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Ahead of the Modern Warfare II and Warzone 2 Season 3 launch, Activision has released some patch notes for the upcoming season. The patch notes dive deeply into weapon balancing, with a slew of buffs and nerfs across the board.
Notably, the ISO Hemlock, which dominated the meta in recent weeks, has been nerfed in Warzone 2. Likewise, the RAAL MG, RPK, Tempus Torrent, and Basilisk have all received nerfs.
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Now Playing: Modern Warfare II Accolades Trailer | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II
Warzone 2 will get a slew of changes including Bomb Drone balancing, the addition of a Tempered Plate Carrier, the return of the heavy chopper, and, of course, the all-new Massive Resurgence mode. This new respawn mode will take place on Al Mazrah and players will be able to rejoin the fight as long as any teammates remain alive. Activision has added new ways to reduce the respawn timer in this mode, such as by earning headshots or being on the move.
Season 3 will also mark the return of one-shot snipers in Warzone 2. Now, bolt-action rifles can down a fully-plated player in one shot with Explosive Rounds. Activision says it will keep an eye on the weapons to “ensure fair, fun, and strategically rich gameplay.”
The beloved 2v2 Gunfight mode is coming to Modern Warfare II Multiplayer during Season 3 with four maps available right away. Likewise, the Cranked mode is being added, along with two new 6v6 maps and two additional Battle maps. On the Multiplayer side of things, Activision is addressing round-ending kills in single-life modes, and will also squash numerous bugs across many maps.
The full list of Season 3 patch notes is listed below, as shared by the Activision blog post.
GLOBAL
A new season has arrived, and with it – new content and gameplay updates spanning Modern Warfare II and Warzone 2.0. Fan favorites Alejandro and Valeria have returned to settle the score. New modes including Massive Resurgence, Gunfight and Cranked are here, along with new multiplayer maps. Season 03 is anyone’s game!
For the latest live issues tracking please refer to our official Trello board.
RICOCHET ANTI-CHEAT
Earlier this month, the RICOCHET Anti-Cheat™ team revealed new detections and tools in the fight against cheaters, including in Ranked Play. See the full details in the official blog here.
BATTLE PASS
BlackCell
BlackCell is a Battle Pass Bundle and Pro Pack combined with even more items. BlackCell is a premium offering that provides incredible value – to be used across both games. For more details, see the BlackCell blog.
Automatic Spend
For Players looking for an alternative to manual Battle Pass token spending, we’ve added an automatic spend option. Players can also choose to manually earn Battle Token Tier Skips and spend them as they did in prior seasons.
There is still the option to unlock Battle Pass sectors manually, and players can switch between Automatic and Manual pathing at any time during the season, which is great for those who don’t mind what other rewards they earn after they get their favorites.
For more details, visit the Season 03 Battle Pass blog.
EVENTS
Trophy Hunt New Limited-Time EventPlayers and enemy combatants will drop Trophies when eliminated. Trophies can also be found via loot. Trophies must be collected and secured at an Upload Station to add them to your bank. Multiplayer Trophies drop from each unique player killed. Collect Trophies and finish the match to add them to your bank.Battle Royale Operators and AI Combatants drop Trophies when eliminatedTrophies can also be found by looting.Trophies are extracted from the match via the following methods: Secured at an Upload StationMatch victoryDMZ Operators and Agents drop trophies when killed. Trophies can also be found in loot. Trophies must be collected and secured at an Upload Station, or extracted to add them to your bank.Once extracted, these trophies can be exchanged for items shown in the Events tab, including: Weapon BlueprintsVehicle SkinsBattle Pass Token Tier SkipsThose who redeem enough items will also unlock some exclusive Operator Skins for their efforts.
PROGRESSION
Progression has been updated for Season 03:
Prestige 10: Unlocked at Level 500Prestige 11: Unlocked at Level 550Prestige 12: Unlocked at Level 600Prestige 13: Unlocked at Level 650
CHALLENGES
New Weapon Unlock Challenges for Season 02 Battle Pass weapons: ISO Hemlock – Get 20 Longshot kills with Assault RiflesKV Broadside – Get 10 one-shot kills with ShotgunsDual Kodachis – Get 20 kills with Melee weaponsNew Camo and Mastery Challenges for the Cronen Squall and FJX ImperiumNew set of Prestige Stickerbook Challenges
WEAPONS
New Weapons
FJX Imperium Sniper RifleEngineered destruction at its finest, this anti-personnel, bolt-action Sniper Rifle intervenes in tense situations with hard-hitting .408 rounds.Cronen Squall Battle RifleA bullpup, semi-automatic rifle chambered in 6.8 Wrath and designed for distance shooting and exceptional damage output.
WEAPON BALANCING
Season 03’s changes add more responsiveness to movement and the fluidity of combat including a reduction to the intensity of damage feedback (e.g., camera shake and HUD overlays). We have also decreased the magnitude on some of the more punitive Attachment cons. We feel this will result in an expansion in Attachment viability that will enable a broader spectrum of playstyles to excel—Including a change to Explosive Ammo, which allows Bolt-Action Sniper Rifles to down players in one shot. As we head into Season 03 Reloaded, we will be keeping a close eye on Weapons, Equipment, Killstreaks—among other mechanics, to ensure fair, fun, and strategically rich gameplay.
NOTE: Updates listed below that have certain impacts listed for Armor are only present in Warzone 2 and are indicated with: “Warzone 2.0 Only”
In the context of the below changes—when a Minimum Armor Damage value is added to a Weapon or Attachment, it is an increase to effectiveness. When a Maximum Armor Damage value is added, it is a decrease to effectiveness.
