New Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War easter egg teases future of Warzone

[jwplayer UQSrvz25]While the new Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War easter egg hunt has the community searching for clues on the 2020 release, a big tease for the future of Warzone appears to have gone under the radar.

We’re further into a calendar year without confirmation on the upcoming CoD release than ever before. However, Activision has just begun to officially tease the 2020 release. Content creators came together on August 10 to unbox an enormous care package and piece together the first step in an ongoing puzzle.

After hours of collective effort, NoahJ456 and his squad cracked the first part of the code. It all led to a mysterious website with the title: ‘pawn takes pawn.’

While there’s little to make out at this stage and fans are awaiting the next step on August 14, this site contains more information than first meets the eye. In fact, it points towards the future of Infinity Ward’s mega-popular battle royale in a big way. Here’s how Activision teased Warzone in the Black Ops Cold War easter egg.

Black Ops Cold War easter egg teases Warzone

If you take a close look at the website, there’s really not much to see. There’s an old CRT TV, a phone, a few chess pieces, along with a flashing VCR stuck at the 12-minute mark. This flash likely points to the since confirmed 12 PM PT time slot for the next step in the easter egg hunt. Beyond this, there’s not much to take away from the site.

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However, a subtle tease can actually be spotted in the background if you have a keen eye. Taking the image and massively bumping the brightness will reveal a map of Warzone’s Verdansk in the top right corner.

No names or labels can be read due to the quality of the image. Though the outlines match up perfectly and a few distinct chunks of Verdansk can be seen.

What could Activision be hinting at for the future of Warzone?

Obviously nothing has been made official just yet. But, the fact that Verdansk has appeared in a new teaser all but confirms the battle royale will be present in the next release. Plenty of earlier leaks have hinted at this through new zones and new features, though this appears to be the first official teaser.

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There’s no telling exactly how the battle royale experience might continue forward. However, some players believe it could be pressing on by going backward.

Given the Cold War era the next game is set in, this map could well be an earlier version of Verdansk, before the Hospital was built and before a train was crashing through the middle of the huge battle royale locale. 

It’s worth taking this information with a grain of salt until Activision confirms the future of Warzone. Though a teaser appearing alongside the Black Ops Cold War easter egg is certainly a positive sign. This could be indicative of what lies ahead for the battle royale experience.

The next step in the elaborate puzzle is expected to be revealed at 12 PM PT on Friday, August 14. Keep your eyes peeled for more subtle Verdansk images in the background while the next CoD title comes to light.