Warzone 2 Season 4 Reloaded patch notes: ISO nerf, new Gulag, map rotation, more

Season 4 Reloaded expands on Warzone 2’s latest map Vondel and introduces a whole host of other new features. Here is everything you need to know about the mid-season update, including the full Season 4 Reloaded patch notes.

Warzone 2 Season 4 introduced a new Resurgence map, increased operator base health from 100 to 150, removed AI enemies from Strongholds, and introduced a new game mode resembling Hardpoint. Community members welcomed Vondel with open arms and praised slower TTK speeds due to the health change.

Activision didn’t escape criticism, as weekly playlist updates interfered with players trying to enjoy the battle royale sequel. Community members took issue with the devs heavily restricting squad sizes on each map. For example, Al Mazrah went multiple weeks without a solo playlist.

Season 4 Reloaded doesn’t solve every playlist issue, but Raven Software took its first step to appeasing fans, among a long laundry list of other wholesale changes.

Season 4 Reloaded weapon buffs and nerfs

In a move that may fly under the radar, the devs updated base weapon stat bars to be more accurate, and attachment stat values were updated as well to reflect their impact on weapons better.

Activision emphasized “accuracy in gunfights” in the Season 4 Reloaded weapon balancing. The devs changed Warzone damage profiles, meaning players will be awarded and kill faster when being accurate.

As for weapon buffs and nerfs, the ISO 45 saw its close-range damage and headshot damage reduced. And its hip fire spread is less accurate. The Vanzenv also saw a slight nerf in close to mid-range engagements.

Standard battle royale mode coming to Vondel

Vondel launched in Season 4 as a Resurgence map. The mid-season update adds an option for standard battle royale matches in the Dutch urban setting. This marks the first time in Warzone history that there will be two playable standard battle royale maps at the same time.

Activision did not commit to every playlist size being available at launch. The devs specified in the blog post: “In the launch window, there will be dedicated quads, trios, duos, and solos playlists.” The phrase “launch window” instead of “at launch” indicates that not every squad size will be available at the same time.

Original Warzone gulag re-imagined on Vondel

Activision

You can’t have a standard battle royale mode without a Gulag. In a love letter to passionate Warzone fans, Season 4 Reloaded introduces a re-imagined version of the original Gulag map Showers. Showers was the first ever Gulag map in Warzone 1 and is universally loved by community members.

Vondel puts its own spin on Showers by converting it into a wine cellar and dungeon beneath the Castle POI. The devs described the new Gulag as a traditional three-lane map suited for 1v1 engagements.

Warzone 2 Resurgence playlist map rotation

For just Resurgence, there will be a time-based rotation system. The devs explained how the new feature works. “After a certain amount of time specified in-game, the Rotating Resurgence Playlists will shift from Vondel to Ashika Island and vice-versa for a given squad size.”

Apex Legends uses a very similar system. Every season, Respawn Entertainment chooses three battle royale maps and rotates between them depending on the time of the day.

Warzone 2 Season 4 Reloaded patch notes

Weapon Balancing

Warzone 

At the launch of Season 04, weapons in Warzone saw a significant change to their damage profiles, which resulted in an overall increase to the duration of engagements. With Season 04 Reloaded we are placing a bigger emphasis on accuracy in gunfights. To achieve this, every Weapon has had its Warzone damage profiles adjusted to fit into this new balance paradigm with additional attention given to the most dominant Weapons. While this change will result in a wider range of Time to Kill values, meaning some Weapons will be able to kill faster when fired more accurately, and slower when not—it allows Weapons the necessary space to feel more distinct and promotes an ecosystem where each Weapon class can excel.

» Submachine Guns «  

• ISO 45 
  • Reduced close range damage 
  • Increased hip spread 

• Vaznev 9k 
  • Reduced close-mid damage distance  

» Assault Rifles «  

• Kastov 762 
  • Increased time to ADS 

• Kastov-74u  
  • Increased hip spread 

• TAQ-56 

» Shotguns « 

• Bryson 890 
  • Increased ADS movement speed 

• Expedite 12 
  • Reduced ADS time 
  • Reduced hip spread 

» Marksman Rifles «  

• Tempus Torrent 
  • Increased time to ADS  

• EBR-14 
  • Reduced ADS movement speed 
  • Reduced hip strafe speed 

• Lockwood MK2 
  • Reduced time to ADS 
  • Movement increase 

• SA-B 60 
  • Movement increase 

• Fixed an issue with Underbarrel Grenade Launchers that prevented explosion effects from occurring when hitting Players with a direct shot as long as the grenade is at arming distance
• The LA-B 330/SP-X 80 22” Cavalry Barrel attachment now displays that it will block muzzle attachments 
• The FTAC Siege Supertac-VI attachment now displays that it will block muzzle attachments 
• Fixed a crash that could occur when equipping the Liquid Hot Blueprint and changing the receiver

