You thought Season 4 was done? While we’ve talked about it being slimmer season compared to it’s contemporaries (there’s no way to top six maps in a season folks), the Reloaded mid-season update arrives Wednesday, June 26th. Sledgehammer is still killing it in their live service model, with a smattering of cool ideas in with the usual offerings. I’m especially excited for the Bit Party Playlist, with pixely operators with big heads littering the maps. Check out all the amazing things, and the launch trailer, here from the Call of Duty Blog.
The DNA bomb at Popov Power has detonated and Operators across Urzikstan, as well as throughout Multiplayer confrontations are reporting otherworldly abilities in the fallout. Wield new powers with Mutation Mode in the Altered Strain Event and collect DNA samples from fallen enemies to obtain genetically enhanced loot. The Season 4 Reloaded update brings new maps, modes, playlists, weapons, events, and more, including Unstable Rift explorations in Modern Warfare® Zombies.
Battle face to face using the new Reclaimer 18 Shotgun supporting two modes of fire and the Sledgehammer Melee Weapon, plus earn new Aftermarket Parts and the animated “Helical Reverb” Weapon Camo for completing new Weekly Challenges.
Embrace your altered state and drop in when the Season 4 Reloaded mid-season updates launches on June 26 at 9AM PT across all platforms. Visit the Call of Duty Blog for all official comms and announcements, and the Patch Notes for ongoing Season 4 updates.
Here’s what’s coming:
MODERN WARFARE III MULTIPLAYER OVERVIEW [MWIII]
CONTENT SUMMARY
New Core 6v6 map, additional map Variants. Explore a research outpost in the mountains of Urzikstan in Incline, a new snow map featuring intense fights in hostile weather. Then watch your step as you navigate the alien ooze across Das Gross, retro-actively investigate Bitvela, bring your best buds into G3T_H1GH3R.
Mutation, Havoc, and More. Drop into game-altering modes where Operators wield mutant powers and the rules of play change over time.
Bit Party and Vortex Mosh Pit. Go retro in the new Bit Party Playlist featuring the Bitvela map variant and deploy to another surreal locale with the return of the Vortex Mosh Pit.
Head into the mountains of Urzikstan on this mid-sized snow map based around a research outpost and transit facility. Fight over frozen ground or seek shelter in one of the outbuildings. When battling in the center station, hop into the lower cable car for a view over the lower gantry. Several climbing spots offer other ways to get above the enemy. Watch that you don’t overstep at the cliff’s edge; it’s a long drop.
For an interactive Tac-Map and full guide to Incline, click here.
NEW MODES AND PLAYLIST MODIFIERS
Altered strains of DNA are causing strange (and impressive) deviant evolutions in Mutation Mode. Plus, cause Havoc, aim for the cranium in Headshots Only, and more…
MUTATION MODE
As part of the Altered Strain Event, modified DNA strands have infected multiple Operators, and current Multiplayer skirmishes could devolve at any time into Mutation Mode!
Mutation pits one team of humans against a frightening selection of mutants, across a Mosh Pit of familiar game modes. Here’s how the forces stack up:
Humans: One team is comprised of regular Operators. This team is clad in player-chosen skins and carrying the usual loadouts and weapon blueprints. Expect a sizeable increase in your ammunition reserves. You’ll need it!
Mutants: The other team spawns into a match as mutants, but these DNA-altered undead aren’t merely cannon-fodder. Mutants possess a series of unique abilities that can stun, disorient, and eliminate enemy humans, a. And they’ll have help in the form of non-player controlled Mutants shambling into combat with them.
Once the chaos begins, both teams must defeat the opposing side in a variety of tactical, or grotesque ways. Teams switch sides at halftime; humans become mutants and mutants become humans. The team with the highest score wins.
HUMANS: KILLSTREAKS
With a swarm of unnatural mutations threatening to overwhelm your team at every turn, you need some serious firepower. Fortunately, you have some specific Killstreaks to acquire at a different rate to normal modes:
- For every 1 player-controlled Zombie kill, you receive +1 Killstreak point.
- For every 5 non-player-controlled Zombie kill, you receive +5 Killstreak points.
