Yeah, we’re only a month away from the Modern Warfare II beta, and with recent leaks Warzone 2 might be closer than we think. But that doesn’t mean Vanguard and Warzone are finished. With the roadmap revealed today, we have plenty of new content dropping in both, and you’ll be able to check it all out on August 24th. Get ready for Season 5: Last Stand. All the deets are below from the Call Of Duty blog.
Legends Never Die — Introducing Last Stand
Everything good must come to an end… but bad is forever. Launching August 24, Last Stand gathers Call of Duty’s most notorious villains for an epic finale, crammed with masses of free content for both Vanguard and Warzone. Deploy as one of four of the biggest villains in Call of Duty history — the charismatic Raul Menendez, the ruthless Khaled Al-Asad, the brainwashed Gabriel T. Rorke, and the merciless He “Seraph” Zhen-Zhen. They’re hell-bent on revenge — if it’s the last thing they do.
Last Stand is bringing major updates to all three gaming experiences. In Warzone, Caldera’s Peak is ready to rumble — will you wreak havoc or defend the island from sabotage? In Multiplayer, deploy to two new fast-paced maps, Beheaded and Fortress. In Zombies, continue the Dark Aether saga and face off against Kortifex the Deathless in Vanguard’s round-based finale, “The Archon.”
Season Five, the final season of content for Vanguard, goes live on August 24, following an update to Vanguard at 9 AM PT on August 23 and a Warzone update at 9 AM PT on August 24.
WARZONE OVERVIEW
- Volcanic Activity at Caldera. Ominous seismic activity is occurring at the Peak. Avoid the lava flowing at your feet and watch for molten rocks shooting sky-high and back down to earth again.
- New Caldera Gulag, Lighting Changes. Get back into the match with the new volcanic-themed Gulag inspired by an old favorite. Plus, experience new skies and lighting updates across Caldera and Rebirth Island.
- New Tools and Opportunities. Trigger the Doomsday Station and defend your position to earn a unique cosmetic reward along with powerful in-game items. Up your game with the Supply Box UAV, Personal Supply Box, and Rage Serum.
- Defend or Sabotage Caldera. Compete in the limited-time mode, Operation: Last Call, inspired by Search and Destroy, featuring different outcomes based on your match results. Choose your side in the Heroes vs. Villains Community Event and earn rewards for participating.
Caldera’s Fate Lies in Your Hands
Legendary villains seek to sabotage Caldera. Will you aid them or defend the island? A big thanks goes out to Beenox for the Peak updates, Operation: Last Call, and the Heroes vs. Villains Community Event, and to our friends at Toys for Bob for developing the Rage Serum.
Peak — Volcanic POI Expansion
Heightened volcanic activity has been recorded at Caldera, with a major geological event occurring with the launch of Season Five. Battle around a transformed Peak as lava runs down the mountainside in all modes and shoots out over the island during Operation: Last Call.
New Caldera Gulag
Fight for redeployment in the new volcanic-themed Gulag. Best your opponent in this new face-off pit inspired by an old favorite and get another shot at securing victory.
New Weather and Lighting Changes
The storm has cleared on Caldera, the sunlight peeking through the volcano’s billowing smoke. Rebirth Island sees new lighting changes as well, featuring a warm and lush sunset casting a vibrant hue over the map.
New Items and Tactical Opportunities
Doomsday Station
Discover this seismic device found within Caldera’s primary Battle Royale game mode. Trigger the device and enemy helicopters arrive to surround the station, deploying enemy soldiers to attack your position. Remain close to the Doomsday Station and defend yourself for a chance at earning powerful items and a unique Watch cosmetic for your Operator.
Only one Doomsday Station will appear per match, with multiple possible spawn locations. Pay the required $10,000 to activate it and prepare for a thunderous fight.
Supply Box UAV
Activate the new Supply Box UAV Killstreak for assistance in tracking down more items. It will mark nearby unopened Supply Boxes on the player’s Tac Map for around 15 seconds. Find the Supply Box UAV in Supply Boxes or purchase one at a Buy Station.