» Assault Rifles «
ISO HemlockAll Damage Ranges reducedLower Torso Damage reducedM13BHeadshot Damage slightly reducedLower Torso Damage increasedMid-range Damage distance increasedUpper Torso Damage slightly reducedSTB 556Headshot Damage increasedLeg Damage increasedLower Torso Damage increasedMid-range Damage distance increasedMid-range Damage reducedTAQ-56Headshot Damage Increased
» Battle Rifles «
FTAC ReconMovement Speed increasedSemi-Auto Leg Damage increasedSemi-Auto Minimum Armor Damage increased | Warzone 2.0 OnlySemi-Auto Upper Torso Damage increasedLachmann 762Movement Speed increasedSO-14Movement Speed increasedSemi-Auto Minimum Armor Damage increased | Warzone 2.0 OnlyTAQ-VMinimum Armor Damage increased | Warzone 2.0 OnlyMovement Speed increasedSemi-Auto Lower Leg Damage increased
» Handguns «
BasiliskMinimum Armor Damage reduced | Warzone 2.0 Only
» Light Machine Guns «
RAAL MGHeadshot Damage reducedMinimum Armor Damage added to Semi-Auto Firing Mode | Warzone 2.0 OnlySemi-Auto Headshot Damage increasedSemi-Auto Upper Torso Damage increasedSemi-Auto Lower Torso Damage increasedRPKClose-mid Damage slightly reduced
» Marksman Rifles «
Tempus TorrentAll Damage Ranges reduced slightlyClose-mid Damage reduced slightlyHeadshot Damage reduced
» Submachine Guns «
Submachine Gun Hip Spread accuracy increasedBAS-PADS Move Speed increasedAll Damage Ranges increasedMinimum Armor Damage added to Semi-Auto Firing Mode | Warzone 2.0 OnlyLachmann SubHeadshot Damage decreasedBurst-Fire Leg Damage increasedBurst-Fire time between shots decreasedBurt-Fire Torso Damage increasedMX9Sprint to Fire Speed increasedVaznev-9KHeadshot Damage decreasedVEL 46Headshot Damage decreased
ATTACHMENTS
Ammunition
Basilisk.500 Snakeshot Maximum Armor Damage added | Warzone 2.0 OnlyExplosiveBolt-Action Weapons equipped with Explosive Ammunition are now able to down fully armored Players in one shot | Warzone 2.0 OnlyExplosive Ammunition has been added to the MCPR-300 progression treeISO Hemlock.300 Blackout (All Types) Headshot Damage increasedHip Spread accuracy while prone increasedInitial Recoil increased slightlyLong-range Damage decreasedMid-range Damage increasedMinimum Armor Damage added to Semi-Auto Firing Mode | Warzone 2.0 OnlyRecoil violence increased
Barrel, Stock, and Magazine Attachment stats are affected according to how ‘Large’, ‘Small’, ‘Heavy’, ‘Light’, ‘Long’, or ‘Short’ they are relative to other Attachments. In essence, the below changes increase the upsides of most Attachments stats while decreasing their downsides—resulting in an overall increase to Attachment power level.
Barrel
Heavy BarrelsADS Speed penalty slightly reducedLight BarrelsMuzzle Velocity penalty reducedShort BarrelsADS Speed benefit increasedDamage Range penalty reducedHip Spread accuracy benefit increased while moving and firingHip Spread accuracy penalty for Shotguns decreased while moving and firing
Bipod
ADS Speed penalty reduced
Laser
Laser brightness increased
Magazine
Large MagazinesLight Machine Guns (Global) Handling and Movement penalties reducedKastov 545 60 Round Magazine Handling penalty reducedKastov 762 40 Round Magazine Handling penalty reducedLachmann Sub 50 Round Drum Handling penalty reducedM13B 60 Round Magazine Handling penalty reducedM16 60 Round Magazine Handling penalty reducedVaznev-9K 45 Round Magazine Handling penalty reducedVEL 46 50 Round Magazine Handling penalty reduced60 Round Magazine Handling penalty reduced
Small Magazines
Movement Speed increasedSprint to Fire Speed increasedFennec 45 Fennec Double Tap Mod (Benefits from Small Magazine buffs) Damage increasedDamage Ranges reducedMinimum Armor Damage added | Warzone 2.0 OnlyTime between bursts reducedSTB 556 Single Tap Mod (Benefits from Small Magazine buffs) Damage increasedMid-range Damage distances increasedMinimum Armor Damage added | Warzone 2.0 OnlyTime between shots increased
Rear Grip
Basilisk Akimbo Basilisk Maximum Armor Damage added | Warzone 2.0 Only
Stock
Heavy Stocks ADS Move Speed penalty reducedAiming Stability benefit increasedAim Walking Steadiness benefit increased
GENERAL
BlueprintsPro-Tuning is no longer removed from all Attachments when altering a Pro-Tuned Blueprint Bomb SquadExplosive Damage mitigation now also applies to Armor | Warzone 2.0 OnlyDamage FeedbackVisual feedback adjusted to increase visibility when taking damageDeath EffectsDeath Effects are now visible when killing AIDiveDiving fire delay reducedSlideSliding speed slightly increased
FIELD UPGRADES
Adjustments
Added Thermal Vision to the Tactical Camera for Night Map Modes
EQUIPMENT
Gas Grenades should no longer detonate enemy explosivesClaymore | Warzone 2.0 OnlyArmor damage reducedFlash GrenadeFlash effect duration reducedFrag Grenade | Warzone 2.0 OnlyOne hit kill radius against fully armored Players reducedProximity Mine | Warzone 2.0 OnlyArmor damage reducedArmor damage reduced against crouched or prone PlayersSemtex Now kills downed Players when stuck
KILLSTREAKS
Players watching a Killcam after getting killed by a Cruise Missile will no longer be looking downwards when they respawnReduced the range of screen shakes for Precision Airstrike explosionsJuggernaut should now be able to see the tablet screen when planting or defusing a bombBomb Drone | Warzone 2.0 OnlyCan no longer down fully armored PlayersCluster Mine | Warzone 2.0 OnlyArmor damage reduced
VEHICLES
Vehicle windows can now be destroyed by melee attacksVehicle tires can now be popped with knives
AUDIO
Added a new cinematic music slider to the front end, which will allow Players to control UI music, game intros/outros, and cinematic sequences separately from music that happens during gameplayVarious refinements to footstep and occlusion mixes
SOCIAL
Groups Request ManagerQuality of life improvements for requests to join groups in the Social menu.Recruit a FriendKnow someone who has yet to experience Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0? You and your friends can get rewarded through the new Recruit a Friend program.Recruits and recruiters can then earn rewards for completing challenges together NOTE: This Program is not available in Austria, Argentina, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Poland, and the Philippines.
