It looks like the Warzone Pacific update has arrived without a hitch - more or less - and everyone who had Early Access to Caldera is enjoying the new map. There are a few graphical issues and gameplay bugs, but they're not new to Warzone. If you haven't got Vanguard, though... You might be wondering when you can play Caldera? Here's what you need to know.
EARLY ACCESS - When can everyone play on Caldera?
If you're getting a little bored of Rebirth Island and suffering from FOMO - Fear Of Missing Out - then, you'll be pleased to know you don't have too much longer to wait.
Caldera's Early Access period is only in place for 24 hours and Caldera should be available in Warzone globally following today's playlist update at the following times:
- 10:00 PST (December 9th)
- 13:00 EST (December 9th)
- 18:00 GMT (December 9th)
Warzone's server downtime ended around an hour early yesterday, though - so, this could arrive a little sooner than specified. Keep an eye out on Call of Duty's social media accounts.
ANTI-CHEAT - What's the latest on this feature?
The Ricochet Anti-Cheat system is a big talking point - but it's being overshadowed by the release of Caldera and Vanguard integration. Here's the latest from Raven Software on its status...
" With the launch of Call of Duty: Warzone Pacific tomorrow, #TeamRICOCHET continues its new anti-cheat security initiative with the rollout of an internally developed PC kernel-level driver for Warzone, which will activate first in the Asia-Pacific region before expanding worldwide."
In addition to this, we know that the system itself is going to be available in the Asia-Pacific region at first, but it is expected to roll out globally soon. There's currently no timeline for this though, so it could be weeks before we see more.
NEW GULAG - What's changing with the update?
Raven Software's changes to the Gulag will be interesting and there's going to be a lot of debate around the new map layout - but what has the development team had to say?
" Created by our friends at High Moon Studios, this new Gulag experience is set deep within the mines of Caldera. Using all the learnings developed from the many Gulags that have been designed since Warzone launched in 2020, the team focused on both equality of the combat experience. Let's not forget about the all-important spectator experience as well - that is, if multiple of your Squad have been unfortunate enough to have been eliminated at once!"
In addition to this new look at the Gulag layout, the following gameplay changes are being made...
- Players will now be able to ping locations and items on the Tac Map while in the Gulag or Eliminated.
- Winning the Gulag will now redeploy the victor with the weapons and equipment they had remaining at the end of the duel.
DOWNLOAD DETAILS - How big is the update?
The Warzone Pacific update is available to download right now, but do you have the space for it? If you want to play around on Caldera, you better find it!
Here's how much storage space you're going to need for the next Warzone title update:
- PlayStation 5
- 44.7GB
- PlayStation 4
- 44.7GB
- Xbox Series X|S
- 41.2GB
- Xbox One
- 41.2GB
- PC
- 37.8GB (Warzone only)
- 69.1GB (Warzone and Modern Warfare)
You're also going to need an additional 8GB on PC for the mysterious Copying Process. It's also worth noting that server downtime ends at the following times - so there's not long left to sort things out!
- 09:00 PST (December 8th)
- 12:00 EST (December 8th)
- 17:00 BST (December 8th)
SERVER DOWNTIME - When does this start?
Following the "Last Hours of Verdansk" playlist event - something that should give Warzone's current main map a good send-off - we're expecting around 12 hours of server downtime before the Warzone Pacific update goes live. This should give everyone enough time to download the update!
Here's a timeline of events that should keep you on track of what's going on...
"Last Hours of Verdansk" playlist - Start
- 10:00 PST - December 6th
- 13:00 EST - December 6th
- 18:00 GMT - December 6th
"Last Hours of Verdansk" playlist - End / Server Downtime - Start
- 21:00 PST - December 7th
- 00:00 EST - December 8th
- 05:00 GMT - December 8th
Server Downtime - End / Warzone Pacific Update & Caldera Early Access- Start
- 09:00 PST - December 8th
- 12:00 EST - December 8th
- 17:00 GMT - December 8th
Caldera General Access - Start
- 09:00 PST - December 9th
- 12:00 EST - December 9th
- 17:00 GMT - December 9th
NOW BOARDING... A new look at Caldera
The next Warzone update is still a few days out, including Early Access, but Call of Duty is still offering us new looks at the new maps and it's safe to say that it looks exciting.
As you can see in the Tweet below, it looks like Caldera is going to have a few secrets. Hidden Caves accessible by climbing natural rock formations certainly sounds a little more exciting than what Verdansk has had to offer us over the last 18 months.
We know there's more out there and a lot more to explore, so expect to see a few more clips before the update itself is December 8th.
EARLY ACCESS - Drop into Caldera before everyone else
The Vanguard Season One update and Warzone's Pacific update are both due to arrive on December 8th - however, Caldera is slated to be released on December 9th.
The Early Access period is only 24 hours long, but that's an important 24 hours if you don't like Rebirth Island and the limited Warzone experience it offers. However, all you need to do is play Vanguard for a little while to gain Early Access to Caldera. We don't know how much time you'll need to be playing Vanguard, but simply owning it isn't going to be enough.
Here's an information dump on the Warzone Pacific update, expect to see more from Call of Duty regarding Vanguard Season One soon.
When does the Warzone Pacific update drop?
Vanguard Season One and the Warzone Pacific update has been pushed back by a week and now it's due to launch on December 8th. Caldera, though, the new Warzone map, is actually due to release on December 9th. The final days of Verdansk are going to be busy and there's going to be an interesting switch between the maps on the cards - however, we're being led to believe that it will be more Verdansk-based than Caldera-based.
Rebirth Island is still going to be playable in Warzone, though, so it isn't going to be a complete switch. However, the Warzone Pacific update is reportedly going to move the game onto an updated engine - the one Vanguard uses - so it should feel like a refined experience across the board.
As you can see above, Caldera looks like it's going to be quite a different experience to Verdansk - however, will this be a good thing? The increased foliage is going to force different strategies into Warzone and the meta is going to be shaken up significantly with the introduction of Vanguard's selection of Second World War weapons.
If you want to play Caldera a little early, though, here's how...
New Pacific Map Screenshots
Alongside the reveal of how to get early access, Activision released some new screenshots for the Caldera map, showcasing how different it is to Verdansk.
Below are the newest screenshots, and you can also take another look at the reveal trailer from a few weeks ago to see how they match.