Personal Supply Box
Track down this extremely rare crate with the assistance of the Supply Box UAV to acquire your favorite Loadout weapons in Warzone. Each squad member gets a huge XP boost as well.
Rage Serum
While engaged in a multitude of nefarious activities at the Doomsday Station, forces aligned with Raul Menendez appear to have discovered a new mineral at the core of Caldera. This mineral, when combined with additional chemicals and distilled, increases the volatility of those who inject it. Known as the Rage Serum, Recon Operators have reported small crates of Serum being shipped around the island.
This Field Upgrade allows you to become violently unstable, resulting in a viciously effective boost to your close-quarters fighting. Test subjects were shown to have superior melee damage, increased lunge distance, and enhanced stun power while fighting with melee weapons or fists. However, defensive forces have confirmed that while affected by Rage Serum, an Operator becomes louder, and seems to recoil with more confusion while stunned or flashed.
New Mode — Operation: Last Call
Operation: Last Call (Launch)
Cool things off or cause mayhem! In this limited-time mode inspired by Search and Destroy, you can choose to defend Caldera by defusing bombs around the island, or sabotage it by detonating the explosives at designated bomb sites. Witness two different outcomes, depending on your performance and your intent to cause chaos!
Lava Rock
Look above and look out — Lava Rocks are crashing into Caldera, and no one is safe from their volcanic fumes. Stay out of the landing zone to survive in this public event within Operation: Last Call. Check the Volcano Meter for a visual representation of current activity, also indicated by the increasingly smoky atmosphere throughout the match.
New Seasonal Event: Heroes vs. Villains
It’s Heroes vs. Villains in this new Community Event. Choose your side and lead them to victory. Collect Villain or Hero Tokens in all game modes by eliminating opponents and scavenging Supply Boxes, then enjoy a discount for Faction Bundles at the Buy Station. Any time you purchase a Faction Bundle, you’ll get a discount on one other item across all Buy Stations.
The winning team’s unique Weapon Blueprint will be given to everyone following the event. Players also have the chance to earn other exclusive rewards like the Legendary animated “One vs. One” Calling Card, the Hero’s or Villain’s Weapon Charm, the “Conflict Spike” Melee Weapon Blueprint, the “Time Duality” Watch, and more.
More on the Way — The Midseason Update
Caldera continues to rock with another limited-time mode, but don’t expect a full volcanic eruption. Deploy to Rebirth Island in Resurgence Supreme mode, where squads of four drop in with the best weapons and with respawning enabled; earn the best prizes for winning the match with over 15 eliminations. Watch for Patch Notes to come from Raven Software, detailing all changes and feature additions coming in Season Five.
VANGUARD OVERVIEW
- New Maps: Beheaded, Fortress. Take up position inside Lady Liberty’s head in the small post-apocalyptic New York City landscape of Beheaded, and battle in a desert graveyard featuring the remains of old ships in Fortress.
- Round-Based Zombies Finale: “The Archon.” The epic conclusion of Vanguard Zombies is here in the latest round-based experience featuring a familiar hunting ground, new narrative quest and side quests, new Dark Aether story revelations, and the final showdown with Kortifex the Deathless himself.
Maps: Beheaded at Launch, Fortress In-Season
Last Stand adds two new Vanguard Multiplayer maps to test your every skill. Glimpse a dystopian Times Square and battle in and among nautical remains in a desert landscape.
Beheaded (Launch)
Navigate a war-torn Times Square in this post-apocalyptic small map, built for fast action. Battle under the neon lights outside famed Big Apple establishments, or take up position in Lady Liberty’s fallen head, race through her arms, and dash through the subway to flank your enemies.
Fortress (In-Season)
Deploy to the Mediterranean in this medium-sized map featuring close-quarters interiors with rooftop access that grant you power positions. Fight in a maritime graveyard, where ship remains litter the desert landscape. The eponymous fortress incorporates an old ship into its own design, creating a varied landscape to be exploited by savvy Operators.
