We're weeks away from Vanguard Season One and that means the Warzone Pacific update - which is adding Caldera and Vanguard's weapons and Operators to Warzone - is about to drop. Here's everything we know about the new map and the latest information available.
PHASE TWO - Secrets of the Pacific Event
Operation Flashback was only one part of the transition between Verdansk and Caldera - The next in-game event is about to start and it should directly lead into the Warzone Pacific update in a clearer way.
The Secrets of the Pacific Event is due to start on November 24th, a day earlier than anticipated, according to ModenasHD, a notable leaker, and it should see more in-game teasers crop up ahead of the next major update. You can see their take on the timeline of events below:
At the moment, we don't know exactly what to expect from the Secrets of the Pacific Event - however, we know there are a few bunkers in Verdansk waiting to open. We will keep this updated with the latest information.
CALDERA MAP LAYOUT - Pacific Island Life
The Vanguard Launch Event offered us our first look at Caldera's map in full and it looks... About the same size as Verdansk and Verdansk '84. Reports are suggesting that the two locations are almost identical in size and there isn't much variance in the shape either.
You can check out the first - and currently only - look at Warzone's new map below:
It might be a little hard to make out, but the following POI locations are labelled on the map:
- Naval Shipyard
- Ancient Structures
- Volcano
- Fishing Village
- Phosphor Mines
- Air Port
- Taro Farms
- Beach Defenses
- Submarine Base
- City Capital
Warzone Pacific Map Release Date
Finally, Activision has confirmed that Warzone's Pacific map, officially named Caldera, will launch on December 3 for all players.
The Warzone Pacific will come alongside season one of both Vanguard and Warzone right at the start of the month. This seems like the perfect way to kick off Warzone's integration with Vanguard.
The Anti-Cheat will also launch on that same day, giving players a much needed rest from the hackers that have plagued the game in recent months.
FIRST LOOK - A rich biome to explore!
Following the Vanguard Multiplayer Reveal Stream, Raven Software jumped in to offer us our first look at Warzone in the Vanguard Era - and the Pacific Theatre map that's going to replace Verdansk.
As you can see below, it looks to be a pretty varied map with a number of biomes and environments Verdansk '84 was missing - particularly, dense jungles.
They also opened the short Pre-Alpha teaser footage with this shot - could Boats be coming to Warzone as a new vehicle? Only time will tell on that one. Verdansk had water, but this is a Pacific island.
WILL IT MATCH UP? - It's hard to say...
Of course, it all looks promising, but will it match up to Verdansk and Verdansk '84? It's hard to say. It looks like it's going to be quite the challenge for Snipers - so we just hope player outlines are tweaked to reflect the dense foliage. However, it also looks like there's going to be clusters of built-up intricate structures - this could open the game up a lot more for people who prefer a fight in your face.
The increased foliage does raise some concerns though, particularly on PC. It essentially looks like it's going to be much more demanding to render and this could mean people lower their in-game settings and reduce the frequency of the foliage. This would give them an unfair advantage.
To counter this, we could see the foliage implemented as a more permanent structure in Warzone with the new Pacific Theatre map. This would mean the download size would be immensely bigger than it is and we can't imagine that bodes well for performance on current-gen consoles. Warzone already struggles at the best of times.
We won't be able to make a judgement on whether this is going to be the right call for Warzone until we see gameplay footage and play - It is promising, though, and could usher in a new age of Warzone if successful.