Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and Warzone Season 4 — Battle pass, Blackcell, new maps and more
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Warzone, and Warzone Mobile are getting fresh REDACTED content as player anticipation for the next COD reveal escalates.
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With theXbox Showcasecoming in early June, followed by a Call of Duty Direct forTreyarch’s upcoming Black Ops 6, there’s already plenty for Call of Duty fans to be excited about. That doesn’t mean Sledgehammer and the support studios behind the massive franchise are slowing down on Modern Warfare 3’s post-launch support. There’s a fresh new battle pass to keep you busy asSeason 4arrives ahead of the upcoming reveal event with a brand-new lineup of content.
Call of Duty Season 4 release date
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3,Call of Duty: Warzone, and Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile Season 4 went live onWednesday, May 29at9 AM PT/12 PM ET.
Call of Duty Season 4 — Modern Warfare 3 maps, modes, and events
Before the launch ofCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, lead developers Sledgehammer Games and publisher Activision committed to fans that the game would receive no less than 12 new maps in its post-launch seasonal content. Sledgehammer has stuck by that commitment, and players can look forward to two brand-new maps in Season 4. The new maps for Season 4 will bring the post-launch map count to 17, not including Vortex variants.
WhileSeason 3appeals to small map lovers, Season 4 is making a play for more medium-sized maps.
New map: Tokyo
Nightlife, baby! Modern Warfare 3 has been surprisingly lacking in nighttime maps, so it’s nice to see the neon lights of Tokyo against a midnight sky. A Hotel and Manga buildings positioned on the sides of the main road are sure to be heavily sought-after power positions, thanks to the potential for verticality on an otherwise grounded map.
Tokyo eschews the three-lane map design, though it does appear to have potential flanking routes, and SMG-runners are sure to find plenty of CQC opportunities in the tight corners of the Arcade and Center Courtyard. Expect a lot of gunplay to happen on the more open left-hand side of the map as presented in the overview, while players fuss that the remaining right-hand side is just wasted space.
The neon lights of Tokyo will light up for 6v6 playlists with the launch of Season 4 on May 29.
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New map: Paris
Tokyo brought the neons, but it’s Paris that is known as the City of Lights. Sadly, the new Paris map for Modern Warfare 3 is lit by the sun, but it still offers a mid-sized playground featuring a centralized Police Station and Gallery surrounded by ground level streets. Additional buildings provide cover from killstreaks and the small interior zones of the Bookstore and Shop invite close-quarters opportunities.
Players can expect to spawn at the Backlot to the North or the Plaza to the South. Both primary spawns are well protected, making them relatively safe zones for those who want to call in killstreaks that require care package drops like Juggernauts or Emergency Airdrops.
Paris will be available at launch in 6v6 core multiplayer playlists.
New mode: Demolition
There’s a mode we haven’t seen in a while! Demolition is a popular tactical mode from Call of Duty past that hasn’t actually been present in multiplayer playlist rotations since Modern Warfare (2019)’s Season 3 content drop. The mode is a round-based objective that closely resembles the ever popular Search & Destroy mode, but with a few notable changes.
Teams alternate between attacking and defending bomb sites placed on the map, but successfully detonating or defusing a bomb is not enough to end the round. All players spawn in with a bomb package, and respawns are turned on. Rounds end only when both bomb sites are destroyed or when the timer runs out. The attacking team can pack a few extra minutes onto the clock by successfully detonating a bomb at one of the two sites.
Demolition will be added to playlist rotations at the launch of Season 4.
New mode: Hyper Cranked
I love team-based modes in multiplayer, but it always seems like there is that one guy at the bottom of the leaderboard shouting about how their team held them back. Cranked is the playlist that requires all of us to actually ‘put up or shut up’, as they say. Dropping enemies in Cranked kicks off a timer, forcing the player to continue racking up enemy kills as quickly as possible to save their own hide. The payoff is a package of perks like faster reload, weapon swap, and quicker movement. Take too long to secure the next kill, however, and you explode.
This hyper-variant of the nerve-wracking playlist turns the dial to 12, starting every player in a cranked state right when they spawn. Don’t go boom.