New Round-Based Zombies Experience: “The Archon”
From a cursed desert battlefield to the heart of the Dark Aether: pass the Trials, confront the Construct, and defeat the Archon in the epic conclusion of Vanguard Zombies.
The Final Battle Approaches: Get ready to return to Egypt and take on new quests in the finale of Vanguard Zombies following the tragic secrets unearthed at “Shi No Numa.” Gather crucial Intel, survive round after round of the undead, and face off against Kortifex the Deathless within the Dark Aether itself. You’ll need every advantage you can get, so be sure to hit up the Perk Fountains, Altar of Covenants, Tome of Rituals, and the Pack-a-Punch machine and prepare for a larger-than-life final battle.
Watch for more info from Treyarch on what’s to come in this final season, including the launch date and time for the Main Quest, details on new buffs and gameplay improvements, new Zombies Challenges with unique Calling Card rewards, new Battle Pass weapon support, additional weapon unlock challenges to tackle, and more.
New Ranked Season and Rewards
Stretch your competitive skills by competing in 4v4 matches using the same settings, maps, and modes as the 2022 Call of Duty League.
Earn unique Ranked Play rewards for securing wins and top placements against other players in the new season. These latest competitive rewards will include exclusive new Camos, Charms, Emblems, and Weapon Blueprints to bring into your loadouts in Ranked Play, Multiplayer, and Zombies. Fight for your spot on the Ladder as you restart your climb to the top, as all players’ Skill Ratings and Skill Divisions will refresh for Last Stand.
In addition, Treyarch will launch the new season’s Top 250 Skill Division and Leaderboard on August 31 to show the world who’s the best of the best. Mark your calendars and get ready to flex.
VANGUARD AND WARZONE OVERVIEW
- Equip Five New Weapons. Blast enemies with the prototype Energy Rifle, EX1, and get mobile with the lightweight RA 225 SMG. Add three other armaments throughout the season: the Valois Revolver plus the BP50 and Lienna 58 Assault Rifles.
- Introducing Task Force Tyrants. Play as four of the most infamous villains across Call of Duty, ready for deployment within Task Force Tyrants.
Five New Weapons, Two in Battle Pass
Rush into battle with confidence using these new Loadout armaments obtainable throughout Season Five.
EX1 (Launch)
“A prototype energy rifle effective at long range and highly customizable.”
This prototype Energy Rifle leaves behind traditional ballistics in favor of a customizable battery system used to power its attacks. Effective at long range, the weapon requires a cooling off period after depleting its charge capacity. You don’t have to worry about running out of ammo, but get caught during the reload and you’re in trouble.
Equip the Heat Muzzle for extra charge capacity, insert a new Battery, and transform the EX1’s capabilities with the Burst Barrel or Charge Sniper Barrel. Its Gunsmith potential is impressive, with options for every scenario.
RA 225 (Launch)
“This SMG has a high fire rate and a very mobile compact frame.”
This lightweight SMG boasts a fast fire rate and quick handling, perfect for shredding enemies in close to midrange battles — if you can manage its upward kick. It’s great for objective play in tight areas, though you may want to pair it with a heavier-damage-dealing weapon when more firepower is needed.
It’s highly customizable via Gunsmith, too, with options for greater power, handling, and accuracy. Find the right balance and soon you’ll never want to be without this blazing SMG. However, keep your eyes out for extra ammo —you’ll need it.
Valois Revolver (Launch Window)
“A combination knife and revolver that acts as both a lethal melee weapon and a pistol.”
This rare weapon is a villain’s dream, capable of landing one-hit Melee eliminations while also holding six rounds in the chamber for extra versatility. Its damage isn’t remarkable, but it’ll do the job against a fleeing or damaged opponent.
Operators can obtain the Valois Revolver by purchasing it in a Bundle, available in Season Five, or by completing one of two in-game challenges:
- In Multiplayer, get 15 Melee Kills. Hint: Take your Melee weapon of choice into Beheaded, a great map for closing the gap to your opponent.
