Verdansk Boosts Warzone, Developers Confirm Its Stay

Verdansk's return to Call of Duty: Warzone has revitalized the game at a crucial moment. The internet had previously labeled Activision's battle royale, now five years old, as "cooked," but the nostalgia-laden Verdansk has turned the tide. Now, the online community is declaring Warzone "back." Despite the dramatic event where Activision nuked Verdansk, it seems not to have deterred fans. Both lapsed players, who fondly remember Warzone as their lockdown game, and loyalists who have stuck with the game through its ups and downs over the past five years, agree that Warzone is more enjoyable now than it has been since its explosive debut in 2020.

This return to a more fundamental gameplay experience was a strategic move by the developers at Raven and Beenox. Pete Actipis, game director at Raven, and Etienne Pouliot, creative director at Beenox, spearheaded the multi-studio effort to rejuvenate Warzone. In an in-depth interview with IGN, the duo shared insights on their approach to bringing Warzone back to its roots, discussed the success of Verdansk's Casual mode, and considered whether limiting operator skins to mil-sim could recreate the feel of 2020. They also addressed the burning question on everyone's mind: is Verdansk here to stay?

Read on to discover more about their vision and plans for the future of Warzone.