon TCG stock at Amazon during the sale, with elusive Elite Trainer Boxes like Twilight Masquerade available again, alongside a slew of other hot booster sets like Surging Sparks.

Book and Comic Deals

One of our favorite deals during the Spring Sale is The Lord of the Rings Illustrated Editions, all at all time low discounts, and in the buy two get one free deal. It’s one of the best offers we’ve seen all year. Sunrise on the Reaping, the new Hunger Games novel, should also be on your radar.

Other books in the sale include chart-topper Onyx Storm, and its fellow Empyrean series books Iron Flame and Fourth Wing, alongside the Harry Potter Illustrated Books.

For just individual book deals, we also love the Skyrim Library, a three-volume collection of texts, now down to just $49.99 when clipping the coupon at Amazon. A gloriously good deal for a magnificent set of books. We’ve also seen plenty of comics, like Ultimate Spider-Man, and even select vinyl (also within the 3 for 2 promotion) included in the deals.

LEGO and Toy Deals

LEGO sets are getting more expensive, but they always seem to get solid discounts during these types of sales. Some of the best LEGO deals from the current sale include discounts on the LEGO Wednesday collaboration as well as some very cozy LEGO Animal Crossing sets. Some of our favorite board games for both families and adults are included in the sale. We’ve also seen tons of deals on 90’s comebacks including action figures, plushies, Nerf guns and even Bop It! toys (that apparently still exist).

TV and Movie Deals

Amazon has also discounted tons of individual movies and TV shows, including old-school Warner Bros. cartoons and films directed by David Lynch.

More Deals Worth Keeping an Eye On

It’s always the right time to get accessories you actually need, but it’s even better to get them on sale. That said, Amazon has discounts on various PS Portal accessory deals. My other favorites that are worth considering include Audible Premium Plus for $0.99, the Apple AirPods Pro 2 for $169.99, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth for $32.99, and 65″ LG C4 4K OLED Smart TV for $1,397.

Should You Shop the Amazon Big Spring Sale or Wait?

The Amazon Spring Sale (March 25-31) couldn’t come at a better time. With no major shopping holidays between now and Memorial Day, this is one of the best opportunities to score great deals before summer. While Prime Day and Black Friday might bring even steeper discounts, those are months away – if you’re looking to save right now, this sale is your best bet.

That said, strategic shopping always wins. If you’re eyeing a big-ticket item like a TV or Kindle but don’t need it immediately, waiting for a larger sale could be worth it. Want to make sure you’re getting the best possible price? Tools like CamelCamelCamel let you track pricing history, helping you spot real deals from the ones that just look good. It’s a trick we swear by to make sure every recommendation is truly worth your money.

More Spring sales happening now

If you’re looking for more Spring Sale savings, there is currently a Walmart Super Savings Week sale happening now that has many deals that Amazon doesn’t, so it could be worth checking out. There’s also the Secretlab Spring Sale with plenty of top discounts on gaming chairs. And finally, there are plenty of video game deals from Woot which also includes FF7 Rebirth, Metaphor: ReFantazio, Super Mario RPG and more.

Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.

Monster Hunter Wilds is laying out its future roadmap. Alongside its planned Title Updates, director Yuya Tokuda has confirmed a few additional goals the team has, as post-launch support for the latest entry in the Monter Hunter franchise carries on.

In a letter from the director, Tokuda started by laying out the roadmap seen in the recent Monster Hunter Wilds Showcase for Title Update 1 and beyond. The first big Title Update drops on April 4, this Friday. Then, the seasonal event Festival of Accord: Blossomdance runs from April 23 through May 7. Additionally, April 30 through May 21 will see the Arch-tempered Rey Dau storm into Monster Hunter Wilds.

At the end of May, Update Ver. 1.011 will bring an unannounced Capcom collaboration and some “other additional features.” Title Update 2 is then planned for this summer, with a new additional monster and seosonal event. Tokuda confirms more free updates are arriving beyond that.

