Everything coming in Warzone with MW3 Season 1: Urzikstan map, new modes, more

Activision has outlined the new content coming to Warzone once MW3 Season 1 goes live, covering everything from the Urzikstan map to new modes, vehicles, and more.

Activision will deploy Modern Warfare 3 and Warzone Season 1 on Wednesday, December 6 at 9:00 AM PT. The Urzikstan map will constitute the biggest draw for Warzone faithful, given that it promises several new points of interest and a landscape spanning industrial, rural, and suburban areas.

In addition, after the season’s first 48 hours, the Vondel and Ashika maps will go live thanks to Carry Forward.

With respect to modes, players can look forward to the return of Lockdown and the Slay Ride Resurgence LTM. It seems Warzone Season 1 will be packing quite the punch.

Here’s what to expect from MW3’s Season 1 in Warzone

Urzikstan Modes (Launch and In-Season)

To celebrate the launch of Urzikstan, all modes will be set on the new big map for the first 48 hours of Season 1, including:

• Launch Modes: Battle Royale, Resurgence, and Plunder
  • We will be introducing areas of Urzikstan to a pool of Resurgence locations, along with areas across Ashika and Vondel, as part of a new Limited Time Mode called Urzikstan Resurgence, which will focus on several select Points of Interest from around the Urzikstan map:
    • Orlov Military Base
    • Popov Power
    • Zaravan Suburbs
• In-Season Modes: Lockdown returns, and the brand new Limited-Time-Mode, Slay Ride Resurgence, makes its holiday debut!

All squad sizes for Battle Royale on Urzikstan will be available all season long.

Activision Blizzard

Movement Updates (Launch)

Expect the following movement changes at launch:

• Slide canceling.
• Tac-Stance.
• ADS while sliding.
• Running while reloading
• A slight movement boost when using the Stim Tactical.
• Additional changes will be detailed in the upcoming Patch Notes.

Gameplay Updates (Launch)

Expect the following improvements and updates from Raven Software at launch:

• Backup Pistol: Always have a dedicated pistol when swimming or climbing ladders or ledge hanging, no matter your Loadout.
• Improved Water Combat: Alongside the dedicated pistol, improvements have been made to water visibility such that it is now easier to see targets both when in and out of the water.
• Manual Gas Mask : You can now manually choose when to equip the Gas Mask. When looking at a Gas Mask on the ground, Players are presented with two options: Equip it, or Stow it. Equipping the Gas Mask will begin the equip animation of putting it onto their face. Stowing the Gas Mask will place it in the Backpack for Players to manually equip at a later time. As a result, the animation will no longer interrupt gameplay, and importantly Players will only hear the heavy breathing sound effect while in the Gas.
• Experimental Gas Grenade: This Tear Gas Tactical now deals gas damage, and as such can be countered with an equipped Gas Mask.
• Dedicated Ammo Slots: Specific new Backpack slots cater to ammo, allowing quick and easy access. These slots will be automatically filled as Players find ammo. Additional ammo can still be stored in the all-purpose Backpack slots.
• Loot Rarity: Weapons, equipment, killstreaks, and more will now appear with a color-coded tooltip to indicate the value and rarity of the item, as well as if a weapon is from a “Custom Loadout”.
• Contract Activation Laptop: Players will now activate Contracts by interacting with larger, more easily identifiable laptops found throughout the map.
• Updated Tac Map Icons: The entirety of the Tac Map has been updated to better serve you, with a variety of easily distinguishable new icons.
• Classic Red Dots: The classic minimap will feature within Call of Duty: Warzone; firing unsuppressed weapons causes Operators to momentarily appear as a red dot on the minimap.
• Improved Loot Spreading: Players will now notice that the loot distribution and spread when opening a Supply Box or eliminating an enemy has received improvements to minimize loot overlap and facilitate loot identification.
• Quality of Life Carry Forward: For the new Chapter of Warzone, all existing Quality of Life improvements that have been made this year will carry forward.

New Environment Elements (Launch)

• Drivable Train (Launch)
• Horizontal Ziplines (Launch)
• New Vehicle: Coyote (Launch)

The Warzone update launching alongside MW3 Season 1 also promises the return of the Big Game Bounty Contract. Activating the contract lets players place a bounty on the user with the most kills in a match. Taking this person out of the equation will result in an Advanced UAV as a reward.

