After a brief delay, Call of Duty: Vanguard and COD Warzone Season 2 is due to start on February 14, and Sledgehammer and Raven Software have detailed what new content players can expect in both games when it arrives. Warzone players will find intel on a mysterious chemical weapon known as Nebula V, while Vanguard players get new multiplayer maps that see them investigate a Nebula V stockpile in the Swiss Alps.
COD Warzone Season 2
Nebula V will be introduced in several different ways. Nebula V ammo will become a Field Upgrade that sees killed enemies emit clouds of poison gas, making their revival incredibly difficult. Meanwhile, the Nebula V Bomb is far rarer and its description implies it appears perhaps once per game. After a high damage explosion, this briefcase full of deadly gas will spread outwards for a total of two minutes, harming anyone without a gas mask.
There are methods of fighting the effects of Nebula V. Portable Decontamination Stations are new Field Equipment that can filtrate air for a few seconds, protecting anyone within its area of effect. Their downsides are that they’re visible on all Operator Tac Maps and can be destroyed with explosives.
To carry Nebula V around the island, the Axis forces used Armored Transport Trucks that follow a set path around Caldera. They have machine-gun turrets to attack any Operator within their vicinity, drop mines behind them, and call in aerial support once the trucks’ health gets low. The payoff is that they drop “incredibly valuable items” when destroyed, perhaps even a Nebula V Bomb.
New points of interest have been used for Nebula V activities. The refinery that was positioned between the Mines and Docks is now a Chemical Factory with valuable loot to grab. While the building layout is similar albeit with extra indoor spaces, there are enemy soldiers and a trap within the central building. It’s also turned the river green. There’s also the seven Underground Chemical Weapon Research Labs guarded by soldiers. They contain the aforementioned gas masks and Nebula V ammo but are also clearly marked on the Tac Map, making them a popular target for everyone.
Other new features include Bomber Planes, which can destroy infantry, vehicles and Loadout Drops from the air. They can be destroyed with Fighter Planes or AA guns. Then there are Redeploy Balloons that players can climb before using their parachute to travel far away from their current area. Limited-time modes will also be introduced, starting with Caldera Clash. This evolution of Verdansk ’84’s Clash is a team deathmatch mode where teams fight to reach a set number of points first. New events for this mode are Double Point zones and Bonus Point crates.
COD Vanguard Multiplayer
Two new maps will launch with Season 2. The first of those is Casablanca, set in a marketplace in Morocco. The medium sized map has a three-lane style, buildings to add verticality, and options for close- and long-range combat. The second, Gondola, is another three-lane style medium sized map only this time set over a large gulch. The fire watchtower and moving gondola are ideal for snipers, but those who prefer closer combat can roam the power plant and caves.
More details on the Battle Pass are promised closer to the start of Season 2, but Sledgehammer did confirm some of the free rewards include the Ball Turret Gunner Killstreak, the Sticky Bomb, and Armory and Mechanic perks. The revealed premium rewards so far are the KG M40 Assault Rifle and Whitley LMG weapons.
Other new additions will include a Valentine’s Day “themed experience” and the beta for a “bespoke Multiplayer Ranked Play mode”. The latter will have league-approved rules, visible Skill Ratings, and new competitive rewards.
COD Vanguard Zombies
Terra Maledicta is a completely new location set in Egypt’s Eastern Desert. This hub will have several new arenas, including Dark Aether, and Professor Krafft will stop at nothing to recover a page from the Tome of Rituals. They’ll have help from a new ally, though: Vercanna the Last. After Kortifex wiped out her clan, she’s seeking revenge as players will find out in a new Story Quest. She can grant Healing Auras to players through her Wand of the Wilds Artifact, instantly restoring all Operators to full health. Upgraded Tiers also add the ability to revive downed allies and knock down enemies.
With a new location comes a new enemy. Zaballa the Deceiver appears after players have survived multiple rounds, although she hides her true identity behind three masks. She can hover while sending electrical eruptions through the ground. She’s resistant to many forms of attack but players do have two new wonder weapons to give them a hand. The Decimator Shield’s main purpose is to offer protection but it does have a deadly Decimation Blast too. Meanwhile, the much-loved Ray Gun makes its return. Meanwhile, the Altar of Covenants will also offer a new ability. The Artifact Ward gives a chance to trigger a player’s artifact for free if they’re hit from behind with a melee attack.
The new Sacrifice objective sees players disrupt a Dark Aether blood-magic ceremony. Three Syphoncores try to withdraw essence from the undead. If they succeed they unleash far more zombies than they consumed in the first place so players must stop them from being filled. There will be Easter Eggs to find too, although they sound more like a treasure hunt for loot buried throughout the Eastern Desert.
Season 2 content for COD Vanguard and Warzone
Three new Operators will be added in the form of Task Force Yeti. Anna Drake is an Austrian assaulter who will be introduced with the new Battle Pass. Thomas Bolt and Gustavo Dos Santos will follow later in the season. Other content to be added later in the season includes the Ice Axe, Armaguerra 43 SMG, Rebirth Iron Trials mode for Warzone, changes to Caldera’s prison island, Arms Race with Armored War Machines, and plenty of bug fixes. More details on these are promised soon.
In other news, Ghost of Tsushima has gotten a Horizon Forbidden West themed outfit in celebration of the latter game’s imminent release. Elsewhere, America’s Army: Proving Grounds will be closing its servers in May.
