Yes, you can play Call of Duty: Warzone 2 at midnight!
For Call of Duty fans eagerly awaiting Warzone 2‘s launch at 10am PT / 1pm ET on November 16, I have good news – you‘ll be able to squad up in the new Al Mazrah map right at midnight in your own time zone! This expert guide will walk you through everything you need to know to enjoy Warzone 2 from the moment it drops.
What to Expect When Jumping In at Launch
Based on early access gameplay from top streamers at the Warzone 2 review event, here‘s an overview of what you can expect from the experience at launch if playing at midnight:
Modes
- Quads
- Third-person perspective
- DMZ extraction gameplay
No solos, duos or standard battle royale initially. More core modes will come in seasonal updates.
Squad Setup
While solos aren‘t available yet, you can still:
- Team up with friends cross-platform
- Get matchmade into quads with 3 randoms
- Use Social tab to connect with players directly
Integration with Modern Warfare 2
- Unified progression system
- Weapons, operators and cosmetics carry over
- Share Battle Pass between games
This should give you a great head start if you‘ve already been grinding MW2 multiplayer.
Key Gameplay Features
- New interrogation system
- Revamped looting
- Vehicle improvements
- Underwater combat
- Diverse map with 8 named zones
Warzone 2 Forecast: Post-Launch Year One
While the launch experience provides a solid framework, Warzone 2 will greatly expand over time similar to the original. Here‘s a forecast for key areas of improvement and content updates:
New Playlists
Based on leaks and Activision‘s seasonal roadmap format:
| Season | Estimated Playlists |
|---|---|
| Launch | Quads |
| Season 01 | Trios, Solos |
| Season 02 | Duos, Hardcore |
| Season 03 | Ranked Mode |
New Maps
Warzone originally started with Verdansk, then grew to include Rebirth Island, Fortune‘s Keep and Caldera by its third year. We can expect a similar content cadence for Warzone 2 including fan favorite maps from past games.
Performance Improvements
As expected with a brand new live service game, early patches will likely focus on bug fixes, weapon balancing and technical performance based on community feedback.
Player Retention
Initial retention figures will be indicative of Warzone 2‘s ability to recapture lapsed players from the original. For context, Warzone hit 30 million players in its first 10 days.
Ready to Squad Up at Midnight?
As you can see, while Warzone 2 may lack certain features at launch, there will still be lots to experience and build on as a day one player throughout the first year.
Let me know which mode you plan to play first when servers go live at midnight! Now excuse me as I stock up on energy drinks and snacks to pull an all-nighter on release day.