UI/UX
Player names now appear in the squad lists of a Private Battle Royale MatchAdded the ability to preview tracers and death effects that come with weapon BlueprintsNew front end/pre-game lobby scene
GLOBAL BUG FIXES
Weapons Bug Fixes
Fixed an issue that disallowed Tuning on the Assault-60 Stock Factory for the FSS Hurricane, FTAC Recon, and Tempus TorrentFixed incorrect ammo names on the SPW 40mm HE and KL40-M2 Underbarrel Grenade LaunchersFixed numerous Blueprints that were unable to be brought into DMZFixed Underbarrel Launcher and Underbarrel Shotgun Attachment compatibility issuesFixed .50 GS Barrels that were not equipping properlyFixed P890 Triggers that were not equipping properlyFixed Attachment descriptions for unlocks on the KV Broadside progression treeFixed an incorrect unlock level description on the SP-X 80 progression treeFixed an issue with the progression of .50 GS and KV Broadside camo challengesFixed an issue where the UI would sometimes incorrectly display 6 out of 5 attachments
Vehicles Bug Fixes
Fixed an issue preventing tires on the Armored Truck from being poppedFixed the minimap icon of the neutral LTV with a turret not having a turretFixed an issue that makes the Player getting stuck in vehicles much less likelyFixed an issue where roof-exiting on an ATV could push the Player through collision objectsFixed an issue that allowed Players to exit a vehicle and leave Maps in certain areasFixed an issue causing vehicles to sometime become disabled when one of their tires was still on landFixed an issue that allowed helicopters to fly through objects after deploying AIFixed an issue causing flares on the Heavy Chopper to deploy too highFixed an issue causing War Tracks to not clear from Players in the turrets of the Armored Patrol Boat if the driver dies
Killstreaks Bug Fixes
Fixed an issue causing Crossbow bolts to not damage Recon Drones and Bomb DronesFixed an issue causing Explosive Crossbow bolts to not damage the WheelsonFixed a handful of issues that prevented Cluster Mines from being damaged correctly by different sourcesFixed a small number of out of bounds issues that could impact piloting a Drone
Field Upgrades Bug Fixes
Fixed an issue that prevented Armor from being used while DDoS was active
Equipment Bug Fixes
Fixed a bug that would sometimes prevent Players using the Riot Shield from being killed by Drill Charges
UI/UX Bug Fixes
Fixed an issue where Players could spam invites to other Players as a form of griefingFixed an issue allowing Players to whisper, toggle mute, report or block Players, and add friends from the Leaderboard at the end of a matchFixed an issue causing misaligned stats in the Scoreboard in MultiplayerFixed an issue affecting Double Kill Challenge tracking in the UIFixed an issue where the Basilisk, .50 GS and LA-B 330 weapons had incorrectly set weapon camo challengesFixed an issue allowing custom Perk Packages to be edited while in-game
PC SETTINGS
Keybind PresetsKeybind Preset allows Players to use a pre-determined set of keybinds very easily if you want to change all your keybinds with a single click. Several presets are available: Default, which is the Modern Warfare 2 & Warzone 2 default, Classic which is inspired by Warzone 1 initial keybinds and Simplified, which allows to reduce the amount of keybinds and can be useful for Accessibility. Keybind Preset can be found in KBM, at the top of the Keybinds tab.Gyro RatchetingGyro Ratcheting is a new setting that allows the player to disable the gyro to reposition the controller by pressing a specific key, without impacting the key’s original behavior. Several actions can be used to disable for Gyro and reposition the controller. This setting was requested by the community to improve the Gyro Aiming experience. Gyro Ratcheting can be found in Controller, in the Advanced tab with all the settings dedicated to Gyro.