A greater challenge awaits

Part of the Mosnter Hunter Wilds’ director’s letter dug into the question of challenging monster content. Already, fights like Tempered Arkveld, the aforementioned Arch-tempered Rey Dau, and a refight with Zoh Shia are confirmed. Tokuda also confirmed Mizutsune, arriving with Title Update 1, will have an 8-star Tempered Mizutsune fight, available at HR 41 or higher.

The end-of-May update will add even more 8-star Tempered monsters to the Wilds. Tempered versions of Gore Magala, Rey Dau, Uth Duna, Nu Udra, and Jin Dahaad will make their way to the game in this update.

“Each of these monsters have had various behind-the-scenes adjustments to make them more resilient, such as increased health, resistance to wounding, and tweaks to multiplayer scaling,” Tokuda said. “Challenging monsters will also appear in future updates, so keep an eye out for further information about them.”

Balancing it all out

Specifically addressing feedback from launch, Tokuda said that Capcom is planning to make “various adjustments,” including weapon balance changes.

“These will be implemented gradually with each upcoming title update in order to make the game more enjoyable for everyone for a longer period of time,” Tokuda said. “Depending on the content, these changes may take some time to prepare.”

The director noted the Hammer as one weapon being considered for “upward adjustments,” which sounds like good news for Hammer mains. Some “unintentionally overpowered” things will be adjusted down — the Corrupted Mantle is one example — but Capcom said it plans on adjusting other parts upward, making for a “generally balanced” update. The team is currently aiming to implement the overall weapon balance adjustments in either the end-of-May update or in Title Update 2 this summer.

Performance adjustments

Additionally, Capcom is targeting stability and performance for Monster Hunter Wilds, specifically noting the PC version. Title Update 1 is planned to bring a reduction in VRAM usage and an upgrade to the DirectStorage version of the Steam version, which should result in an “overall improvement” of stability for PC players.

More improvements are planned, to bolster the overall technical experience for players on all platforms. Additionally, the in-game economy, balance, and other areas are planned for improvement too.

Quality-of-life is also a major target for the Monster Hunter Wilds team moving forward. The Grand Hub, arriving in Title Update 1, is part of this, condensing various functions into one end-game area. The team has also reduced waiting times for facility functions at each location.

The team is continuing to work on UI/UX improvements and other quality-of-life updates too. A few items on the docket include restocking items, checking skill information, engaging in multiplayer quests, using the Seikret, and camera behavior during hunts.

The rollout stars with Title Update 1 this Friday, April 4, and on into the summer as we approach Title Update 2. Though it’s still fresh, Monster Hunter Wilds is already one of the year’s most popular games, and it doesn’t look like Capcom is planning to slow down its roadmap for it anytime soon.

Eric is a freelance writer for IGN.

Today, Jagex has announced that it’s bringing the world of RuneScape into a new genre: survival. The developer revealed RuneScape: Dragonwilds, a cooperative open world survival game coming to early access this spring.

Dragonwilds takes place in Ashenfall, a new continent within the RuneScape universe, where one to four players can work together to learn new skills, build camps, grow stronger, and survive against powerful enemies, including lots and lots of dragons. Ashenfall has two regions, with five unique biomes, and the potential for more to be added later post-launch. Though Ashenfall is not the same continent most of RuneScape proper takes place on, RuneScape fans will find a lot of familiarity in the world, including some locations that may resemble familiar places from RuneScape itself, like a wizard’s tower, or a certain castle…

Monsters may also look familiar, but come with a twist. While you’ll still see rats, dragons, trolls, cows, and other creatures you’ll recall from RuneScape, Ashenfall’s wild magic has warped these creatures into strange, nature-fied versions of themselves with new appearances and fusions with plants, thorns, and other wild bits.

