Call of Duty: Warzone bids farewell to original Verdansk

This week, the entire Call of Duty: Warzone community witnessed the map where players have spent hundreds of hours battling for survival transform into a nuclear apocalypse. Activision introduced Verdansk 84, a revamped map with new structures, features, and landscapes.

Verdansk 84 is not a temporary alteration of the familiar region, nor is it an optional choice. According to Raven Software, the old Verdansk is now a thing of the past, reserved for nostalgic memories.

Creative Director Amos Hodge explained during the briefing for Warzone’s third season:

Players will never return to modern Verdansk again. For us, this is an excellent opportunity to refresh locations and enhance the quality of gameplay.

For a game like Warzone, a map change of this magnitude is of immense significance. Imagine if classic maps in games like LoL or DOTA 2 underwent a major overhaul just a year or so after release?

It seems that Raven has departed from the model familiar in Apex Legends or PUBG, where changes are minor and new maps rotate with the old ones. Instead, the studio is adopting the Fortnite formula, where the map undergoes constant and permanent changes.

To some extent, it’s a bit nostalgic to bid farewell to the classic Verdansk, which became a familiar and cozy place for millions to spend evenings with friends.