What Happened to the Old CoD Warzone?
The original Call of Duty: Warzone, in its initial form with the Verdansk and Caldera maps, is essentially gone. Activision shut down the servers for Warzone Caldera on September 21, 2023. This marked the end of an era for the battle royale that took the gaming world by storm. The decision was made to focus resources and development efforts on the newer Warzone 2.0 (now integrated with Modern Warfare III and simply referred to as Warzone) and future Call of Duty content. All progress and inventories from Warzone Caldera were wiped with the shutdown. The game is no longer playable.
The Rise and Fall of Verdansk
The original Warzone exploded onto the scene as a free-to-play extension of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019). Its massive map, Verdansk, quickly became iconic, known for its diverse locations, strategic chokepoints, and the thrilling Gulag mechanic, which gave players a second chance at redeployment. Warzone innovated by allowing players to bring in their customized loadouts, a feature that distinguished it from other battle royale games. This allowed players to create weapons via the LOADOUTS. This unique blend of accessible gameplay, Call of Duty’s signature gunplay, and the large-scale battle royale format made it an instant hit, attracting millions of players and establishing itself as a major player in the genre. Its accessibility and thrilling gunplay also made it attractive for rushers as well as campers.
However, as time went on, the integration of new Call of Duty titles brought changes to Warzone, including the addition of weapons, operators, and other content from those games. While this kept the game fresh for some, others felt it diluted the original experience and created imbalances.
The Transition to Caldera and Warzone 2.0
Following the release of Call of Duty: Vanguard, the original Warzone map, Verdansk, was replaced by Caldera, a Pacific-themed map. This was a controversial move, as many players had strong attachments to Verdansk and were not fond of Caldera’s layout and gameplay.
Then, with the launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, Activision released Warzone 2.0, featuring a brand new map, Al Mazrah, and several gameplay changes. To differentiate the two games, the original Warzone was renamed Warzone Caldera. At this point, Warzone Caldera stopped receiving major updates and was essentially placed on life support. After that, Activision announced that it would shut down for good. All Caldera gameplay, player progression, inventories and online services expired on that date.
Why Was the Original Warzone Shut Down?
The decision to shut down Warzone Caldera was primarily driven by the desire to consolidate development resources. Activision explained that its teams needed to focus on the current Warzone experience and future Call of Duty content. Maintaining two separate Warzone games with different content and features would have been a significant drain on resources, potentially hindering the development and support of new content for the current game.
The old Warzone stopped receiving updates last year after it was supplanted by its official sequel, Warzone 2.0. Activision stated that it would “focus on future Call of Duty content including the current Warzone free-to-play experience.”
Another factor was the player base. With the launch of Warzone 2.0, many players naturally migrated to the newer game, leading to a decline in the player population of Warzone Caldera. It was deemed more efficient to concentrate on providing the best possible experience for the larger player base in Warzone 2.0.
The original game lacked the necessary elements for it to thrive in the community. Games Learning Society explores the dynamics of game communities and the factors that contribute to their success. You can find more on this at GamesLearningSociety.org.
Legacy and Impact
Despite its closure, the original Call of Duty: Warzone left an indelible mark on the gaming landscape. It helped popularize the battle royale genre, introduced innovative gameplay mechanics, and provided countless hours of entertainment for millions of players. The game’s success also paved the way for Warzone 2.0 and future iterations of the franchise. While Verdansk and Caldera may be gone, their memory lives on in the minds of players who experienced the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat in those virtual battlegrounds.
While it is sad to see Warzone 1 servers go down they also deleted all Warzone 1 stats that were available in Modern Warfare 2019!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some common questions about the fate of the original Call of Duty: Warzone.
1. Is the original Warzone completely gone?
Yes, Warzone Caldera, the renamed version of the original Warzone, was shut down on September 21, 2023. The servers are no longer active, and the game is unplayable.
2. Why did Activision shut down the old Warzone?
Activision shut down Warzone Caldera to focus its development resources on the current Warzone experience (integrated with Modern Warfare III) and future Call of Duty content.
3. What happened to my progress and inventory in Warzone Caldera?
All progress, inventories, and unlocks from Warzone Caldera were wiped when the servers were shut down.
4. Can I still play Verdansk?
No, the Verdansk map is no longer available in any official Call of Duty game.
5. Is Warzone 2.0 the same as the original Warzone?
No, Warzone 2.0 (now integrated with Modern Warfare III’s Warzone) is a separate game with a new map (Al Mazrah), different gameplay mechanics, and updated features.
6. Is Warzone still free to play?
Yes, the current version of Warzone (integrated with Modern Warfare III) remains free to play. Drop in, armor up, loot for rewards and battle your way to the top. Now featuring a slate of new maps, including Al Mazrah, Ashika Island, and Vondel.
7. What is the difference between Warzone Caldera and Warzone 2.0?
Warzone Caldera was the original Warzone experience with the Caldera map. Warzone 2.0 is a completely new game with a new map (Al Mazrah), updated gameplay, and features. On the other hand, Al Mazrah has 18 major drop points which are unsurprisingly more spread out, given that the Warzone 2.0 map is larger, geographically, than Verdansk.
8. Can I transfer my skins from Warzone Caldera to Warzone 2.0?
No, skins and other cosmetic items from Warzone Caldera cannot be transferred to Warzone 2.0 or the current Warzone experience.
9. What time did the Warzone 1 servers shut down?
Activision didn’t mention the official time yet, but it’s believed that the Warzone 1 servers went offline at 9:00 am PT on September 21. Based on this, here are the timings for when the game’s servers were taken offline in different regions: 9:00 AM PT.
10. Was Warzone 1 ever free on PC?
Yes, the original Warzone was always free to play on PC and consoles.
11. Is Warzone 2.0 better than Verdansk?
That’s a matter of opinion. Some players prefer the gameplay and features of Warzone 2.0 (or the current integrated Warzone), while others miss the original Verdansk map and its unique atmosphere.
12. What was so special about the original Warzone?
Warzone 1 was the first Battle Royal to give us the option to bring back our teammates (via GULAG and buy station). Was the first one to let us create/customize our weapons (via LOADOUTS). Warzone 1 was good for Rushers and good for campers. Everybody has fun playing warzone 1 because of this BALANCE.
13. Where can I download Warzone now?
The Modern Warfare game client is the same as the Warzone client. Launch the Battle.net app. Log in with your Battle.net account email. Select Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. Select the content you wish to install: Campaign, Multiplayer, Special Ops, Survival or Warzone Caldera. Click Install.
14. Will Call of Duty ever disappear entirely?
“We are pleased to announce that Microsoft and PlayStation have signed a binding agreement to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation following the acquisition of Activision Blizzard,” Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer said on Twitter Sunday. Activision is the maker of the best-selling Call of Duty lineup.
15. Is Caldera gone forever?
Warzone Caldera, Activision, pulls the plug and shuts it down forever on September 21st, 2023,.