Core to survival in Dragonwilds is development of skills, and yes, they include classic RuneScape activities like cooking and woodcutting. These skills allow you to interact with the world in various ways – when I saw a few clips of the game at the Game Developers’ Conference earlier this month, I was shown clips of a player using wind runes to gain the ability to glide through the air across distances. Even more nostalgic was a woodcutting skill that allows players to line up a row of trees and throw a spectral axe to chop them all down at once. It’s a move I was told was referred to as “ax-tral projection.”

RuneScape: Dragonwilds is entering early access on PC sometime this spring, with hopes for a wider launch (including console) sometime in 2026. Jagex will host a deep-dive reveal of the game on Twitch on April 15 at 9:00 AM PT.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

Well, never say Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead Studios doesn’t have a dark sense of nostalgia. One year removed from the infamous in-game liberation of Malevelon Creek, Helldivers 2 is sending its players back to the planet to hold it against surging Automaton forces.

After a recent Major Order failure, players were worried about a return to the Creek, as reports indicated the Automatons — pushing forward with their fiery new Incineration Corps — were targeting the Severin Sector. The sector, and Malevelon Creek in particular, was the center of one of Helldivers 2’s earliest and most notable collective moments in the game. Helldivers converged on the planet to try and keep the Creek under Super Earth control.

The combination of jungle terrain and extremely dangerous foes led to Malevelon Creek being dubbed things like “Robot Vietnam.” After the fight concluded and the Creek was securely under Helldiver control, Arrowhead released a special cape to commemorate the fight.

Well, over the weekend, a new Major Order confirmed Helldivers will be heading back to Malevelon Creek. The offensive, led by the Incineration Corps, is on its way, with Malevelon Creek as the target. Already, invasions and skirmishes are underway across the sector, with lines pushing towards the Creek.

Through the in-game briefing, Super Earth is urging its Helldivers to protect the resting place of many “Creekers” who fell in the push to free the planet. This is all to prevent the “greatest net desecration” of the upcoming Malevelon Creek Memorial Day.

New MAJOR ORDER

:Hold MALEVELON CREEK! pic.twitter.com/Dx6WuhG948

— Helldivers Alerts (@HelldiversAlert) March 30, 2025

Helldivers 2 players are, predictably, amped for this Major Order. Memes invoking everything from Starship Troopers to the Doom Slayer and, somehow, Delicious in Dungeon flooded the Helldivers subreddit. Those who experienced the Creek back then, with its swarms of bots and lasers filling the air, are geared up for round two.

New players who joined after the original fight for the Creek also seem eager to jump in and experience this particularly memorable locale. There’s a lot to be said for these communal efforts, where Helldivers start logging on and building towards big moments together. When it ties into the long-running story and a feeling of a shared experience in a universe, it can be really incredible.

Of course, concerns are already rising that Arrowhead hasn’t fully tipped its hand yet. One post notes that while the defensive efforts are going well and Malevelon Creek is currently safe, there are still five days left on the Major Order. Teams are working to target specific goals as the sector remains a hotbed for Automaton incursions. It’s fascinating to see it unfold in real-time, and will no doubt make this week an exciting one for Helldivers players as the war for the Creek picks up.

Eric is a freelance writer for IGN.

It might be a while yet before we get Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2, after comments from the boss of Rockstar’s parent company revealed his preference for releasing marketing materials relatively close to a release window.

Rockstar released GTA 6 Trailer 1 to record-breaking viewership in December 2023, but it hasn’t released a single asset since. The 15-month wait for more information has fueled increasingly bizarre conspiracy theories about when Rockstar will release GTA 6 Trailer 2.

These have included counting the holes in Lucia’s cell door net, the bullet holes in the car from Trailer 1, and even registration plates. But chief among the conspiracy theories is GTA 6’s ongoing moon watch, which was, remarkably, proven to have accurately predicted the date Rockstar announced when it would release GTA 6 Trailer 1, but debunked as a hint at the release date for Trailer 2.

So the big question right now is, when will GTA 6 Trailer 2 be released? We’re no closer to finding out, but based on comments from Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick, fans may have to wait until much closer to GTA 6’s actual release date for their next look at the most anticipated video game in the world.

