Without much debate, most would agree that the two most popular battle royale games right now are the indestructible Fortnite and the intense Warzone. Of course, Apex Legends and the OG PUBG are also titans in their own right, but it seems that Warzone has made a particular recent impact that the others just haven’t managed.
That being said, they all pale in comparison to the overwhelming popularity and success of Fortnite. However, all kings must eventually be dethroned, and with the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II and Warzone 2, there’s a very good chance that Fortnite’s time in the sun may be coming to an end.
When will Warzone 2 release?
Following a recent quarterly investor call, Activision confirmed that Warzone 2 will be launching before the end of 2022. That’s right, it won’t be long before Warzone 2 is blowing up the battle royale scene. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II releases on October 28th 2022 and most editions of the game give access to bonuses in Warzone 2. It stands to reason that Warzone 2 won’t be too far behind Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II’s release.
What happens to the original Warzone when Warzone 2 releases?
When Warzone 2 launches, it’s rumoured the original Warzone will be rebranded to Warzone: Legacy. According to insiders, Activision will still support Warzone: Legacy for years to come. With this in mind, it’s clear that both Warzone 2 and Warzone: Legacy will provide different experiences. However, Warzone 2 will obviously pack the latest improvements, the newest engine and the most impressive visuals that will easily overshadow Warzone: Legacy on a technical aspect.
What do we already know about Warzone 2?
Slivers of information have been passed out since the announcement of Warzone’s sequel, so while nothing conclusive has been shown, we can begin to paint a picture of what this new battle royale experience may look like.
Unfortunately, the biggest bits of information we have are based on leaks, and of course, the issue with leaks is that you have no way of knowing what is true and what isn’t. The most corroborated leaks regarding Warzone 2 are as follows:
The Warzone 2 map may be based on Medellin, Colombia.
According to insider Hope on Twitter, the new map is inspired by Medellin in Colombia. This pairs with other rumours that Warzone 2 would feature a war with Colombian cartels, so a map based on this location would be a perfect fit
Closer to Blackout than Warzone.
According to a YouTube video by NeroCinema, Warzone 2 will lean more in the direction of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4’s battle royale mode; Blackout.
A big change is that players will spawn into the Warzone 2 map with little in the way of weaponry and armour. You’ll have to jump through hoops in order to get access to your chosen loadout. To unlock your loadout, you’ll have to storm a stronghold, inside of which there will be different objectives for you to complete. “Sometimes you have to defuse a bomb, kill AI, and then you’ll have access to your loadout,” NeroCinema claims.
Warzone 2 is a clean slate.
It’s long since been known that Warzone is struggling with the limitations of its engine. The developers continue to try and push the boundary of the game, but keep hitting the wall of what they can do thanks to the game’s ageing tech. Fortunately, the new engine utilised in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II and all future Call of Duty games will also be used for Warzone 2. This should give the developers a lot more power to make the mode the best it has ever been. It’s clear Warzone was created originally as a spin-off mode like Blackout, and Activision probably didn’t plan on it having the longevity that it has sustained. With Warzone 2, this longevity is clearly being accounted for and should make for the most modern and best battle royale experience on the market.
Why might Warzone 2 finally dethrone Fortnite?
New technology:
Even with its ageing tech, Warzone has proved itself to be a strong contender in the battle royale market. It’s Warzone 2’s shift in technology that is really going to boost it over the edge and could make it the most popular battle royale. Not only will it already have a huge number of players out of the gate, but now the developers can push the boundaries and achieve things that the other games can’t. The Warzone developers struggled with their engine that was not designed for battle royale, but let’s not forget that Fortnite was never supposed to be a battle royale game. Originally it was sold as a Minecraft-like crafting and survival game, and somehow it has become the most popular battle royale game ever. If Warzone 2’s engine has been built with battle royale in mind, almost immediately they can implement ideas that just won’t be possible in Fortnite.
A second try:
Warzone was a first attempt at a long-running battle royale mode for Activision. Throughout that time, the developers are bound to have learned so many lessons that they can implement into Warzone 2. With the multi-layered nature of video games, a poorly implemented feature can have repercussions on other features years down the line. It’s not always as simple as just removing the mistake or unpopular addition. Starting fresh allows Warzone 2 to start as a strong battle royale game and only get stronger from there. Fortnite is likely being held back by very early decisions (such as starting life as a crafting game first). By creating a whole new game, developers can shed that baggage and become better for it, and that is exactly what Warzone 2 is hoping to do.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II integration:
Like all the Call of Duty games that have come out since Warzone’s original release, there’s no doubt that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II will encourage users to dip into the Warzone world. Rewarding players for not only playing Warzone 2, but also for playing Modern Warfare II’s multiplayer is a powerful technique that will shuttle thousands of players into the battle royale. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II will be one of the most popular first-person-shooters to release in 2022, and having that player base connected to Warzone 2 will only boost the game’s popularity massively. This marketing tool could be what’s needed to climb above Fortnite and take its crown.
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