The three main Killstreaks to focus on are:
- SAE: 6 points.
- Remote Turret: 7 points.
- Juggernaut: 15 points.
MUTANT: SPECIAL CLASSES
Mutants have no need of Primary and Secondary Weapons, Perks, or Field Upgrades. Instead, they can choose from a variety of special classes, each with a total of three different advantages. Choose your Mutant:
- Mutated Leaper: Beware a Leaper on the hunt. These lethal mutants can become enraged, gaining faster movement, increased melee damage, and the ability to detect enemies around corners. Toss a Snapshot Grenade to reveal foes to your team and finish the job with a high impact charged leap.
- Radioactive Beast: Half dog, half demon, the Radioactive Beast charges their enemies, shellshocks opponents while improving the health and move speed of their allies with a howl and can reveal nearby enemies on the minimap for their whole team.
- Contaminated Sludger: Keep your distance from the Sludger, capable of exploding in a large radius of mutant sludge. Obscure the field with a Smoke Grenade and eject a strong acid blast that deals close-ranged damage and leaves pools of acid that hurt and slow the enemy.
- Camouflaged Sneaker: The ultimate stealth play mutant. Scramble toward the enemy with an electrified leap and disorient them with an EMP. During critical maneuvers, activate your cloak to become partially invisible for a brief time.
In addition, you may wish to amass multiple human kills, and transform into a particularly powerful radiated abomination known to some as the Mutant Juggernaut…
ALTERED STRAIN EVENT: AUGMENTATIONS
Expect this mode to become increasingly rampageous as the Altered Strain Event commences during the Season. As the Event progresses, expect to unlock augmentations to your Mutant powers:
ALTERED STRAIN EVENT: AUGMENTATIONS
Progression Augmentation
Description
First Strike
Rapid cooldown on first ability used after respawn.
Flop Shot
Diving from elevated surfaces produces a small explosion.
Repocket
Kills with abilities have a chance to replenish your tactical ability.
Attuned
Reduced cost to acquire the Mutant Juggernaut.
Galvanized
Temporary damage reduction from explosives.
Battle under shifting conditions with the return of Havoc, a Core Multiplayer mode inspired by classic arena-shooter gameplay involving wild match modifiers that upend the traditional rules of Team Deathmatch.
The first of five total modifiers activates near the start of the match, with the remaining four modifiers activating when either team reaches the score milestone of 12, 24, 36, and 48 eliminations. The first team to reach 75 points wins the match, and Killstreaks are disabled except for those awarded with a modifier.
With a pool of 14 available modifiers, no two matches of Havoc are the same. The modifiers are as follows:
- Ammo Feeder: Auto reload after you kill an enemy.
- Boots off the Ground: Low gravity.
- Camera Shift: Third-person mode.
- Chain Reaction: Sticky Grenades launched on kill.
- Charged Up: Gain Cranked on kills.
- Equipment Restock: Equipment is refilled on kills.
- Eyes On: Advanced UAV is always active.
- Gun Runner: Random gun on kill.
- Hero Smash: Explosive landing from an elevated position.
- Hot Shot: Crossbows only, Molotov bolts.
- Lucky Three: Every three kills gives you a random Killstreak.
- One Tap: Headshots kill with one bullet.
- Snapshot Killer: Launch a snapshot grenade (and ping pulse) on kill.
- System Reroll (Fifth Modifier only): Full reroll of all active modifiers.
HEADSHOTS ONLY
Aiming for the head isn’t just a suggestion in this mode, but a requirement. Deploy across a small selection of maps using Team Deathmatch with one caveat: players can only be injured and eliminated through damage to the head. This applies to ranged weapons as well as thrown Lethals like the Throwing Knife or Throwing Star. Grenades are also only effective if they inflict head damage. After a few matches of this mode, you’ll be lasering onto enemy craniums with ease.
BLUEPRINT GUNFIGHT
Experience Multiplayer like never before with the new Bit Party Playlist modifier, debuting in Season 4 Reloaded. In this Playlist, eliminating enemies inflates your own Operator’s head, with expansion head sizes of small, medium, and large. Get eliminated and your Operator’s head will reset back to small.