In a new interview with Bloomberg, Zelnick was asked straight up: why is GTA 6’s release date such a carefully held secret?

“The anticipation for that title may be the greatest anticipation I’ve ever seen for an entertainment property,” Zelnick replied. “And I’ve been around the block a few times and I’ve been in every entertainment business there is.

“We want to maintain the anticipation and the excitement. And we do have competitors who will describe their release schedule for years in advance. And we found that the better thing to do is to provide marketing materials relatively close to the release window in order to create that excitement on the one hand and balance the excitement with unmet anticipation. We don’t always get it exactly right, but that’s what we are trying to do.”

There are a few things worth digging into here. The first is Zelnick’s comments about keeping GTA 6’s release date such a carefully held secret “to maintain the anticipation and the excitement.” That’s something fans and the media alike have assumed to be true, and indeed former Rockstar developers have tried to explain is true.

Mike York, who worked as an animator at Rockstar New England for six years helping to build Grand Theft Auto 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2 before leaving the company in 2017, said on his YouTube channel that Rockstar is playing up to the conspiracy theories, deliberately avoiding saying anything about the game or when Trailer 2 will be released in order to fuel even more speculation within the community.

“They’re reaching and pulling and trying to come up with these really cool theories to decipher when the next trailer will be,” he said of fans.

“Specifically Rockstar, they’re very secretive about what they do, and this is a really cool tactic because it creates allure and it creates mystery and it creates people talking about it without them having to do anything. The more they’re silent the better it is, because the more people will be antsy and want to talk about it and have this feeling of not knowing what’s going to happen.”

York went on to say that Rockstar is likely resisting pressure from its army of fans to announce the GTA 6 Trailer 2 release date for this exact reason.

“They could easily release the trailer date and be like, ‘Hey this is when the trailer’s coming out,’ but they don’t do it. And they don’t do it on purpose because it’s a really, really good marketing tactic. If you think about it, it creates these really cool theories.

“This brings the fans together. This is a really cool way to get fans to talk about your game when you’re not releasing anything yet, in-between the times.

“All these theories are great. They only create hype, they create talk, they create mystery behind the games.”

The second thing worth pulling out of Zelnick’s quote is the suggestion that GTA 6 Trailer 2 won’t be released until we’re closer to the game’s actual release date in fall 2025 (assuming it’s not delayed). If that’s true, it may be half a year before we get another look at GTA 6.

While you wait for GTA 6 to come out, check out IGN’s coverage of an ex-Rockstar dev who says the studio probably won’t be able to decide whether GTA 6 is delayed until May 2025, Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick’s response to concern about the fate of GTA Online once GTA 6 comes out, and the expert opinion on whether the PS5 Pro will run GTA 6 at 60 frames per second.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Blizzard is reportedly receiving a number of pitches for new StarCraft video games from Korean studios.

In an article brought to the internet’s attention by X / Twitter account @KoreaXboxnews, Asia Today listed four Korean companies who are reportedly competing with each other to develop new games based on the StarCraft IP and secure publishing rights: NCSoft, Nexon, Netmarble, and Krafton. Apparently some of these companies have traveled to Blizzard’s headquarters in Irvine, California, to make their pitches.

NCSoft, which is behind the Lineage and Guild Wars MMOs, is said to have pitched a StarCraft RPG of some kind (an MMORPG?). Nexon, maker of The First Descendant, has pitched a “unique” use of the StarCraft IP. Netmarble (Solo Leveling: Arise, Game of Thrones: Kingsroad) is hoping to make a StarCraft mobile game. And Krafton, the company behind battle royale PUBG and The Sims competitor inZOI, wants to make a StarCraft game “based on its own development capabilities.”

Of course, video game companies pitch other video game companies all the time when it comes to securing publishing rights and development contracts. And it may be the case that nothing mentioned here goes anywhere. But StarCraft fans will certainly take note of Blizzard’s reported interest in doing… something to expand the much-loved sci-fi universe, given how long it’s been since the last game in the franchise came out. Activision Blizzard declined to comment when contacted by IGN.