SPECIAL OPS
ATOMGRAD RAID
Added ping icons for platforms in Episode 02Increased the difficulty of the escape sequence in Episode 02If a Player is downed when the final airlock sequence starts in Episode 02, they will now be revived and placed in a safe spot
ATOMGRAD RAID BUG FIXES
Fixed an issue where the red buttons to the first number puzzle would disappear after being interacted with in Episode 01Fixed an exploit where Players could leave the Map in Episode 01Fixed an issue preventing the spectator camera from working as intended during the final sequence in Episode 02Fixed an issue causing the Raid Rewards screen to display in an incorrect aspect ratio
COOPERATIVE
Loadouts can now be used in all non-modified Cooperative content Added a unique Loadout configuration option
COOPERATIVE BUG FIXES
Fixed a bug where the “kill enemies with throwing knives” Challenge was not tracking properlyFixed a bug where defusing a Claymore while wearing an Assault Suit would cause the Player to lose the Assault SuitFixed a weapon exploit using Kit/Role Select crate
MULTIPLAYER
PLAYLIST
Modes
GunfightGunfight is here with 4 maps at Season 03 launch, and new maps coming in future seasons. This iconic 2v2 mode is sure to make for high-octane moments of combat.CrankedCranked takes Team Deathmatch and amps up the intensity by putting a countdown on any Operator who earns an elimination. If they cannot earn another elimination before the timer hits zero, they meet an untimely explosive death.
Maps
Core (6v6)Pelayo’s LighthouseBlack GoldGunfight Maps (2v2)AlleyBlacksiteExhibitShipmentBattle Maps (Ground War and Invasion)Rohan OilSattiq Cave Complex
GENERAL
Gameplay Updates
Round ending kills in single life Modes will now properly track on the scoreboardFree-for-All style games that result in a tie will now display as a tie for all Players who achieved the top score. Previously, only the first three Players would receive the tie, and any remaining Players would receive a lossAdded a black fader when spectating teammates in Core Multiplayer to avoid gaining Map information in areas of the Map outside of alive teammate locations
MULTIPLAYER BUG FIXES
Fixed an issue where Players could get into stacked crates on El AsiloFixed general issues with Player collision, Equipment collision, and bullet collision on Al Malik International, Dome, Taraq, Embassy, Zarqwa Hydroelectric, Al Bagra Fortress, Sarrif Bay, Sa’id, and Zaya ObservatoryFixed an issue where some UI elements were not appearing correctly on Ground War MapsFixed an issue that could result in a game crash when using the Combat Knife or Riot Shield to melee a WheelsonFixed a handful of out of bounds trigger issues
RANKED PLAY
Ranked Play continues in Season 03, featuring NEW Seasonal Rewards! So whether you’re jumping into your first Ranked Play match or continuing your Season 02 Grind, there’s plenty to unlock and lots of competition to face. Here are the important details to keep in mind for new players. For returning players, consider this a refresher:
Competitive Game Modes, Maps, and Settings
Ranked Play continues in Season 03! Play competitive, 4v4 matches using the same maps, modes, and settings used in the Call of Duty League 2023 ruleset.Select Weapons, Attachments, Equipment, Perks, Field Upgrades, and Streaks are restricted based on official CDL Competitive rules. Updated Restrictions The following have been restricted in Ranked Play to match active Call of Duty League rules: Cronen Squall Battle RifleUpdated Game Modes and Maps: CDL Search and Destroy Al Bagra FortressBreenburgh HotelEl AsiloEmbassyMercado Las AlmasCDL Hardpoint Al Bagra FortressBreenburgh HotelEmbassyMercado Las AlmasZarqwa HydroelectricCDL Control Breenburgh HotelEl AsiloHimmelmatt Expo
SR (Skill Rating)
Test yourself against your peers and track that progress with a visible SR (Skill Rating) that determines your place across 8 Skill Divisions.
All new Ranked Play players begin their journey in Bronze I with 0 SR.Players increase their SR by winning matches and lose SR whenever they lose matches.Both individual and team performance will impact how much SR you gain or lose per match. In higher Skill Divisions, team performance has a bigger impact on SR gained or lost so that all winning playstyles are more consistently rewarded.Players can progress through eight Skill Divisions by reaching SR milestones: Bronze – Starting DivisionSilver – 900 SRGold – 2,100 SRPlatinum – 3,600 SRDiamond – 5,400 SRCrimson – 7,500 SRIridescent – 10,000 SRTop 250 – 10,000+ SREnd of Season Skill Setback: At the end of each Season, your ending Skill Division will determine where you start the following season: Bronze through Crimson players will start one Skill Division below where they finish, starting in Tier I of that new Division. For example, a player who finishes the Season in Platinum II will be dropped back to Gold I at the start of the next Season.Players who end the current season in Bronze will start at Bronze I in the next Season.The highest starting position each Season is Diamond I.Players who participated in Season 02 will experience the above at the start of Season 03.
