If we circle back to 2020, just before the Covid pandemic overtook the world, Call of Duty released their latest attempt to hijack the growing demand for new Battle Royale games by launching Warzone – a free to play Battle Royale that took a new approach to the genre.
Call of Duty picking their launch time impeccably, albeit with a little luck. Little did they know that the world would soon be forced to shut down, and everyone would be required to sit inside with very little else to do apart from play their new release. It was also an opportunity for people to chat and catch up with their friends at a time when all other social activities were limited. This, alongside COD releasing a free to play new battle royale resulted in huge success for the game, with player counts skyrocketing to over 50 million in its first month.
Why Verdansk Worked
Besides the pandemic and the allure of something new, there are clear discernible reasons why the first launch of Warzone was so successful. It captured all the classic traits of a Battle Royale and infused them with unique and gripping characteristics of the COD franchise.
- The Map – when Verdansk launched, it was an incredibly varied and well thought out map. The diversity of terrain, the design of buildings and the secrets and hidden easter eggs throughout the map immersed players in a truly unique spot and one that has been missed ever since it was removed.
- The Gameplay – Warzone took a new spin on the Battle Royale genre, introducing new elements such as the Gulag, which gave players another chance to enter the game after being eliminated. Alongside this, the introduction of loadouts allowed players to choose their own personalised weapons, granting players the chance to fight through the game with their own favourite strategies and roles within their team.
- Squadding Up – initially Warzone launched with a set team of three. However, this quickly grew and eventually gave players the chance to play solos, duos, trios or in quads. This choice gave players even more variety in their gameplay and strategy, and only grew the appeal of Warzone.
- The Gunsmith – beyond your loadout, the gunsmith mechanic allowed players to mould and change their weapons to further suit their gameplay and strategies. Suddenly, snipers could be changed to short-range one-shot kills, whilst LMGs gave players the chance to hold down positions with 200 round magazines.
- Easter Eggs and Events – when the simple Battle Royale did start to grow tiresome or tedious to some, what COD did so well initially was launch live events and insert secret easter eggs and secrets into the map. This gave players the chance to discover something more than simply winning, and gamers clamoured to uncover clues and hints as to what was to come.
What’s Gone Wrong Since?
As player counts began to shrink as the world opened up again, Warzone began to change and mix things up as new COD releases came out. Several games later and countless changes to Warzone, the game is unrecognisable from when it initially came out.
To say Warzone has gone through some turbulent, controversial and completely poor changes would be an understatement, but what exactly were the changes that have led to player counts being some of the lowest they’ve even been?
- Map Changes – Verdansk was a beloved and well realised map. However, since then, no new maps have come close to the experience and variety that Verdansk offered. Each new map has been plagued with issues, felt tired or boring and have simply failed to live up to the excitement of the first map. It’s unsurprising that COD will be reviving Verdansk ahead of the five-year anniversary of Warzone.
- Gameplay Changes – Warzone initially worked due to its simplicity. Players could loot certain amounts of ammo, lethal equipment and kill streaks. This all changed in the further editions as backpacks were introduced, allowing players to store five UAVs or six airstrikes and release these all in the final circle. It was Warzone’s first major chance to the looting and inventory system, and it failed to live up to expectations for the vast majority of players.
- More Extractor Shooter than Battle Royale – alongside the backpack, Warzone introduced elements like AI enemies, black sites and removed free loadout drops. This game shift turned Warzone into more of an extractor shooter than classic Battle Royale, alienating many of its player base who were used to a simple shoot and survive game. The changes were eventually overturned but for many, it was too little too late.
- Microtransactions and ‘Pay to Win’ – whilst the developers will deny it, the impetus on buying the battle pass, ‘pay to win’ character skins and new games having the best guns, all put the emphasis on players’ wallets instead of their ability. As always, microtransactions have been nothing but a poison in the eyes of most gamers, and again further pushed away players.
- The Player Count – finally, for reasons that have never really been declared, Warzone reduced its starting player count from 150 to 100 to 125, depending on the exact game. The reasons for this have been released, and it seems a bizarre move that as technology has increased, they have reduced the player count.
What Next for Warzone?
It is important to remember that many look back on the first release of Warzone with nostalgia tinted glasses. It released at a perfect time when many who would not usually jump on COD, had more time than they knew what to do with. However, it is undeniable that Warzone 1 had the charm, unique gameplay and vision that enticed so many to parachute into Verdansk and have such fun. Since then, the journey has been incredibly tumultuous, but Warzone still has a very solid player count, and still offers players the chance to enjoy a first person Battle Royale from such a beloved franchise.