While having a larger head makes you an easier target, it also confers objective bonuses! The larger your Operator’s head, the more points you’ll earn for eliminating enemies in Team Deathmatch, picking up tags in Kill Confirmed, and holding the objective in Hardpoint. In Domination, bigger heads capture flags more quickly.
Look for the in-game Retro Warfare Event launching alongside Bit Party, along with the pixel-art inspired members of Task Force 141 in the 8-Bit Blitz Bundle, both detailed later in this blog.
The Bit Party Playlist occurs across, and includes a variety of Vortex Variant Multiplayer maps alongside the introduction of Bitvela:
Bitvela (6v6)
New [Variant], Core, 6v6, Medium-Sized
Retro-actively set some time aside to visit a pixel-art inspired version of Favela in the Bit Party Playlist. Thousands of pixels converge in a faithful recreation of this classic map. Vibrant colors, pixelated cars, buildings and trees, jagged clouds, and box-like smoke particles perfectly mimic the original map, without a curved edge in sight.
DAS GROSS ENTERS THE VORTEX MOSH PIT
The Vortex Mosh Pit Playlist returns for a limited time in Season 4 Reloaded. This time, a new hellscape joins the current lineup of Airborne, Satan’s Quarry, Skidgrow, Sporeyard, and Tetanus. Prepare yourself for Das Gross:
Das Gross (6v6)
New [Variant], Core, 6v6, Small-Sized
The downtown buildings in New York City are enveloped by an alien entity, its red tendrils reaching out over every surface. In this horrifying map variant of Das Haus, blood drips from the walls and sharp, pointed teeth protrude from exposed muscle. Above, the night sky conceals a looming planet in the clouds. Focus on the mission at hand and try not to lose your sanity.
RETURN TO THE SYNTHWAVE SUN: G3T_H1GH3R
G3T_H1GH3R
New [Variant], Playlist, LTE, Medium-Sized
Return to the bliss-fueled retro-futuristic utopian voidscape, and gaze upwards at hundreds of newly repositioned floating geometric neon-grids, platforms, and other cosmic bewilderments, leading to the one, true destination; the utopian mind palace itself; a fortress floating beneath the synthwave sun.
Stretch out those parkour muscles as the G3T_H1GH3R map is entirely new, with a longer and entertainingly challenging course to ascend, multiple secrets to discover, collectibles to find, and traps more dangerous than you might remember from G3T_H1GH. Blaze a trail to the skies, don’t make a hash of it, and seek the ultimate rewards; three new Weapon Camos.
MODERN WARFARE ZOMBIES OVERVIEW [MWZ]
CONTENT SUMMARY
Face Waves of Enemies in an Unstable Rift. Race to enter Unstable Rift before other squads and face off against increasingly difficult waves of enemies.
Prepare for a new wave-based combat challenge arriving in the form of Unstable Rifts. Several opportunities to enter an Unstable Rift can appear per match, and squads must race to be the first to enter; reports of [[REDACTED]] appearing in the Exclusion Zone may hint at the way forward.
Upon entering an Unstable Rift, Operators will face off against increasingly intense waves of enemies until completing the challenge or failing in the attempt. Completing an Unstable Rift resets the cooldown on all of your insured weapons and schematics, so you can head into the next match equipped with your best setup. Strike Team Operators are also encouraged to locate additional Unstable Rifts across the map if you were unable to enter a previous Rift, until Rift infiltration is a success.
Be warned that an Unstable Rift is… unstable. Not everything works as it does elsewhere. Some things are granted, while others are taken away. However, expected loot is impressive, and includes a maxed-out Pack-A-Punch weapon with maximum Rarity value once your Rift exploration begins, as well as an assortment of free Perks and Upgrades that you’ll need when facing the hordes. Good luck!
CALL OF DUTY: WARZONE OVERVIEW [WZ]
CONTENT SUMMARY
Popov Power Plant POI Update. The DNA Bomb at Popov Power Plant has detonated, opening new pathways and leaving a toxic chemical agent in its wake.
The Mutation Spreads: Drop into new limited-time Playlists involving the mutation mechanic, including Mutation Resurgence Quads and Mutation Buy Back Quads.