New: Playlist modifiers
Season 3 introduced a playlist modifier that turned every map into a dangerous minefield. The concept seemingly was a hit with players, as Sledgehammer has extended the premise and added more playlist modifiers throughout Season 4. One more event-based modifiers can crop up in a multiplayer game in the modified playlist at any time. Modifiers include:
New perk: Mission control vest
Killstreaks are a dominant player in Season 4, with the new Mission Control Vest allowing players to become streak specialists. The Mission Control Vest provides 6 equipment slots in all: Tactical, lethal, field upgrade, gloves, and 2 gear slots of your choosing. It reduces kills required by 1 for all killstreaks, or for those using scorestreaks it reduces the requirement by 125. 2 kill assists or cross-fire assists now count as 1 kill or 125 score. However, this can not be stacked with the Mission Control comlink and will instead gain the effects of the High Gain Antenna instead of duplicating.
New perk: Compression Plate
With all that incoming killstreak damage, there’s got to be a new way to counter it. Compression plates will fill a gear slot and allow players to immediately regenerate health after getting a kill with a primary or secondary weapon, or a kill with a throwing star or knife. There’s no need to wonder if this perk is working, either. An icon will appear on the HUD when regeneration is active.
New killstreak: Intelligent Munitions Systems (I.M.S.)
Tick, tick. Boom. The IMS returns to Call of Duty after an extended absence. This brutal killstreak packs smart explosives that detonate when triggered by an enemy combatant or vehicle. The IMS launches an explosive skyward, which then locks on and propels toward its intended target. Tight corners and cubbies are hotspots for these large ground-level kill streaks that can quickly wipe out an unsuspecting team. Stack 7 kills or earn 875 score to earn one of these bad boys.
New killstreak: Loitering Munition
If you can rack up 8 kills or earn 1000 score in one life, you can unlock the latest killstreak: the loitering munition. This little unmanned drone will peruse a targeted zone before bombarding targets with a shower of rockets up to three times. Danger close, soldiers!
New killstreak: Missile drone
The cruise missile has long been broken in Modern Warfare 3, so the Missile drone feels like Sledgehammer Games' attempt to get us to use literally any other killstreak. It does take an 11 kill streak or 1375 score to get your hands on this small, piloted drone that can fire guided missiles. What could go wrong?
New killstreak: DNA bomb
Nukes. MOABs. More nukes. Call of Duty has a long history of the secret killstreak that can bring a match to its finale. Sledgehammer Games is throwing in it’s own take on the biggest bang of them all. Like its predecessors, the DNA bomb can only be acquired via kills without dying. Sorry, scorestreakers. Unlike standard nukes, the DNA bomb will only kill enemy players on the opposing team, and it doesn’t bring the match to an end. Yes, you can keep on demolishing the enemy even after dropping a DNA bomb. Provided they don’t rage-quit.
Call of Duty Season 4 — Multiplayer patch notes
With a brand-new season comes a laundry list of changes to weapon balance, accessories, perks, and killstreaks. Of course, there’s some updates for stability and performance thrown in, too. For good measure, of course.
Stability and performance
Customization
Multiplayer UIX
UIX bug fixes
Gameplay
Progression
Maps
Modes
Weapon changes
Perks
Killstreaks
Call of Duty Season 4 — Warzone maps, modes, and events
The DNA bomb hasn’t just shown up in Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer during Season 4. It’s made its way to the Warzone battlefield, as well. There’s no damage to maps at launch, or at least it seems all is well. Things can always change with the mid-season update, however.
Urzikstan update
If you’re jumping into Warzone during Season 4, you’re likely to notice that new Gulag silos have opened. Players will randomly drop into one of the silos upon death, with each requiring the players to shake up their gulag strategies to redeploy to their squad. The availability of silos will continue to shift throughout Season 4.
Returning mode: Buy Back Royale Solos
The wealthy get to do whatever they want — especially in Buy Back Royale Solos. The popular mode returns to Urzikstan, blending Plunder, Resurgence, and standard solo BR together into one chaotic mode. Connect enough money and you can redeploy automatically. No gulag, no squadmates. Just you and your willingness to take a risk for some cold, hard cash.
Additional access feature: Specialist perk
All hail the coveted Specialist perk. Specialist allows players to have the default perks available to all operators along with 29 additional perks for the remainder of a match. This is rare ground loot, so don’t bank your strategy on acquiring the specialist perk. If you do happen to find one, though, you’re likely to be in for the long run. At launch, the specialist perk will only be available on Urzikstan, and it will include the following perks:
New feature: Tactical Spring Boots
Urzikstan’s bunkers are an interesting anomaly in their own right, but now you can look forward to finding a brand-new perk hidden among them. The Tactical Spring Boots perk will now increase your base movement speed and give your Operator infinite Tactical Sprint movement.