Ranks & Rewards
MWII Ranked Play is the most rewarding competitive Call of Duty experience ever, with a variety of valuable rewards available to players at launch and Season after Season.Unlocked Rewards can be used in Modern Warfare 2 and Call of Duty®: Warzone™ 2.0. Unlock what the mode has to offer to show off your Rank and Skill wherever you play.Ranked Play now features brand new Season 03 Rewards!Ranks and Rank Rewards Separate from the player’s SR and Skill Division is Rank. Rank persists across Seasons to celebrate the player’s lifetime win total across their Ranked Play career.All players start at Rank 1 and can progress to Rank 50.Players increase their Rank by winning matches to earn Stars. Each win grants one (1) Star. Win enough matches and you’ll earn enough Stars to reach the next Rank.Every 5 Ranks players will progress their Rank icon and unlock a set of Rank rewards: Rank 5: Ranked Competitor Skin for use with both CDL Male & Female Operators on both Factions.Rank 10: ‘Press F’ EmblemRank 15: Pro Issue X12 Weapon BlueprintRank 20: ‘Ace’ Weapon CharmRank 25: ‘Turn It Up’ EmblemRank 30: ‘Ranked Win Tracker’ Gun Screen that displays the player’s lifetime Ranked Play win total.Rank 35: ‘I’m Cracked’ Large Weapon DecalRank 40: Pro Issue Combat Knife Weapon BlueprintRank 45: ‘Sweep’ Weapon CharmRank 50: Ranked Veteran Emblem & Skin for use with both CDL Male & Female Operators on both Factions.Each Rank Milestone also unlocks a Calling Card that represents the player’s achieved Rank.Season 03 RewardsIn addition to Rank Rewards, each Ranked Play Season will give players the opportunity to earn exclusive limited-time rewards.Throughout the Season 03, players can earn the following rewards: 5 Wins: ‘Season 03 Competitor’ Weapon Sticker10 Wins: Pro Issue TAQ-56 Weapon Blueprint25 Wins: ‘I’m That Dawg’ Weapon Charm50 Wins: ‘Tippable’ Large Weapon Decal75 Wins: ‘Ranked Play Season 03’ Loading Screen100 Wins: ‘Season 03 Ranked Veteran’ Weapon CamoEnd of Season Division RewardsAt the end of each Season, players will be awarded Skill Division rewards that represent their highest attained Division that Season. Division Skins:Earn a Skill Division Skin for use with both CDL Male & Female Operators on both Factions to represent your highest Skill Division. Once the Skins from one Skill Division have been unlocked they can be permanently used in following Seasons and anywhere you play: Top 250: Unlock the ‘Top 250 Competitor’ Skin by finishing a Season in the Top 250 Skill Division. Players must be in the Division at the end of the Season to qualify for this reward.Gold – Iridescent: Earn the applicable ‘Gold Competitor’, ‘Platinum Competitor’, ‘Diamond Competitor’, ‘Crimson Competitor’, or ‘Iridescent Competitor’ Skin based on your highest Skill Division reached over the course of the Season.Seasonal Division RewardsEach Ranked Play Season features a unique set of Division Rewards awarded at the end of the Season to celebrate the player’s highest Skill Division reached that Season.The Season 03 rewards are as follows: Top 250: ‘Season 03 Top 250’ Weapon Charm, Emblem, and Calling CardIridescent: ‘Season 03 Iridescent’ Weapon Charm, Emblem, and Calling CardCrimson: ‘Season 03 Crimson’ Weapon Charm and EmblemDiamond: ‘Season 03 Diamond’ Weapon Charm and EmblemPlatinum: ‘Season 03 Platinum’ Weapon Charm and EmblemGold: ‘Season 03 Gold’ Weapon Charm and EmblemSilver: EmblemBronze: EmblemRanked Play First Place: The player who finishes Season 03 in the #1 position on the Top 250 Leaderboard will receive a unique, one-of-a-kind Calling Card and Emblem for the ultimate bragging rights.
Competitive Integrity Features
From Start to Finish: Players who disconnect or quit matches will receive SR penalties as well as temporary suspensions, with escalating penalties for repeat offenders.SR Forgiveness: If a player disconnects or quits in the middle of the match, all team members outside of that player’s party will not lose ANY SR. It is still possible to earn SR if players can overcome their disadvantage, but a loss at a numerical disadvantage will not yield SR loss for players outside of the leaving player’s party.Fair Fights, Even Teams: If a player quits or disconnects before the start of a match, the match will be canceled and will not count. The remaining players will be returned to the main menu.Professional Conduct Only: Friendly Fire is enabled in Ranked Play per CDL rules. Repeated Friendly Fire will result in players being kicked from games and receiving penalties and suspensions.Demotion Protection: After advancing to a higher Skill Division, players will be granted temporary Demotion Protection and will not lose any SR within the first three games in the new Division. Following that initial protection, if players were to lose enough SR to be demoted, they will first be dropped to the minimum threshold of their current Skill Division instead of being demoted. Losing their next match will result in a demotion. Demotion Protection is also applied for the player’s first 3 games of each Ranked Play Season.Party SR Restrictions: To ensure competitive fairness and balance of matches in higher Skill Divisions, players in certain Divisions can only party up with players around their current SR. The player with the highest Skill Division in the party determines which Party SR Restrictions are used: Iridescent (Including Top 250) & Crimson: Can party with players within 1 Skill DivisionDiamond: Can party within 2 Skill DivisionsBronze – Platinum: Can party up without any restrictions
Bug Fixes
Addressed incorrect messaging when a player disconnects from the other team at the beginning of a match.Addressed incorrect penalty messaging when a player disconnects and receives their first suspension.
WARZONE 2.0
The patch notes detailed in the section below affect all Warzone 2.0 content across both Battle Royale and DMZ.
MAPS
Map Updates
Ashika Island
A Cargo Ship and several Submarines are now present outside of the Port.