“Fly By,” a new public event, is also on the way in Urzikstan. Players should anticipate multiple Drones flying in to drop extra Buy Stations.

Updated Strongholds will arrive in Season 1, as well. According to Activision, “Strongholds have now been moved to the Public Event system where there is a percentage chance of them becoming accessible to infiltrate during an Infil.”

New Perks (Launch)

• Tac Pads: Improves slide distance and allows for full ADS while sliding, along with increased stance transition speeds.
• Commando Gloves: Enables reloading while running.
• Quick-Grip Gloves: Increases your weapon swap speed.
• Climbing Boots: Increases climbing and mantling speed aspect.
• Overkill: Allows you to pick two Primary Weapons.

New and returning perks exclusive to Warzone will be equippable as Custom Perks in player Loadouts. They include:

• Irradiated: Move faster and take less damage while in the gas.
• Tempered: Now also available as a Custom Perk, Tempered allows you to refill armor plates to full with two plates instead of three.
• Combat Scout: Bullets you fire briefly ping an enemy for you and your squad. Hitting the enemy from farther away increases the ping time.
• Resolute: When taking damage from gunfire, this grants a short bonus to movement speed.
• Shrouded: Drop a smoke grenade when downed.
• Mountaineer: Reduces fall damage.
• Stalker: Increased strafe and aim down sight movement speed.
• Escapist: Increased downed, prone, and crouch speed.
• Primed: Accuracy and time to aim down sight is improved while jumping.
• Faculty: Delay triggered explosives while sprinting, warns of nearby enemy equipment, and reduces combat noise.

New Gulag (Launch)

Urzikstan features a new Gulag, the perfect way to redeploy once you’ve faced an adversary in 1v1 combat. However, this Gulag, aside from being a brand-new environment, comes with new gameplay updates too:

• Ascender Overtime Finisher: Replacing the old overtime flag, players are now provided an exfil rope that drops into the middle of the Gulag during the match allowing extraction – but, be warned! You can both shoot, and be shot at, from the Ascender!
• Gulag Public Events: Several new Public Events may also occur within the Gulag, such as Go Again (an additional Gulag attempt if you lose the first fight), Cash Grab (more money on the floor with a big stack in the middle of the map) and Locked & Loaded Weapons (AMG + SMG Loadout with full armor), helping the victor by bringing back some much-needed power items into the match.
• Night Vision Gulag (In-Season): NVG has a new name, as the Gulag will occasionally go dark while equipping Operators with night-vision goggles for a fun new twist on the Gulag experience.

New Event: Merry CODMAS (In-Season)

“Slay Ride Resurgence” Limited Time Mode: Nothing says “festivities” quite like a new Limited Time Mode: Prepare for a Holiday-themed take on Resurgence, as you’re in for a number of treats…

Activision Blizzard

Deck the Halls: Santa has delivered presents across Urzikstan, via a number of holiday crates. Open the Tac Map to reveal their location in the match and get to the trees to earn rewards in the vicinity. However, be ready to fight for your spot as a flare is sent up when Operators interact within the immediate area where the crates are found. Those who hold the point the longest will be gifted a chance to meet Santa… or at least something that used to be Santa.

Zombie Santa: Once an Operator obtains a key from Deck the Halls, a “Merry” portal will appear. Take the portal to face off against a zombified Juggernaut Santa. Defeat this evil incarnation of Santa before rummaging in his massive sack for a variety of valuable loot!

Slay Ride: Santa has taken over the train in Urzikstan. Per his usual modus operandi, Santa will be handing out presents to all the well-behaved Operators he meets. Those who choose to be naughty, on the other hand, will be met with heavy resistance.

Snowball Fights: As part of both the player’s default Loadout, as well as in ground loot represented by a snowflake icon on the Tac Map, you can find these rather lethal Snowballs all over the map.

The CODMAS event will also feature a new challenge for Call of Duty: Warzone and Multiplayer during the 12 Days of CODMAS. Complete these challenges to earn rewards.

New Weapons

Finally, Season 1 will additionally introduce five new weapons to the world of Warzone. They are:

• XRK Stalker (Sniper Rifle — Launch, Battle Pass Sector A4)
• RAM-7 (Assault Rifle — Launch, Battle Pass Sector A7)
• Stormender (Launcher — Launch, Battle Pass Sector A12)
• HRM-9 (SMG — In-Season, Armory Unlock)
• TAQ Evolvere (LMG — In-Season)