Along with the release of Call of Duty: Warzone 2 and all of the improvements that come with it, Infinity Ward is also launching a new seasonal battle pass for it, which attempts to shake up the existing paradigm in use throughout the gaming industry. Warzone’s battle pass has traditionally followed a linear progression approach, similar to other games like Destiny 2 and Fortnite, in which new goods are unlocked via regular gaming and advancement. Infinity Ward, on the other hand, is using a non-linear approach this time around to offer players more flexibility over what prizes they acquire and when.
Call of Duty: Warzone 2 will continue to provide the chaotic battle royale action that players have come to expect, but Infinity Ward will make certain modifications and improvements to further broaden the option. Warzone 2 will swap Verdansk for the coastal locale of Al Mazrah, with the combat royale giving new ways to acquire and manage gear and the Gulag becoming a 2v2 affair. Then there’s DMZ, Call of Duty’s version of PvPvE in which players invade the zone to fulfil tasks for three rival sides, beat AI troops and opposing Operators, and flee with their goodies or lose everything.
In addition to the revised battle royale and new DMZ mode, players will be able to acquire different seasonal things inside the revamped battle pass, which, as previously stated, allows players more flexibility over their item unlocks. The redesigned battle pass foregoes the “long horizontal strip of tiered content” in favour of 21 “fighting sectors” comprising the different awards inside the “Battle Pass Area of Operations.” Each combat sector will include battle pass prizes that can be unlocked through “Battle Token Tier Skips,” which players acquire by playing the game and may spend on any things they like in the combat sector until they unlock the “high-value target” choice. The HVT option is the sector’s headline weapon blueprint; it becomes accessible after unlocking four other items and must be bought in order to go to the next sector.
Infinity Ward will also continue to sell separate content packs that feature more weapons, operator skins, and other items for use in Warzone 2. The Modern Warfare 2 FC Stars packs, which were originally revealed immediately after the release of Modern Warfare 2, will be one of the first themed packs to arrive in Warzone 2 on November 20. Those who purchase the three packs will be able to play as Cymar Jr., Paul Pogba, or Lionel Messi in Modern Warfare 2’s multiplayer or Warzone 2.
While Call of Duty’s content packs is not new, the revamped battle pass is an experiment that gamers may find interesting. As of this writing, the recognised paradigm for battle/season passes is the aforementioned “strip of tiered content,” in which users simply earn stuff over time by playing the game. If the non-linear strategy that gives players more control over their unlocks proves successful, it’s feasible that additional games may start using similar battle pass models in the future.