GAMEPLAY
All Maps | All Modes
Tempered Plate CarrierUpgrades the Player’s Armor Plate Carrier to improve armor plate efficiency.Details: Player now equips 2 stronger armor plates, down from 3Each armor plate counts for 75Can be found in strongholds and lootBomb Drone BalancingReduced the damage of the Bomb Drone so it will no longer one-hit-kill or down a fully armored player.Heavy ChopperRe-enabled this vehicle in the following modes: StandardDuosTriosQuadsAdded new Heavy Chopper gas cans unique to this vehicle that are required for initial takeoff. Spawn locations of these gas cans will differ between Battle Royale and DMZ.Battle Royale: One of five possible spawn locations will spawn Heavy Gas gas cans each match.One Heavy Chopper gas can is included as a guaranteed Stronghold mission reward.Subsequent refuelings can be done via Gas Stations or other Heavy Chopper gas cansThis vehicle is now more vulnerable to explosive damageGas MaskThe gas mask has been given a slight buffer when the player delays it from being put on or taken off. This should help catch situations where further delay is desired immediately after it was dropped.InterrogationDecreased the time it takes to perform an interrogation to 3 seconds, down from 5Added a grace period if the downed Player is immediately eliminated after a successful interrogation. This guarantees that the enemy squad will be pinged at least once, up to three times during the grace period.Reminder: Keeping the interrogated Player alive will further extend the effect
QUALITY OF LIFE
Mantle Assist ImprovementsImproved the system that would allow players to mantle over or through objects such as windows.Advanced UAV ImprovementsEnemy Players and AI Combatants will now appear differently while using an Advanced UAVKillstreak Banner PositioningThe position of the Killstreak banner that appears on screen has been moved to no longer overlap with the player’s reticle.
BUG FIXES
Fixed an issue that allowed Players to clip inside the Sentry Gun.Fixed several issues with placing a Sentry Gun on the train.Fixed issue where Mortar Strikes were not doing enough damage against AI targets, making it hard to kill them.Recon/Bomb Drones will now die if the player goes into last stand.Added item persistence to Stim Pistol / Rebreather. Now Stim pistol / Rebreather can be dropped after it has been activated.Fixed several issues caused by Players having both a Self Revive and Stim Pistol equipped.Fixed an issue with the Assimilation UI that could cause some squad members’ names or numbers to appear incorrectly.
BATTLE ROYALE
The patch notes detailed in the section below are exclusive to Battle Royale, which includes but is not limited to standard Battle Royale, Resurgence, Mini Royale, Unhinged, and more.
PLAYLIST
Battle Royale
Al Mazrah
StandardDuosMax Players: 150Assimilation: RefillTriosMax Players: 150Assimilation: RefillQuadsMax Players: 152Assimilation: RefillMassive Resurgence NEWTriosMax Players: 150Assimilation: OffQuadsMax Players: 152Assimilation: Off
Ashika Island
Resurgence SolosMax Players: 52Assimilation: OffDuosMax Players: 52Assimilation: OffQuadsMax Players: 52Assimilation: Off
For regular updates about the Playlist and other Scheduled Events, check out the dedicated Warzone Trello Board.
MODES
New Modes
Al Mazrah
Massive Resurgence LaunchResurgence makes its Al Mazrah debut! Prepare to take on dozens of other squads in a much larger version of this fan favorite mode. How does it work?When eliminated, Players enter a spectating state and must wait for the Resurgence timer to tick down. Squad members can shorten the timer by completing Contracts, looting, and eliminating enemy Players. Respawns are disabled on the fourth circle, so keep an eye on the clockHunt & Track Mechanic At any point during a match, eliminating an enemy Player will display their Squad members for a few seconds on the minimap.Specific to Solos, eliminating an enemy Player will display their location upon redeployment for 10 seconds.Score EventsAs a reminder, we recently added quite a few new ways to shorten the respawn timer for Squad members: Headshot Eliminating an enemy Player via HeadshotOn The Move If you move more than 25 meters while your teammate is deadHunt You eliminated a Player while they were tracked by the Hunt mechanicHunter Double You eliminated two Players in a row while they were tracked by the Hunt mechanicHunter Spree You eliminated more than three Players while they were tracked by the Hunt mechanicArmor Break You broke all of a Player’s active Armor PlatesAudacious Elimination You got an elimination while a Squad member was downFearless Elimination You got an elimination while being the last living member of your SquadLoadoutsPlayers can acquire their Loadouts via two different methods in Resurgence. Towards the end of the first circle there is a Public Event that drops a Loadout crate for your Squad. Loadout Dop Markers are also available for purchase via Buy Stations, using the same price scaling as standard Battle Royale.Additional InformationStrongholds are disabledWeapons found via ground loot always have attachmentsBlue Resurgence Supply Boxes restock after 90 secondsWorld Series of Warzone In-SeasonGrab your two sweatiest friends and start warming up now Stage 1 of the upcoming WSOW 2023 Season.A limited-time playlist will go live on April 27th called WSOW Trios for squads to practice for the In-Game Open. This is a new WSOW ruleset, which is a variation of a standard match of Battle Royale. This includes changes such as: No turreted vehiclesNo Heavy chopperNo assimilationNo Fire sales, Jailbreaks, Restocks or Champion’s QuestWhile the public Playlist will be available throughout this weekend for practice, the actual competition — and opportunity for official scoring for WSOW Stage I — will take place on April 28 through April 30 from 10 AM to 2 PM PT each day.Full details for the WSOW 2023 Season are available on the official blog here.
GENERAL
Resurgence Private MatchesAshika Island Resurgence (Solos, Duos, Trios, and Quads) has been enabled in Private Matches.Private Match SpectatingSpectating has been enabled for all available maps/modes including: Al Mazrah Standard Battle Royale Solos, Duos, Trios, QuadsMini Royale TriosAshika Island Resurgence Solos, Duos, Trios, QuadsAfter Action Report (AAR)All Players in a squad that complete a match will see the After Action Report.Birdseye PerkThis Perk has been reenabled.Adjustments: Now activates when Player uses a UAV KillstreakEnemy UAVs no longer trigger BirdseyeUAVs activated by the Player using Birdseye will provide enemy headingsUAV pings activated by the Player using Birdseye are slightly larger
GAMEPLAY
Al Mazrah | Standard Battle Royale
Blacksite New GulagThis roughly rectangular, asymmetrical map has several interior spaces and long external routes. Those who want to redeploy will have to prove their worth on this new yet familiar ground.
