Call of Duty: Warzone represents a number of firsts for publisher Activision. It’s the first entirely free-to-play mode in series history, and it’s the first to be supported alongside future core titles. Activision’s intention to carry Warzone forward alongside the standard, yearly Call of Duty games was communicated through the mode’s very name, which doesn’t tie it into any one game. Though the plan is to keep it fresh for years to come, that process hasn’t been quite nailed down yet. “We’re in kind of uncharted territories here,” admits Taylor Kurosaki, Infinity Ward’s narrative director to Gamergen. “Call of Duty has been on a very regular cadence for many many years, and Warzone has made us rethink exactly how best to release new content and how to integrate it.” “Warzone will be the through line that connects all of the different various sub-franchises of Call of Duty. It’s going to be really cool to see how the different sub-franchises sort of come in and out of focus, but Warzone will be the one constant,” Kurosaki confirmed.
This makes a lot of sense, so it’s really no surprise to learn, given Activision’s long-term commitment to Warzone, that next-gen consoles PS5 and Xbox Series X will be supported. “I know that our plan is Warzone is going to be around for quite some time, so as soon as those new systems are out and available I’m sure we’ll support them,” added Kurosaki. Warzone’s most recent patch introduced the Most Wanted Contract, which survived only a day before Infinity Ward had to remove it and bring back Bounty Contracts after player outcry. Rotating game modes and loot items is another area Kurosaki says is based on player feedback, as the team larger Warzone team continues to try and find a good cadence.