AUDIO

• Decreased how often “low ammo” VO alerts play

• Fixed an issue where ascender sounds would sometimes not function as intended
• Fixed an issue where final hit marker sounds occasionally didn’t play
• Fixed an issue where Shock Stick electrocute sounds did not play on affected entities as intended 

SOCIAL

• In-Game Looking for Party (LFP) – Party Browser
  • Overhauled LFP system to help players find parties with similar communication and playstyle preferences. The following changes were made to improve player experience based on community feedback:
    • Dynamic Preferences – In addition to communication types, expanded preference list to include primary and secondary playstyle options (E.g., focus on faction missions, or competitive vs casual playstyles)
    • Advertise Your Party – Party leaders can broadcast your existing party and attract individuals who share similar preferences. Fill up your squad with compatible teammates before diving into the action for more collaborative & team-based play.
    • Browse Parties and Join – No more waiting around! Players can now explore a list of available parties with matching preferences to join them immediately. Note: Exact matches only
    • Quality of Life Improvements – Fixed bugs and improved overall user interface to ensure a smoother experience.

• Community Feedback – In-Game Surveys
  • We value your feedback! Starting in Season 04 Reloaded, Players will be randomly selected for one question surveys following their match. Your feedback is greatly appreciated and will be used to create a better gaming experience for all Call of Duty players 

UI/UX

• An in-game notification now displays when the Player acquires a Battle Pass Token
• Streamlined the Weapon progression menu 

GLOBAL BUG FIXES

• Fixed an issue where the Heated Madness Barrell was showing the incorrect attachment skin
• Fixed an issue where the Survivor Perk was not sending players into last stand in team revive modes
• Fixed an issue where the hostage in Hostage Rescue wasn’t dropping to the ground properly when the person carrying the hostage was struck and killed with equipment
• Fixed a crash that would occur when equipping the Liquid Hot Blueprint and changing the receiver 
• Fixed an exploit where Players could equip unobtained Camos on PS5 
• Fixed an issue where Private Matches were not supporting 32 Players
• Fixed an issue where Players would show as being kicked and left the match as separate notifications in the killfeed
• Fixed an issue where one Loading Screen had a placeholder name
• Fixed an issue where the Bryson 800 series platform 18” Demo Firewall attachment displayed different pros and cons between the Bryson 800 and Bryson 890
• The LA-B 330/SP-X 80 22” Cavalry Barrel attachment now displays that it will block muzzle attachments 
• The FTAC Siege Supertac-VI attachment now displays that it will block muzzle attachments 
• Fixed an issue where equipping a fastdraw rear grip to a handgun Blueprint with Akimbo grip will cause the Player to clip through the floor
• Fixed an issue where the Gameplay Tips option would reset to on after switching it off 
• Fixed an issue where the Riot Shield would persist on the gun table in the active armory when selected as a secondary 
• Fixed an issue where the Player’s squadmates didn’t have friendly and squad UI indicators in Ground War
• Fixed an issue where the Bruen Q900 Grip Wrap was incorrectly stating that it would increase sprint speed 
• Fixed an issue where the gas mask overlay would stay on screen after dying
• Fixed an issue where the Royal Combat Knife would display a placeholder image in the Killcam
• Fixed an issue where stowing an item while reloading would cause Players to lose control of their camera
• Fixed an issue where Players would be unable to swap Loadouts on the first attempt in the Firing Range
• Fixed an issue where some vehicles would prevent cleanly exiting if parked at very specific angles 

PC SETTINGS

• KBM/gamepad players now have the ability to easily swap items within their backpack to their preferred location.
• The loadout system now enables players to effortlessly switch their primary and secondary weapons.

Map updates

Vondel | Battle Royale

• New Gulag
  • Unique to Vondel, this new Gulag is a three-lane map designed for 1v1 combat. The center features a circular structure with an opening facing the two main spawn points.

New Modes

• Battle Royale Vondel
  • Encroaching Circle collapses, Loadout Drops, the Gulag, and limited chances at being the last Squad standing. The traditional Battle Royale experience comes to Vondel with up to 72 Players per match.

• Map Rotation
  • A 15 minute in-game timer has been added to the Playlist menu that now indicates when specified Resurgence Modes switch between Ashika Island and Vondel.

Starting with Resurgence Trios, the map will rotate every 15 minutes between Ashika Island and Vondel. This feature will give players an opportunity to enjoy the wide offering of maps and modes that Warzone has. We will closely monitor this feature and may look to expand upon it in future. 

• Firing RangeQuality of Life
  • Players now have the option to apply 0/1/2/3 Armor Plates on Target Dummies via settings in the pause menu.

GAMEPLAY

All Maps | All Modes

• Plate CarriersEquipment
  • Armor Plate Carriers will now drop when an enemy player is eliminated.
  • Added 3 new types of Armor Plate Carriers:
    • Medic
      • A common Armor Plate Carrier that increases the speed at which Players are able to revive downed Squad members.
      • Increases the speed at which health begins to regenerate.
    • Comms
      • An uncommon Armor Plate Carrier that increases the effectiveness of UAVs by showing the enemy Player’s bearing on the minimap.
    • Stealth
      • A rare Armor Plate Carrier that protects the Player from UAVs and other targeting devices.

