Verdansk Boosts Warzone, Developers Confirm Its Permanence

It's safe to say that Verdansk has breathed new life into Call of Duty: Warzone at just the right moment. Previously, the internet had declared Activision's now five-year-old battle royale as "cooked." However, the nostalgia-fueled return of Verdansk has turned the tide, and now the internet is buzzing that Warzone is "back." Even though Activision did indeed "nuke" Verdansk, it seems that doesn't matter to the community. Lapsed players, who fondly remember Warzone as their go-to game during lockdown, are flocking back to the iconic map that started it all. Meanwhile, loyal fans who have stuck with the game through its ups and downs over the past five years are saying that Warzone is more enjoyable now than it has been since its explosive debut in 2020.

This return to the roots of Warzone was a deliberate choice by the developers at Raven and Beenox. Pete Actipis, the game director at Raven, and Etienne Pouliot, the creative director at Beenox, spearheaded the multi-studio effort to revive Warzone. In an extensive interview with IGN, the duo delves into the strategies they employed to bring back the game's essence. They discuss the success of Verdansk's Casual mode, whether they considered reverting operator skins to mil-sim for a more authentic 2020 feel, and address the critical question on everyone's mind: is Verdansk here to stay?

Continue reading to uncover their insights and plans for the future of Call of Duty: Warzone.