Activision makes Warzone 2.0 more like Warzone 1

Activision is making significant changes to Warzone 2.0, and much of it sounds like a return to Warzone 1.

While Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2.0 enjoyed a massive launch late last year, player dissatisfaction has since grown. Although we don’t have concurrent player counts on the console, according to SteamDBModern Warfare 2 player numbers have steadily declined after peaking in early November.

in one blog entryActivision outlined what changes Warzone 2.0 players can expect when Season 2 launches on February 15th.

Activision had already announced the return of Warzone’s 1v1 gulag after criticizing the 2v2 gulag of Warzone 2.0. The new Gulag gets Warzone’s original overtime mechanic – the Domination-style flag checkpoint – in place of the jailer. As part of this, Activision “edited” the existing Gulag for better 1v1 combat, but a dedicated 1v1 map is in the works for future seasons.

If you win the Gulag and return to the fight, you will get a bigger cash reward than before. This is to help players get back into the game faster. Meanwhile, the Gulag will now spawn cash as floor loot to encourage exploration.

Speaking of cash, Activision said it’s slightly reducing cash rewards for completing contracts, while raising the lowest cash pile value from floor loot to $800 and from cash registers to $500 (previously at least $100). You can now find cash from floor loot, containers, and supply crates for White Keeps, but no longer in basic and legendary supply crates. The idea is to provide “faster, more consistent gameplay when hunting for resources,” Activision explained.

Moving on to Loot and Inventory: Warzone 2.0 will shift from loot windows/menus to floating loot, which will now drop from all containers in the world, similar to supply crate loot.

The idea here is to improve the pace of the game by minimizing the time spent navigating the UI and getting players back into the action faster. A welcome change indeed given the negative feedback on Warzone 2.0’s looting system.

Kindred, medium, and large backpacks will no longer be available, and eliminated players will drop loot on the ground instead of loot-filled backpacks. This means every player will have the same backpack throughout the game, which Activision hopes will reduce the effects of stacking medical supplies, gear, and killstreaks.

Here’s a major change to Warzone 2.0: Customizable Perk Packs. It’s another change that reverses an important and controversial decision for Warzone 2.0, although the overhaul isn’t exactly how it worked in Warzone 1.

“This feature launches with a slightly reduced pool of available benefits that we may slowly reintroduce over time,” Activision said. “We want to steer this particular feature as carefully as possible and ensure that all available perks are sufficiently useful and remain viable/balanced options.”

As part of Warzone 2.0 loadout changes, buy station primary weapons will be more affordable “to allow players to aim for victory with their most coveted weapons.”

Loadout drop markers have had their price reduced slightly to allow squads to purchase their full loadouts more quickly. In “extremely rare cases” players can find one while looting. Added a second public drop loadout event, meaning the drops will now happen in the 1st and 5th circles every game.

Other changes will affect all players starting with a three-plate vest, meaning there will no longer be different sizes of vests in the loot. “This standardization will give every engagement a more reliable feel from the start,” said Activision. “We will continue to look at data to optimize downtime and improve recoverability from a prior intervention.”

Movement allows players from Season 2 onward to dash through doors while plating like they would if they were sprinting. This change includes a slight increase in stall movement speed to allow players to take cover more quickly in moments of need.

Access to buy stations has been made easier, with additional spawn locations, static spawns on the map, and loadout drop markers with unlimited inventory at all stations.

Last but not least, changes to the rewards and additional adjustments to AI damage await you in strongholds.

To me, all of these changes certainly hint at Warzone 1’s faster feel and suggest that Activision wants Warzone 2.0 to pick up the pace a bit, perhaps to convince lapsed fans to jump back in. Season 2 also brings a new small map as well as the return of Resurgence.