It’s worth remembering that in September, it emerged that Blizzard was making a third attempt at developing a StarCraft shooter, with former Far Cry executive producer Dan Hay, who joined Blizzard in 2022, leading the charge.

The news came from Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier while speaking to IGN’s Podcast Unlocked, below, about his recent book, Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment. Hay’s StarCraft shooter is mentioned in the book, and IGN’s Ryan McCaffrey asked Schreier if it’s likely to actually come out.

“If it’s not canceled!” Schreier replied. “This is Blizzard after all. Their history with StarCraft shooters is not good.

“Yes, that is a project that as far as I know is in development, or at least as of the time that I wrote this book was in development. They are working on a StarCraft shooter, StarCraft is not dead at Blizzard.

“The goal of the book isn’t to get a bunch of scoops about upcoming things. That wasn’t the purpose of this book at all, it was very much to tell a story and focus on stuff that had happened. But this felt like such an interesting and useful nugget to include because it really just shows you that Blizzard cannot quit StarCraft shooters.”

That was a reference to Blizzard’s infamous attempt to release a StarCraft shooter in the past as part of a bid to expand the StarCraft franchise beyond its real-time strategy origins. StarCraft Ghost, announced in 2002, was going to be a tactical-action console game in which you played as a deadly Ghost operative in the employ of the Dominion, but it was canceled in 2006 after a series of delays.

A second attempt to make a StarCraft shooter, codenamed Ares, was canceled in 2019 so Blizzard could focus on Diablo 4 and Overwatch 2. Ares was reportedly “like Battlefield in the StarCraft universe,” but, like Ghost, fell by the wayside.

More recently, in November, Blizzard was spotted hiring for an “upcoming open-world shooter game,” with all signs pointing to it being a StarCraft FPS.

Things are slowly ramping up for StarCraft. Blizzard recently released StarCraft: Remastered and StarCraft 2: Campaign Collection on Game Pass, and announced a StarCraft crossover with Warcraft card game Hearthstone.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Three months after launching Path of Exile 2 into early access, the development team at Grinding Gear Games is getting ready for its first major expansion, called Dawn of the Hunt, which will add the action-RPG’s first new character class, new endgame activities, and more.

IGN sat down with game director Jonathan Rogers to see how the team is feeling about the game’s reception so far, and to ask all our burning questions about the upcoming update.

First, I haven’t talked to you since the game came to early access. It’s been three months. Has the team been happy with the response?

Jonathan Rogers: Yeah, absolutely. I was honestly not expecting that we would beat a PoE 1 launch in terms of concurrency, because obviously this was early access. It was paid instead of being free at this point. So the fact that we exceeded and went even much higher than the largest PoE 1 launch we’ve ever done was obviously incredible. The scary thing, of course though, isn’t you’ve got that many players. There’s lots of considerations you have to make about supporting them and we’ve obviously done this before, but it’s still a lot of work obviously when you’ve got that many players and having to make sure that you’re dealing with all the various problems that they have.

And after sprinting to the finish line for a number of years to get to the early access state you guys are at, how has the team been holding up as you support what’s essentially a live-service game where the sprint is not likely to end anytime soon? Have you guys been able to catch your breath at all?

Jonathan Rogers: Yeah, a hundred percent. For a start, we had Christmas break. We gave everyone an extra week for that as well beyond what they would normally have. We made sure that everything was okay there. We also were really trying to make sure that there was no more overtime, making sure that everything goes back to 40 hours a week, that everything’s sort of normal again. And so, that’s really meant that we’re kind of, I think, the studio is sort of back in a sustainable pace again, which is really good.

The thing that I would say that our company is good at doing is coming up with new content very efficiently and creating new things very well. So even though it’s not the crazy crunch that we were having before, I still think we’re able to create content really fast.

