Call of Duty: Warzone is introducing a new Black Ops Royale mode with some very familiar elements reminiscent of both
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 and last year's
Black Ops 7. From
Black Ops 7, we have a port of the large-scale Endgame mode Avalon map, and from
Black Ops 4 we have a renewed take on the Blackout mode, breaking away from some of
Warzone's current conventions. In short, this is a Battle Royale mode without loadouts, where OSP (on-site procurement) and proper looting are key to success. This creative take has drawn a wave of excitement ahead of the new
Warzone update's release on March 13, with fans affectionately calling Black Ops Royale "Blackout 2" and successfully pushing
Call of Duty back into trending headlines. Considering how awful
the early reception for
Black Ops 7 was, it's an impressive turn for one of its staple maps to get this level of praise from a new game mode and rules revamp.
Players who wingsuit into Black Ops Royale will be running with no Loadouts, no Gulag, and no Buy Station and contending with up to 99 other players each game. Weapon upgrading will require players to hunt for attachment kits to raise Rarity tiers, and in some conditions, only one Ultra-tier weapon will be available on the map with each game. Perks, Killstreaks, and Equipment (including the returning Grappling Hook, Sensor Dart, and Trauma Kit), have all been turned into loot you have to find instead of being pre-set in a pre-game menu. Blackout's bullet drop mechanic and weapon handling have even been ported over. The new mode will tie directly into
Warzone and
Black Ops 7 progression as well.
It's a great time for
Call of Duty fans who enjoyed Blackout in its prime. Those familiarized with
Black Ops 7's version of Avalon are also in for a few surprises, since there have been some balance changes made to the map since its debut in that game. According to a Call of Duty
blog post, these changes include "Efforts to reduce water prevalence in the map, adding sections of exposed sand to connect islands, and new land areas that connect major land masses to streamline player movement for a better Battle Royale experience".