GAMEPLAY
New Gameplay Features
All Maps | All Modes
UAV Towers First seen in DMZ, UAV Towers can be activated during a match to provide intel on enemy positioning in the form of several circular UAV sweeps from the tower’s fixed location.Details: An audible notification is broadcasted when one is activatedThe icon for active towers will be visible in red on the Tac Map and overworldLasts 20 seconds per activationCosts $2000 per activationAble to be activated by another squad even if you have activated them alreadyThose activated by an opposing squad show detection radius on the map
Al Mazrah | All Modes
Redeploy DronesRedeploy Drones have been added to Al Mazrah. Utilize these for quick repositioning.Details: Can be shot downWill reposition when in the gasWill begin leaving the field around the 4th circle
Al Mazrah | Standard Battle Royale
Stronghold “Hold Positions” OperationLocate and defend a position inside the stronghold from enemies. The stronghold will be attacked by continuous reinforcements until the operation is complete.Black Sites New Stronghold ObjectiveAn additional black site has been added to Al Mazrah near Rohan Oil, in the Northern sector of the map.Champion’s QuestNew Weapon Blueprint Reward Go find out – if you can!Gas Circle Pacing ImprovementsDecreased the time paused between gas circle movements. This will increase overall pacing across a match.Mirroring a pacing change to Caldera last year, we’ve evaluated the delay time between when the circle stops and the start of the next movement. By making an adjustment here we expect to see a more dynamic mid-game. This does not increase the speed of the gas itself in any way.
Gameplay Adjustments
All Maps | All Modes
Most Wanted ContractThe Most Wanted Supply Drop now drops on every successful completion This will no longer deactivate upon Resurgence being disabled in Ashika Island.In Plunder, it drops money and different power itemsSupply drop icon has been updatedEvery team can now see the crate’s icon on the tac mapStronghold RewardsReduced the number of white Stronghold Supply Boxes that spawn to 1, down from 2Increased loot found in a white Stronghold Supply Box
Al Mazrah | All Modes
Intel ContractThe number of spawn locations for the upload point has been increasedThe upload point will now drop loot upon completionThe upload point occupation time requirement has been increased to 17 seconds, up from 10The “search for the laptop” phase of this contract has been removedBuy StationsThe following items will be available at every Buy Station with unlimited stock:Gas MasksPortable RadarsWe’ve also made some tweaks to item prices. See below for details:Armor Plates Increased to $500, up from $400Gas Mask Increased to $2000, up from $1650Durable Gas Mask Increased to $3500, up from $2900C4 Increased to $850, up from $700Frag Grenade Increased to $600, up from $500Smoke Grenade Increased to $400, up from $250Snapshot Grenade Increased to $600, up from $400Revive Pistol Increased to $4000, up from $800Cluster Mine Increased to $6000, up from $3300Precision Airstrike Decreased to $2000, down from $4000Counter-UAV Decreased to $2000, down from $4000Bomb Drone Decreased to $3500, down from $4000Armor Box Increased to $3500, up from $2000Battle Rage Increased to $3500, up from $2900Dead Silence Decreased to $2500, down from $2900Portable Radar Increased to $2500, up from $1400Suppression Mine Increased to $3500, up from $2000Tactical Camera Decreased to $1500, down from $1650Deployable Cover Decreased to $1500, down from $1650Trophy System Decreased to $1500, down from $1650Recon Drone Increased to $3000, up from $2000Firesale UAV Increased to $5000, up from $4000Future updates will see a continuous evaluation of prices as we regularly review the live data of Buy Station usage, equipment power and more.Item placement in the menu has been revised in order to keep relevant selections next to one another.Changed positioning of the Loadout Drop Marker on the menu to facilitate navigation Press down once on directional controller when opening the Buy Station menuSpawn locations have been updated and increased to 42, up from 31Ammo CachesAdditional locations for Ammo Caches have been added across the map
Ashika Island | Resurgence
Rebalanced RewardsWe have adjusted the rewards for the following: Data Heist Public EventSea Treasure MachineSea Lion Statue side quests
QUALITY OF LIFE
Minimap Ping AnchoringCoordinates and map elements that have been pinged will now anchor the icon along the borders of the minimap even when they are outside of the visible area on the minimap.Spawn Protection TimeoutSpawn protection will now expire on players who remain airborne for more than 10 secondsThis is in addition to the current x that remove spawn protection when they are x meters from the groundWe’ll evaluate the effectiveness of Spawn Protection and if necessary make adjustments on a per mode basis.Blacksite Key VisibilityBlacksite Key dropped will now be visible on the Tac Map to all squadsLoadout Drop VisualsAdjusted the visual representation of Loadout Drops to help Players better distinguish between their own and those that belong to other Players.New color coding: Squad Loadout Drop = BlueContested Loadout Drop = YellowGulag Item HUDItems that a Player picks up during a Gulag round will be briefly indicated next to the crosshair before fading away.Object Elevation ArrowsBuy Stations, Contracts, and Loot items now have a small up/down arrow on the tac map and minimap to better indicate elevation.