- In Zombies, get 1,000 Eliminations using Pistols that have been Pack-a-Punched. Hint: A straightforward challenge perfectly fit for the new round-based Zombies experience, “The Archon.” Get your points and hit that Pack-a-Punch early.
Midseason Armaments
Earn two more weapons launching in the midseason update, the BP50 and the Lienna 57 Assault Rifles. That’s a total of five new weapons arriving in Last Stand, perfect for carrying out all of your villainous deeds.
New Operators — Raul Menendez, Khaled Al-Asad, and More Villains
Deploy as four of Call of Duty’s most infamous antagonists as part of Special Operations Task Force Tyrants.
Raul Menendez (Launch)
Raul Menendez was born in Nicaragua, where his childhood was clouded by the brutal revolution of US-backed Contras. His father founded the Menendez Cartel and was assassinated by the CIA at the height of his power, leaving Raul in charge. But it was the death of his sister Josephina that focused his rage, driving him to become a hostile political activist. His charisma and ruthlessness propelled him to leadership of the social movement turned terrorist organization, Cordis Die.
First appearing in Call of Duty®: Black Ops II, Menendez orchestrated a cyberattack against automated drones, turning them against major cities across the United States and China. Now, you can harness his wrath against your enemies as part of Task Force Tyrants.
Khaled Al-Asad (Launch)
Khaled Al-Asad grew up in Urzikstan amid political strife. He was drawn to the words of Omar Sulaman and joined the Al-Qatala terrorist group. He was imprisoned but escaped after Sulaman’s death to take control of Al-Qatala. His leadership transformed the militants into an army as he acquired an arsenal for the invasion of Verdansk. Committed to the demise of Western power, Al-Asad launched gas attacks in Verdansk, breaking a fragile armistice between nations.
A Middle Eastern warlord and key antagonist throughout the Modern Warfare® series, Al-Asad is the second of “The Four Horsemen,” outranked only by Vladimir Makarov himself.
Gabriel T. Rorke (In-Season)
Gabriel Rorke graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and became a captain in the Marines. During an assassination mission in Caracas, Venezuela, Rorke braved the flooding city to locate and kill General Diego Almagro, leader of the Federation. During the chaos of his squad’s extraction, Rorke was left behind. He was found by the Federation, who brainwashed away his loyalties, turning him into a man with an undying vendetta against his own.
The main antagonist of Call of Duty®: Ghosts, Rorke formerly led the Ghosts before being turned against them, paving the way for the Federation’s occupation of the United States.
He “Seraph” Zhen-Zhen (In-Season)
Seraph grew up in the Singapore Quarantine Zone as the daughter of a high-ranking officer in the 54 Immortals. She honored her lineage and excelled within the syndicate, becoming its youngest-ever enforcer. She is a living embodiment of the 54I’s will, strictly quelling dissent within its ranks while projecting the syndicate’s force and ambition wherever it’s needed. Her dedication and skills are unmatched, as she proved when she willingly offered her own arm in return for the honor of receiving a cybernetic limb from the 54I.
Seraph first appeared in Call of Duty®: Black Ops III as a playable Specialist. She is utterly devoted to furthering her father’s legacy by promoting the 54 Immortals’ objectives.
Last Stand Launches August 24
A little evil never hurt anyone. Be a hero… or become a villain in Vanguard’s final season. Featuring major updates across Warzone, Multiplayer, and Zombies, Last Stand promises an epic experience however you play.
Check back at the Call of Duty blog for additional intel on Last Stand, including a full rundown of the Season Five Battle Pass, Task Force Tyrants, and more. Expect new quality of life improvements to be detailed by Raven Software in the patch notes.
Rise on every front.
Stay tuned to Gaming Trend for more Call Of Duty news, info, videos, and more, and we’ll do our best to bring you content here and on our YouTube channel! If you want to jump into the game, check out CallOfDuty.com, and if you want to know more about it first, check out our review right here.
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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