I mean, PoE 2 has a lot of stuff going on in it and that’s even including this [expansion] and it’s been three months, and that’s even including the fact we had Christmas in the middle. So honestly, the main thing is just getting back on that thing that we actually do well as a company, which is the live-support, like having a game being live. I think that’s our specialty.

And so it’s actually nice to be back in a position where we’re doing that again rather than having this kind of endless project that continues on forever, which honestly makes me more uncomfortable, because people can get out of the practice of shipping, which I think sometimes can be a problem.

It seems like Dawn of the Hunt is going to focus a lot on revising the end game experience. Can you share what the top takeaways were that your team received in terms of community feedback based on the initial release and how you guys are addressing them with this update?

Jonathan Rogers: Yeah, so I guess the main things that we had were, for a start: you’ve got content. The content wasn’t lasting. It wasn’t lasting to the hundreds of hours the players wanted to be able to last. And the reason for that, really, is that we didn’t have enough what we would call “overlapping axis of randomness.” And what I mean by that is that you’ve got mechanics that need to be able to spawn in regular maps, they need to be able to interact together ideally.

So in this expansion we’re adding over 40 encounters, if you will, in terms of strong boxes and different types of wisps and bosses running around — stuff like that. But the idea is to get more than 40 interesting combat situations out of that by allowing more of that content to be able to be introduced to each other. So you still see situations that are new even as you play hundreds and hundreds of hours.

So for example, you’ll get a type of wisp, that certain type of boss, and then it’s like, ‘okay, well now this boss has got some ability.’ It changes how the fight plays out. What if you had a corrupted essence at the same time, and what if you had this and what if you had that? All of these things overlap together to produce a combinatorial explosion of possible outcomes that make the game much more interesting. And on PoE 1, we definitely had that in its end game with all the stuff we’ve added, but PoE 2 didn’t quite have enough of that stuff. Everything was somewhat compartmentalized for the most part. So it’s like, well, once you’ve played it all one time, it’s like, well, then now you’ve done that thing and it’s not as interesting to play it the second time and over and over again. So basically we just need more of that type of stuff. And so that’s where the focus has been.

But another thing as well has just been for the existing mechanics, there’s been a lot of tweaks. And the thing we have to be careful of when we’re doing that stuff is players will say, for example, they’ll say, ‘oh, you need to drop more maps because I’m not sustaining maps.’ And then we’re like, ‘okay, well I’m not having any trouble sustaining maps. What’s going on here?’ And then you find out, well, okay, the reason why this is happening is because they’re dying too much and much more than we expected. When you actually look at that stuff and then when they die, they obviously don’t get the drops for the rest of the map. So we’re like, okay, well how can we alleviate that problem? Maybe that’s the issue. And then we started thinking about what should the death penalty be. And that’s how we get into changing the rez mechanics of maps. And so it’s things like that, where you hear one thing, you have to try and come up with a different solution to try and improve things a lot.

The players need to get good, that’s what I’m hearing.

Jonathan Rogers: Well, no, I mean, we are just making it so that if the players aren’t good, they’re not nearly as screwed as they were if they were. And this is the thing: it’s actually, a lot of the time, it is an exercise in minimizing the differences between the best players and the worst players as far as making sure that they both have good experiences, and it’s like you still need to make it so that there are big differences, but you don’t want it to be that a player who’s not good is just getting completely screwed in their ability to continue to keep playing the end game. And so that’s why we have to, we’ve made special rules, we’ve changed the drop mechanics for maps very significantly as well. There’s just lots of things like that that kind of go on that are not worth mentioning as far as content goes in a livestream, but certainly will matter a lot to the play experience for players who are actually playing.

One thing I run into a lot, because my beat at IGN is a lot of online games and live-service games, is not just the division between highly skilled and low skilled players, but players who have a ton of time and want to live in this game and players who are time-taxed. And often there’s a FOMO gap of like, ‘well, I could make my game have a ton of content, but then this group is going to be feeling like they’re just going to miss out and maybe fall off of the game because now there’s too much content for them to ever possibly keep up with.’ How does the team think about that?

