Call of Duty: Warzoneis a significant game in Activision’s longstanding and successful FPS franchise, as it allowed the IP to make a strong reentry into the saturated world of battle royale titles. Despite the popularity thatWarzonehas enjoyed over the years, it has, seemingly, become quite difficult to maintain the experience alongside the franchise’s annual releases.
Since its release, many tweaks and sweeping changes, such as new playlists and major maps, have been introduced toCall of Duty: Warzonein an attempt to keep fans engaged. However, it seems that the game’s glory days may be firmly behind it. The lack of attention thatWarzonehas been generating recently has placed some very large question marks on the game’s future, and Activision has made it clear that the upcoming re-introduction of Verdansk will act as one last throw of the dice for the title.
Warzone is Looking to its Past with Verdansk to Secure its Future
Verdansk was the first major map forCall of Duty: Warzone, and it is the location that defined many fans' first experiences with the title during what is largely perceived to be its glory days. Be it a product of nostalgia, or a result of the excitement that surroundedWarzonewhen it launched, Verdansk has written itself into theCall of Dutyhistory books as a beloved and deeply important map that played a big part in helpingWarzoneburst onto the battle royale scene.
Despite the praise that it received, Verdansk was, controversially, replaced as the main map forWarzonein late 2021, and the Caldera map took its place, a change that caused a rift among the game’s community that has remained ever since. This map switch, along with various weapon, movement, and equipment changes, occurred alongsidethe annual major releases forCall of Duty, and it looked to evolveWarzone’s identity and core feel. However, this evolution has, arguably, caused more harm than good.
Although other maps, like Urzikstan, Vondel, Al Mazrah, and more, have had their stint in theWarzonespotlight over the years, none have had quite the same impact as Verdansk, making the news ofVerdansk’s return toWarzonein Spring 2025all the more predictable. Activision has experimented with a return of Verdansk before, with the launch ofCold Warseeing the slightly-altered Verdansk ‘84 map added toWarzone, although the forthcoming return of the map promises to maintain all the original’s glory.
Warzone Could Fall to the Wayside if Verdansk’s Return is Not Successful
Reports from a prominent leaker suggest that the success of Verdansk’s upcoming return to the title will ultimately decide whetherWarzonecontinues to be supported. Citing issues like dwindling player-counts, stagnant updates, and widespread cheater problems, it seems that Activision may be unwilling to updateWarzonealongside the annualCoDcycle in its current state, and the return of Verdansk may be the final chance to gauge the community’s receptiveness to a large-scaleCoDBR experience.
DespiteWarzone’s RICOCHET anti-cheat system reportedly having banned over 130,000 accounts for Ranked Play alone, many players are still pointing to widespread cheating problems as one of the major downsides of the title.
The success of Verdansk’s upcoming return will supposedly be the deciding factor in whetherWarzonewill be supported alongside thelaunch of 2026’s reportedModern Warfare 4, and it remains to be seen if the nostalgic appeal of the map will be enough to bring a real surge of success to the title. It has become increasingly difficult for Activision to maintain the popularity ofWarzone, and it seems that the return to Verdansk will either be a fitting savior or a send-off for the battle royal title.