Al Mazrah | Battle Royale

• Cash DropPublic Event
  • This new event will spawn 3 planes that will drop a combined total of 12 crates across the map.
  • Each crate will spawn ~$10,000 in Cash and between 2-4 randomized Armor Plate Carriers.
  • This event has a chance to occur during the 3rd and 5th Circles.

Vondel | All Modes

• Personal Redeploy Drone (P.R.D.) Field Upgrade
  • The Personal Redeploy Drone is an instant-use piece of equipment that, when used, will propel and carry the player into the air before releasing them.

Vondel | Battle Royale, Resurgence

• Signals Intelligence Contract
  • Players will be required to track down and hack three different phones to earn rewards over a short duration of time.
  • Each living Squad member will receive a total of 10 payments of $500 for a potential total of $5,000 over 3 minutes and 20 seconds.
• Occupation Scan Public Event
  • Occupation Scan is back! Make sure to go prone or dive underwater when the scan is about to begin otherwise your position will be revealed.

All Maps | Resurgence

• Communal StationsPublic Event
  • Once Resurgence is disabled, a series of Deployable Buy Stations will drop onto the field at random for any Player to use.

All Maps | All Modes

• Armor/Ammunition Boxes Quality of Life
  • Lethal and Tactical Equipment refill behavior will now match Ammunition.
  • Armor and Ammunition Boxes will now drop additional items that do not fit into the active Loadout slots to the ground – leaving Players to choose whether or not to stow them in the Backpack.
• Redeployment Elevation
  • The elevation at which Players redeploy to the field will now reduce by 9% of the initial elevation each circle.
  • This reduction stops at Circle 8 and remains constant for the remainder of the match.
  • The total difference in height from the start of the match until the last adjustment is approximately 60%.

We have seen an increase in players staying in an airborne state to exploit the aerial advantage in order to obtain a better final placement. We feel this goes against the spirit of a Battle Royale experience, so by lowering the redeployment height with each circle closure we will see a better representation of fairness between being airborne vs. being on the ground. 

• Gas Mask Quality of Life
  • The Gas Mask animation that automatically starts while Players are airborne will be interrupted if a Player decides to pull their parachute.
• Birdseye Perk
  • When using a UAV in combination with Birdseye, Players under the effect of Ghost are now revealed to that Player.

We want to provide a hard counter to Ghost to offer more variety in the rock-paper-scissors encounters of Battle Royale and open up more play styles.

• Medicine Cabinets
  • Reduced the number of Stims that spawn from Medicine Cabinets to 1, down from 2.

Vondel | All Modes

• Cash Increase
  • The minimum amount of Cash that Players will find has been increased to $500, up from $100. 
  • This applies to all sources of loot including Cash Registers and Supply Boxes.

Warzone Ranked Play

• Armor Plate Count Quality of Life
  • Players will now be able to view the total number of unequipped Armor Plates that they are carrying on the Squad widget.
• Backpack Quality of Life
  • Players will now see a “Backpack [Full]” notification on the bottom center of their UI for ease at a glance of Backpack state
• Buyback Value Quality of Life
  • The amount of Cash that an eliminated Player will respawn with upon redeployment will be now indicated to the right side of the Squad widget.
• Champion’s Quest Quality of Life
  • Rewards now show in the After Action Report upon successful detonation of the nuke.
• Killcam RecapQuality of Life
  • Eliminated Players will now see a summary of the enemy Players that contributed to their death. 
  • This will include the number of shots that made contact per Player.
• Resurgence Improvements Quality of Life
  • General improvements to the Resurgence Mode interface, especially while Spectating.
  • The Squad widget has also been improved to better indicate that a Squad member redeployment is imminent.
  • New “Ask to be Cautious” Ping
    • Players can now ping their living Squad members when the majority of the team has been eliminated to suggest cautious play to avoid a wipe.

BUG FIXES

• Fixed an issue that was causing Players to spawn outside of the playable area.
• Fixed an issue that allowed Players in an active Gulag match to eliminate spectators using the Semtex Grenade.
• Fixed an issue that allowed Squads to earn experience by shooting down their own Deployable Buy Stations.
• Fixed an issue that caused Players to redeploy with items in their Backpack, subsequently causing the Backpack to stop working.
• Fixed an issue where the After Action Report was missing after leaving a match of Lockdown.
• Fixed an issue where sometimes Players would get a Bounty Contract for another Player that is in the Gulag.
• Fixed an issue where dropped Riot Shields from caches couldn’t be equipped.
• Fixed an issue where dying at the same time as the Resurgence window being disabled allowed Players to keep respawning.
• Fixed an issue where Players might lose their ammo counter after using the Redeploy Drone.
• Fixed an issue where backing out of Warzone Battle Royale Ranked private match would leave weapon restrictions on when returning to standard Battle Royale.
• Fixed an issue where the Gas Mask overlay could stay on screen after death.