Jonathan Rogers: Well, I mean, ultimately, I think that more content is better than less when it comes to this kind of stuff. Even though you may run into that situation, the people who are going to be the people who play the most are also going to be the people who are most on your side and talking about your game and generating the buzz. So I think it is very important to make sure we’re appealing to those people and other people who have less time. I mean, they’re still going to come along for the ride and they’re still going to have a great time, and so long as we’re still adding enough content, they’re going to enjoy it even if they don’t get to experience literally everything. I think that’s okay. And there’s also this sort of funny thing where on some level you need aspirational content to exist in the game content that is hard for most people to get to in order for there to be something to strive for next time.

If you didn’t make it to the Pinnacles this time, well, then maybe you’ll play next time when we’ve added more stuff throughout the rest of the game that improves your experience. But then the second time you play, you’ll have a better time and Path of Exile is actually a game that kind of almost has a meta experience grind of each time you play the game you get better as a player, which means you get further into it and further towards the goal. So that, I think, is part of the reason why Path of Exile has such appeal. PoE 1 still is growing. I mean, maybe I can’t unequivocally say that now, but at least until Path Of Exile 2 came out PoE 1 was still setting concurrency records so many years after it came out. And I think that is really a lot of the reason for that.

YouTuber Jacksepticeye has revealed he spent a year working on a Soma animated show only for it to fall apart, leaving him “quite upset.”

In a new video titled ‘A Bad Month,’ Jacksepticeye, real name Seán William McLoughlin, not only revealed the existence of the Soma animated show, but that it had been canceled.

Soma, a survival horror science fiction video game from Amnesia developer Frictional Games, launched back in 2015 and was met with critical acclaim. Jacksepticeye streamed the game extensively at the time it came out, and often mentions it as one of his favorites.

Monster Hunter Wilds’ phenomenal success shows no sign of slowing down. It’s just breezed past the 10 million sold mark, setting a new record for developer and publisher Capcom.

That’s a first month sales record for Capcom — no game in the company’s history has sold more after a month on sale. Wilds was already the fastest-selling game in Capcom history after selling 8 million copies in just three days.

In a note to press, Capcom explained why it believes Monster Hunter Wilds has proven so successful, even blowing Monster Hunter World out the water. It pointed to the introduction of crossplay and the day-one launch across console and PC (World launched on PC half a year after console) as key factors in Wilds’ appeal.

“The title provides an environment where a wider range of players can enjoy the game together with the introduction of crossplay, a first for the series, and a simultaneous release on Playstation 5 system, Xbox Series X|S, and PC,” Capcom explained.

“Additionally, the introduction of the new Focus Mode mechanic and the implementation of seamless movement between settlements and ecosystems have provided an even more immersive gaming experience, while the fusion of numerous new elements with Monster Hunter’s appeal has generated significant excitement, all of which led to the company first-month sales record of over 10 million units sold.”

As detailed last week, Monster Hunter Wilds Title Update 1 launches April 4. It adds a fan-favorite monster as well as the Grand Hub, a new in-game settlement where players can gather and communicate with each other. Title Update 2, which Capcom teased adds Lagiacrus, is set for the summer. Check out IGN’s roundup of everything announced during the Monster Hunter Wilds Title Update 1 showcase for even more detail and information.

The Monster Hunter series had already ‘broken’ the west with the 2018 launch of World, which remains Capcom’ best-selling game ever with 21.3 million sold. But it seems likely that, over time, Wilds will surpass even that figure.

To help get your Monster Hunter Wilds adventure started, take a look at what Monster Hunter Wilds doesn’t tell you, and a guide to all 14 weapon types in the game. We’ve also got a detailed MH Wilds walkthrough in progress, a MH Wilds multiplayer guide to explain how to play with friends, and if you’ve played one of the open betas, here’s how to transfer your MH Wilds Beta character over.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.