[Redacted] Weapons, Runaway Train: Discover powerful [Redacted] Weapons, featuring a bounty of attachments for ultra lethal play. Achieve victory on the Runaway Train.
The DNA Bomb has detonated at the Popov Power Plant, opening new pathways around the point of interest and covering the vicinity in a toxic chemical agent. Exercise caution, though the risk of exposure to the green sludge content much of the vicinity appears to have lessened. You should now focus on getting in close to explore the outcome of this major attack.
It appears the vast power plant has suffered a catastrophic explosion, spilling this chemical agent across a wide area. The gigantic main cooling tower has almost completely collapsed, and the reactor itself has fully ruptured. Exercise extreme caution when investigating this area.
The devastation seems to extend to a number of outbuildings which are currently designated no-go areas. Operators within the vicinity with little regard to safety have reported a new, subterranean network of previously-unknown tunnels has now become accessible. Perhaps answers lie hidden down there?
NEW LIMITED-TIME MODES
MUTATION RESURGENCE QUADS AND BUY BACK QUADS
With normal Resurgence rules, this Mode centers around dropping into the vicinity of the destroyed Popov Power plant. Gain victory by any means necessary, including exposing your Operator to a variety of mutant abilities.
Both Mutation Resurgence and Mutation Buy Back Modes removes all Tacticals and Lethals from ground loot, allowing you to focus on gathering and enhancing your Operator’s DNA to discover a multitude of mutations!
MUTATION POWERS
The following seven mutations can affect your Operator as you engage your opponents in any Mutation-based Call of Duty: Warzone match:
- Bioshield: Creates a protective bubble that blocks incoming damage but allows you to shoot out from within this sphere.
- Divebomb: Rocket into the air, then dive towards a target. On impact any nearby enemies are damaged and pushed back.
- Mutant Leap: Perform a charged jump that covers vast distances.
- Toxic Stim Cloud: Deploy a poisonous cloud that inflicts damage to enemies and boosts your squad mates’ speed for a short duration.
- Sludge Sling: Toss sludge grenades that explode into a toxic gas cloud on impact. The gas slows and damages enemies over time.
- Mutant Cloak: Turn partially invisible for a short time. You leave green footprints while cloaked.
- Mutant Vision: See enemies outlined in red through walls for a short duration.
[REDACTED] WEAPONS
Head into battle with the upper echelon of weaponry through new [Redacted] Weapons found within Loot Hot Zones and Bunkers. These powerful weapons feature more than the traditional five allowed attachments, giving Operators who find them an edge in combat.
RUNAWAY TRAIN PUBLIC EVENT
This Event is currently active in Call of Duty: Warzone, prior to Season 4 Reloaded launch, and continues into the Season. When battling in Urzikstan, each match will have the chance to trigger the Runaway Train Public Event announced around the sixth gas circle. When this occurs, it’s a race for control of the train as the safe zone remains over it until the end of the match. Fight off enemy squads as it careens through the map and achieve victory after taming this mechanical beast!
CALL OF DUTY: WARZONE MOBILE OVERVIEW [WZM]
CONTENT SUMMARY
New Modes. Prepare for a zombie invasion as Zombie Royale arrives in Season 4 Reloaded along with Havoc Resurgence.
New Map Features. Explore graveyards, approach hellish crash sites, and take down undead targets in Verdansk.
A Unified Mid-Season. Share the same Battle Pass, BlackCell, weapon progression, and rewards across all three games alongside Call of Duty: Warzone mobile-specific rewards and events.
The chemical catastrophe has resulted in an onrush of zombies in Call of Duty®: Warzone™ Mobile. Battle your enemies — living and undead — in a new game mode supported with updated map features plus new weekly events, mobile original Store offerings, and more.
ZOMBIE ROYALE (REBIRTH ISLAND, LIMITED-TIME MODE)
You can run but you can’t hide from the undead uprising. The horrifying Zombie Royale experience comes to Battle Royale in the mid-season update. Players who are eliminated will return as zombies to hunt down the remaining humans. Zombies can redeploy as a human by collecting antivirals, dropped by fallen human Operators. The last team standing with a living Operator wins the match.
