Verdansk Has Given Call of Duty Warzone a Shot in the Arm, and Its Developers Say It’s Not Going Anywhere

It's clear that Verdansk has injected fresh energy into Call of Duty: Warzone at a pivotal moment. Previously, the internet had labeled Activision's battle royale, now in its fifth year, as "cooked." However, the nostalgic return of Verdansk has dramatically shifted opinions, with the online community now proclaiming that Warzone is "back." Despite Activision's dramatic nuking of Verdansk, it seems to have had little impact. Players who drifted away, reminiscing about Warzone as their lockdown pastime, are flocking back to the map that ignited their passion. Meanwhile, loyalists who've weathered the game's ups and downs over the past five years agree that Warzone is now more enjoyable than it has been since its explosive debut in 2020.

This revival to a more fundamental gameplay experience was a calculated move by developers Raven and Beenox. Pete Actipis, the game director at Raven, and Etienne Pouliot, the creative director at Beenox, spearheaded a collaborative effort across multiple studios to rejuvenate Warzone. In an extensive interview with IGN, they delve into the strategies behind this revival, discuss the triumph of Verdansk’s Casual mode, and address whether they contemplated restricting operator skins to mil-sim for a more authentic 2020 experience. They also tackle the burning question on everyone's mind: is Verdansk here to stay?

Continue reading to discover more about these insights and what the future holds for Call of Duty: Warzone.