Raven Software has just released the biggest Warzone update we've ever seen and there's so much to look forward to. If you're looking forward to jumping into Caldera with Early Access, finding out what the Anti-Cheat system does, or figuring out what's going on with the new weapons... We've got you covered.
LATEST - Caldera is here and available right now!
Call of Duty has ended downtime an hour early and the Warzone Pacific update is available right now. There's so much on offer and Call of Duty has shared a helpful set of tips for everyone jumping in.
Check it out before you load up Warzone below:
ANTI-CHEAT - Status update ahead of launch
The internally developed Ricochet Anti-Cheat system was a big talking point when it was announced - but we haven't really heard a lot about it with all the chatter about Caldera. What's going on with it?
Well... Raven Software has said the following:
" 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."
We also know that the Ricochet Anti-Cheat is only going to be available in the Asia-Pacific region's servers for the time being. There's no timeline on the global rollout of this feature but we shouldn't be waiting more than a couple of weeks to see it fully in place.
UPDATE - New Gulag rules coming soon
Raven Software is tweaking the way Warzone's Gulag works and there's going to be a new map to check out in your post-life battles going forwards. Here's what they have had to say about the new experience...
" 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 quote, the following 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.
When does server downtime end?
Warzone's servers are currently down - following the "Last Hours of Verdansk" playlist and the end of the original Warzone map. However, this is a planned period of downtime so there's a lot of information about when it's ending and what's coming next.
You should be able to jump back into Warzone from the following times:
- 09:00 PST (December 8th)
- 12:00 EST (December 8th)
- 17:00 GMT (December 8th)
If you have played Vanguard, you'll have access to Caldera and Vanguard Royale.
If you haven't played Vanguard, you'll be limited to Rebirth Island for 24 hours - this is the length of the Caldera Early Access period.
Season One Battle Pass Tier Rewards
The Vanguard Season One Battle Pass isn't just bringing more content to Sledgehammer Games' shooter - there's also a lot to unlock in Warzone too, following the Vanguard integration coming with the Warzone Pacific update.
Here's a run-down of all the important Battle Pass Tier Rewards for Warzone players to keep an eye out for...
- Tier 10 - Desert Cover Operator Skin (Halima)
- Tier 15 - Cooper Carbine Base Blueprint (Assault Rifle)
- Tier 20 - Konara Operator Skin (Shigenori)
- Tier 31 - Gorenko Anti-Tank Base Blueprint (Sniper Rifle)
- Tier 37 - Sawtooth Base Blueprint (Melee Weapon)
- Tier 90 - Rising Legend Operator Skin (Polina)
- Tier 100 - Awoken Operator Skin (Francis)
- Tier 100 - Harvester Weapon Blueprint (Assault Rifle)
There's going to be quite a few more Weapon Blueprints and Operator Skins to unlock, so it's worth checking the Season One Battle Pass out when the update goes live on December 8th.
Server Downtime - Warzone is going dark
Activision has been keeping an eye on Epic Games and the successes of Fortnite's Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 finale events - it looks like Warzone is going to follow suit and offer a short period of server downtime between the "Last Hours of Verdansk" event and the release of the Warzone Pacific update.
As you can see below, on Warzone's Trello Board, it looks like a period of "shutdown" is going to be coming as a buffer between the end of Verdansk '84 and the start of the Caldera-era of Warzone content.
The server downtime is going to start at the following times - and then run until the release of the Warzone Pacific update a day later...
Warzone Server Downtime Start
- 21:00 PST - December 7th
- 00:00 EST - December 8th
- 05:00 GMT - December 8th
Warzone Server Downtime End
- 09:00 PST - December 8th
- 12:00 EST - December 8th
- 17:00 GMT - December 8th
It's only 12 hours of server downtime as it stands, but it should give you a lot of time to get the update downloaded.
Full Caldera Release Date - When can you play?
Caldera isn't technically releasing alongside the Warzone Pacific update - it's scheduled to be fully released 24 hours after the server downtime ends on December 9th.
The Warzone Pacific update itself is going to introduce Vanguard integration and the Ricochet Anti-Cheat - however, there's not going to be global access to Caldera for another day.
There is a way you can get Early Access to Caldera alongside the start of the Warzone Pacific update, though...
How to get Early Access to the map
If you want to play Caldera as early as possible, you can get Early Access if you own - and have played - Vanguard. It's that simple, really. All you need to do is play some Call of Duty Vanguard multiplayer for a little bit - there's nothing out there specifying how much, though, but a handful of games should be enough.
When the Warzone Pacific update drops, you should have the Vanguard Royale Caldera-based playlist available alongside the Rebirth Island playlists that everyone else will be playing on for that 24-hour period before Caldera releases fully.
Explore new topics and discover content that's right for you!