Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 recently launched on October 28, but the Season 1 update is just a few weeks away, and this inaugural season will include the arrival of the Warzone sequel and the new DMZ mode. Here’s everything we know so far about the big update.
Call of Duty Season 1 Start Times
Season 1 is set to arrive on November 16 for Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2.0. Activision didn’t reveal the specific launch time for the season, but previous seasonal updates have typically been released around 9am. PT / 12 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. BST. We should know the exact screening dates and times soon.
What to expect from season 1
Season 1 for Modern Warfare and the new Warzone will likely include the standard seasonal content with a battle pass, new operators, weapon packs and seasonal challenges. There will also likely be some weapon tuning and bug fixes in the update as well.
Modern Warfare 2
For Modern Warfare 2, Activision has already said that Season 1 would feature the return of a fan-favorite multiplayer map. Additional missions are confirmed to be coming to Modern Warfare 2’s co-op Spec Ops mode.
Call of Duty’s hardcore mode, which is a multiplayer playlist with lower health and HUD removed, was not released this year with Modern Warfare 2. Instead, Infinity Ward announced that the Hardcore playlist has been renamed ” Tier 1″ and will arrive with the start of Season 1.
Later in the season, players can expect Raids to arrive. The Raids mode is launching as part of the Spec Ops mode, as Activision said that Spec Ops will receive the first episode of Raids for players to master on December 14 with the launch of the mid-season update. Raids is described as a three-player co-op that Activision says will require “teamwork and strategic puzzle solving” in between intense battles. Raids also sounds like it will feature some additional narrative, as Activision has stated that Raids is “a direct continuation of the campaign.”
For those looking for a competitive challenge, a CDL Moshpit playlist is set to arrive in Season 1. No specific details were given, but this playlist will likely feature the modes used for the 2023 Call of Duty League season. Call of Duty’s competitive Ranked Play mode has been confirmed for Modern Warfare 2 sometime in 2023, which will include CDL maps and features including skill sections, leaderboards and rewards, but will likely arrive after 1 season.
Warzone 2.0
A new free-to-play sequel arrives for Warzone. Warzone 2.0 features the brand new Al Mazrah map, which will introduce brand new circle mechanics, with multiple circles appearing and changing endgame scenarios before merging into one final circle.
Al Mazrah will also feature a revamped and more complex “Gulag 2.0”, where players must battle it out via 2v2 instead of the normal 1v1 arena. Here we highlight all the Gulag changes and new features players can expect.
DMZ mode
Warzone’s launch also includes the arrival of DMZ, which Activision described as an all-new “sandbox experience” played on the Al Mazrah map. We don’t have many details about DMZ yet, but it’s going to be an export mode with similarities to Escape from Tarkov. More information on the feature should be coming closer to launch.
Modern Warfare 2 was released on October 28 and earned $800 million worldwide in just three days, toppling 2011’s Modern Warfare 3 as the previous record holder. For more on Modern Warfare 2, check out GameSpot’s Modern Warfare 2 campaign and multiplayer reviews.
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