BUG FIXES
Fixed an issue where Quick Fix did not activate after plating in Resurgence modes.Fixed an issue causing the Intel Contract world icon to persist despite having failed to complete the objective.Fixed an issue causing Battle Royale victories to not update properly in the Combat Records.Fixed an issue causing the Play Again buttons to no longer work after assigning a new party leader.Fixed an issue causing items to disappear when attempting to stow them away in the backpack.Fixed an issue causing Players using the Birdseye Perk to receive UAV pings when an enemy activated a UAV.
DMZ
The patch notes detailed in the section below are exclusive to DMZ.
In Season 02 we focused on refreshing and resetting DMZ, but Season 03 is all about new game mechanics.
NEW FOR SEASON 03
New Faction
[ REDACTED ] has arrived with new Faction Missions coming throughout Season 03.Barter
We are introducing Barter for Players to have another way to gear-up during deployment. Barter can be found at Buy Stations and offers exchange of certain items for useful equipment. Remembering these “Recipes” will be a useful tool for acquiring specific items. Barter is not Player-to-Player.
Workbench
The Workbench has arrived in DMZ and allows players to customize Contraband Weapons during deployment – this includes any equipped weapon that may be insured or looted. Players will be able to add or remove attachments based on their weapon progression. Craft the perfect build or add the right attachment for an advantage in situational combat.
Active Duty Operator Slots
Individual Operators now go on “Active Duty” when used by the Player. Only one Active Duty slot can be equipped at a time, but all Players will start with 3 slots. Active Duty Operators have their own persistent items: Exfil Streak, Dog Tag Rarity, Backpack Type, Killstreak, Gas Mask and Self Revive.When failing to exfil, only that individual Operator will have its gear, streak, and Dog Tag rarity reset. All other Operators will not be affected.Along with Persistent Operators being added into DMZ, we are adding certain Bundles to the Store that have additional Active Duty Operator Slots included.
Private Exfil
Campers got you down? Private exfil will be available at Buy Stations to trigger an exfil chopper to land at an exfil point that is inactive for other Players during that match. It doesn’t mean you won’t be spotted by an enemy squad, but there may be less heat than one of the public points visible on the Tac Map.As mentioned above the Heavy Chopper will be in DMZ and Battle Royale. Find fuel around the map to utilize this new vehicle. Flying it out of bounds will automatically trigger exfiltration.
New Contract
Supply Run Similar to Safecracker, Operators will need to locate and loot 3 crates
New Equipment/Items
Rebreather – new Field Upgrade that allows Players to breathe underwaterSkeleton Key – this key can unlock any locked space in place of a specific key4 New Plate Carriers Tempered – 2 stronger armor plates vs. 3 plate (same as BR)Comms – audio alert when an enemy Player or squad is nearby and increased duration of all UAVs and UAV TowersMedic – faster teammate revives and self-revivesStealth – will not appear on enemy radars (Ghost Perk)2 New Backpacks Secure – items are kept to that Active Duty Soldier if they are eliminated in an Extraction Zone and are not consumed for XP upon successful exfilScavenger – maximum item slots at the cost of the third weapon slot
For more details on all things Season 03 of DMZ, check out our dedicated blog here.
UI/UX
Reworked the Factions tab for better ease of use. Revamped Faction Mission menu layout for better ease of use Missions are now shown in a vertical list with new mission buttonsShortened description panel so that selected Missions can be viewed on the right sideAdded a new section to the Challenge menu that tracks the Player’s current progress for Weapons Cases and the awards they have, or are trying to achieve
GAMEPLAY
“Out of the Deep” mission is now easier to complete First step no longer requires killing OperatorsSecond step can be completed with kills from the surface of waterReduced range requirements for the M4 Weapons Testing and Lachmann Weapons Testing MissionsChanged “Non-Discriminatory” mission to require killing cartel soldiers instead of Shadow Company soldiersThe details of a Story Mission are now hidden until the Player unlocks the Story Mission by completing 5 of the 6 missions in the tierThe Secure Intel Contract now reveals the closest commander to the Upload Station instead of a random oneUpon failing to exfil from a deployment, a Player’s selected Lethal, Tactical, and Field Upgrade will now default to what was previously selected, rather than having to reselect those slotsIncreased overall amount of loot found in worldToolboxes now spawn more Field Upgrades, gun oil, and blow torchesMilitary containers, rifle cases, and weapon lockers all spawn more items overall Spawn rates of Plate Carriers, medical items, gun oil, documents, and food rations have been increasedNew potential spawn location for Weapons Case on Al Mazrah
BUG FIXES
Fixed a handful of issues that prevented certain areas from spawning more context-specific loot (Example: Industrial buildings spawning industrial items)Fixed M4 Weapons Testing not tracking kills for the Tempus TorrentFixed Kastov Weapons Testing not tracking kills for the KV BroadsideFixed an issue where stowing a weapon from an enemy’s Backpack wouldn’t count it as an enemy Operator’s weaponFixed an issue where using an exploding barrel to kill enemies wouldn’t count towards some mission progressFixed a number of issues causing some missions to not track progress for taking an item if you Infiled with that item in your inventoryFixed an issue that caused Revive Pistols to be counted as a weapon for the purposes of missions that require Players to Infil without weaponsFixed an issue with “The Pound” mission where progress wasn’t given if a weapon was in the Backpack’s weapon slotFixed an issue causing some weapon cosmetic customizations to be lost upon exfilling a weaponFixed an issue where exfilling with a Gas Mask would sometimes turn it into a Durable Gas MaskFixed an issue where the HUD wouldn’t update Armor values when Assimilating to a new teamFixed an issue where Contract UI wouldn’t properly clear when Assimilating to a new team
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II and Warzone 2.0 Season 3 goes live today at 10am PT / 1pm ET.
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