HAVOC RESURGENCE (REBIRTH ISLAND, LIMITED-TIME MODE)
Resurgence with a twist. As in traditional Resurgence, players must survive for their teammates to redeploy into the match. All Operators will furthermore receive special Havoc Perks in the match that dramatically alter the gameplay experience such as super speed and random killstreaks every three kills. These perks will activate over time, so the longer you survive the more Havoc Perks, up to an extent, you’ll have to use.
NEW MAP FEATURES
VERDANSK MAP UPDATE: ZOMBIE GRAVEYARD & CRASH SITE
The gates of hell have been pried open! There are massive boulders falling out of a mystical portal in the sky, generating new points of interest across the map. Beware of these remnants of an ancient evil. Head through the broken stone gate leading to the graveyard where danger and high-value loot crates await Operators foolish enough to enter.
VERDANSK & REBIRTH ISLAND MAP UPDATE: UNDEAD TARGETS
Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile will synchronize with Modern Warfare III and Call of Duty: Warzone for the Season 4 Reloaded update, sharing the same Battle Pass, BlackCell, weapon progression, and rewards including certain Bundles across all three games.
Look for the new weekly events:Going Viral, Kill Zombies, Tech Control, and Pluck It. Earn Event Points and Undead Badges to use in the Event Store for rewards like the Chuy – Sentinel Rising Operator Skin and the Haymaker – Cortex Crusher Weapon Blueprint.
Get new content specific to mobile with Season 4 Reloaded Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile Original Keeps: Toxic Terror, Hades’ Hand, Circuit Breaker, and Extra Crispy.
GENERAL OVERVIEW [MWIII, MWZ, WZ, WZM]
CONTENT SUMMARY
New Weapons. Choose between two firing modes with the Reclaimer 18 Shotgun and smash heads with the Sledgehammer.
New Store Offerings. Deploy as 8-Bit members of Task Force 141, get crabby with a new Zodiac-themed Bundle, and more.
New Weekly Challenges, Events. Earn new Aftermarket Parts and more via the mid-season Weekly Challenges, and progress through multiple Events.
“A tactical shotgun that can be fired in both pump-action and semi-auto modes. Pump-action provides superior range while semi-auto increases fire rate.”
Supporting two firing modes, the Reclaimer 18 gives Operators the ability to customize their Shotgun experience with the flip of a switch. For precision fights, use pump-action to eliminate enemies from further out; when you need to clear out a group, switch to semi-auto and let loose in close quarters.
Further customize the weapon with incendiary Dragon’s Breath or Slug Ammunition plus Barrel Attachments providing extended range, enhanced recoil control, or speedier handling.
The Reclaimer 18 introduces the new Bugged Out, He’s Looking At You, Azure Refract, and Donut Worry Weapon Camos, accessible by completing Reclaimer 18 specific in-game challenges.
How to Unlock the Base Weapon: Via a new Sector in the Season 4 Battle Pass.
SLEDGEHAMMER (MELEE)
“Smash the competition into the dirt with this sledgehammer melee weapon.”
Bash the competition with this Melee slugger sporting a 20-pound carbon steel head with an assortment of moves including swings, an overhead attack, and a pole butt. Inspect the weapon in-game for a closer look at its lethal properties, then get back to the clobbering.
The Sledgehammer introduces the new Dubs Dubs Dubs Weapon Camo, accessible by completing a Sledgehammer-specific in-game challenge.
How to Unlock the Base Weapon: Via weekly challenges.
NEW STORE OFFERINGS: 8-BIT BLITZ AND MORE
Along with the Cursed Arts Pack, Underworld Morrigan Tracer Pack, TacGas Tracer Pack, and Cyber: Misaki Pack (shown above), you can expect to get retro with 8-Bit versions of Task Force 141 in the Tracer Pack: 8-Bit Blitz Bundle, snap back at your enemies in a new Zodiac-themed Pro Pack, and explore the outer reaches of combat excellence using the pioneering Out of This World Pack.