New vehicle: Polaris RZR
Zip across the battlefield in Urzikstan with the new Polaris RZR Pro R, modeled after a real-world side-by-side UTV. This little rail buggy can scoot thanks to immediate acceleration, but that doesn’t take away from its handling or durability. This three-seater may mean someone on your squad is left hoofing it, but it makes up for the lack of space with tighter turns.
New feature: Loot hot zones
Loot Hot Zones are making their way back to the Warzone. These points of interest on the map feature increased tiers of loot, ensuring you’ve got the best stuff right off the bat. You may have to fight to the death for it, however. These zones are going to be attractive to players looking to loot up and move along quickly, so expect some serious brawls in these zones.
Call of Duty Season 4 — Warzone patch notes
UI/UX
Performance and customization
Bug fixes
Urzikstan
Rebirth Island, Resurgence
All maps and modes
Weapon adjustments
Call of Duty Season 4 — Weapons, operators, and bundles
New weapon: Superi 46
This pistol-caliber submachine gun packs some serious stopping power despite its lightweight frame. Built around handling, mobility, and adaptability, the Superi 46 can be modified to work in just about any combat scenario. It can be unlocked via a Battle Pass blueprint in Sector 20, and requires 21 levels to reach max.
New weapon: Kar98k
The beloved (or dreaded, if you’re not a sniper) Kar98k returns to Call of Duty this season. The bolt-action rifle from the WWII era has only five rounds in the mag, but it’s a powerful marksman that accurate with devastatingly high damage output. Don’t miss that shot, however, or the enemies will have time to seek you out while you’re slowly rechamber some more ammo. The Kar98k can be unlocked in Battle Pass sector 15 and has 15 levels to reach max.
Aftermarket parts
Eight new aftermarket parts are now available as part of Season 4. An old reliable from MW2 gets new life for MW3 armaments, giving you a shot at some truly unusual weapon modifications. These aftermarket kits can primarily be unlocked via weekly weapon challenges. Warzone Mobile players will also be able to unlock the aftermarket parts using Arsenal coins for access in all game types.
Call of Duty Season 4 Battle pass and Blackcell
Season 4 is finally allowing us to properly grieve for Johnny “Soap” MacTavish. By utterly butchering his likeness for a very unusual Tier 100 Battle Pass skin. The “Nautilus” skin for Soap unlocks at Tier 0 alongside the new operator, Hammer. An addition 110 pieces of unlockable content can be found in the various sectors, with two free base weapons, two new Operators, and new skins for Hammer, Hush, Soap, Ripper, Jet, Pathfinder,Nolan, Void, and Alpine.
If there’s just not enough for you in the standard Battle Pass, the Blackcell upgrade has a few extra goodies for you in an exclusive sector. Two new Operators, Dupe & Copy, will enter the battlefield in black, gold, and green cloaks packing an exclusive finisher that allows the player to “steal” another Operator’s skin should they be able to effectively pull off the move. The “Identity Theft” effect lasts until the player’s next respawn. The Blackcell upgrade also includes 1100 COD Points, “Ailed Caress Blackcell” blueprint for the Holger 556 with “Cellular corruption” tracers, and the “necrosis” death effects. 20 tier skips for the battle pass are also included.
Operator bundles and blueprints in the store
A whole host of new Operator bundles and weapon blueprints with colorful camos will hit the Call of Duty store during Season 4. Fans of Gundam can expect to see multiple new bundles with Operator skins, while a bundle of The Boys' operator skins will now be available for one lump purchase. The Champs Tracer Pack will drop to celebrate OpTic Texas' victory in the Major III Tournament in Toronto for the Call of Duty League. A collection of molded ultra skins, Wildlife Wanted: Bite Me party pack, and the emoting Ultra Skin Party Pack will all be available for purchase throughout the season.
Call of Duty Season 4 — [[CLASSIFIED]] event
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6is just on the horizon. Reveals and teasers are already trickling into the wild, and the official Call of Duty Direct showcase will take place immediately after the2024 Xbox Games Showcase on June 9. Reveal events for new premium Call of Duty titles have had massive success with being implemented into Call of Duty: Warzone, and it would come as no surprise if a similar event was planned for Black Ops 6.
TheCall of Duty blogalludes to a [[CLASSIFIED]] event with heavily redacted information taking place in-game on or around June 19. Two separate [[REDACTED]] in-game events are expected to take place during Season 4 in June, with both events likely tied to marketing Black Ops 6.
Cole is the resident Call of Duty know-it-all and indie game enthusiast for Windows Central. She’s a lifelong artist with two decades of experience in digital painting, and she will happily talk your ear off about budget pen displays.