TRACER PACK: 8-BIT BLITZ
Deploy with pixel-art inspired Operator Skins including “8-Bit” versions of Ghost, Price, Soap, and Farah, perfect for the Bit Party Playlist. Keep your pixel fix going with two Weapon Blueprints featuring red 8-Bit Tracers and red 8-Bit Violence Death Effect: the “Along for the Ride” Striker SMG and the “Concealed Carry” SVA 545 Assault Rifle. Plus, sneak up on your enemies and make them dance with the “Bullet Boogey” Finishing Move.
For your retro makeover, equip the animated “Bitsplosion” Calling Card and “Blasted to Bits” Emblem along with the “Pixel Perfect” Large Decal, “Commander Pixel” Charm, and a 1-hour Double Weapon XP Token.
TRACER PACK: ZODIAC: CANCER PRO PACK
Like the crab, the “Plated Rogue” Operator Skin features a hard outer shell and mandibles curving over the mouth. Take two red zodiac-themed Weapon Blueprints into battle, the “Shell Casing” TAQ Eradicator LMG and the “Ardent Shell” Sidewinder Battle Rifle. Both feature Constellation Tracers and high-capacity magazines for sustained combat operations, including the JAK Thunder LMG Kit Aftermarket Part on the “Ardent Shell.”
Armor up and take no prisoners with the “Crab Attitude” Large Decal, the “Crab Rage” Weapon Sticker, the “Consortium of Crabs” Loading Screen, two additional Loading Screens, and an Emblem. In addition to these in-game items, this Bundle includes 2400 COD Points to spend toward your next Battle Pass or Store purchase!
OUT OF THIS WORLD PACK
Rocket to the moon with the “Spaced Out” Operator Skin for Ripper, featuring an armored space suit with a purple visor and gold trimming. Wield the moon-textured “Rocket” MTZ-762 Battle Rifle Blueprint and prepare for takeoff with the “Decorated” Emblem and the “Blueprint” Calling Card. Boost your progress with a one hour Double Player XP Token, a one hour Double Weapon XP Token, and two Battle Pass Tier Skips.
And don’t miss out on the Tracer Pack: Fallout Vault Dweller and the international football-themed Tournament Favourites Bundles, only available for a limited time alongside an assortment of other great Bundles arriving throughout the mid-season.
NEW WEEKLY CHALLENGES AND EVENTS
Refer to the in-game Weekly Challenges throughout the mid-season to view the remaining rewards arriving in Season 4, including new Aftermarket Parts plus the animated “Helical Reverb” Weapon Camo unlocked for completing all eight Weekly Challenges.
SEASON 4 RELOADED EVENTS
Altered Strain (June 26 to July 24)
Rewards: 19
The strain has mutated! Collect altered DNA samples from fallen foes and caches to earn rewards and unlock effects for Mutation Mode in Modern Warfare III. See the MWIII section of this Blog for more information.
Retro Warfare (June 26 to July 3)
Rewards: 10
Press start to begin the party that is Retro Warfare launching alongside the Bit Party Playlist Modifier and Bitvela map variant! Earn XP to unlock rewards. Equip any of the 8-Bit Operators from the Tracer Pack: 8-Bit Blitz Bundle for a boost.
Vacation Squad (July 3 to July 10)
Rewards: 7
The beach is calling and Task Force 141 is headed off for summer vacation. Complete Event challenges to earn tropical rewards. Don’t forget the sunscreen!
Vortex: Death’s Grip (July 10 to July 24)
Rewards: 10
Death’s grasp has taken over the Vortex. Complete challenges to unlock ghastly rewards. Equip the Horsemen Death Ultra Skin for a boost.
UPGRADE TO MODERN WARFARE III
There’s never been a better time to purchase Modern Warfare III and experience the rapid, fast-action combat Call of Duty is famous for, along with a heart-pounding Campaign and the terrifying open-world Exclusion Zone of Modern Warfare Zombies.
Stay frosty.
Stay tuned to GamingTrend for more Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, Warzone, and Warzone Mobile news and info!
David Burdette is a gamer/writer/content creator from TN and Lead Editor for Gaming Trend. He loves Playstation, Star Wars, Marvel, and many other fandoms. He also plays way too much Call Of Duty. You can chat with him on Twitter @SplitEnd89.
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