The second season of Call of Duty is finally set to arrive. The latest announcement from the game developers includes quite a lot of information to digest.
Gamelevate has split the contents of the announcement into two separate articles for ease of use. This article focuses on the announcement for Call of Duty Vanguard. Some of the content in these articles relates to items and gameplay available for both titles. The Vanguard release notes are as follows:
Vanguard MultiPlayer
- Prove yourself in Ranked Play. Launching alongside the 2022 Call of Duty League season, expect to begin your Ranked journey and play like the pros.
- Two new Multiplayer maps. Duck through the busy streets of Casablanca or partake in some ski-shooting in Gondola, two midsized maps ready to be mastered.
- Free Perks, Killstreak, and Equipment in Battle Pass. Prepare to switch up those Loadouts and shoot for a 12-Killstreak — the Season Two Battle Pass is stocked with free Multiplayer content for all to use.
Ranked Play Beta Kicks Off During Call of Duty League Season
Recently, Toronto Ultra bested 11 other elite professional squads at the Call of Duty League’s Kickoff Classic.
As the league continues its regular 2022 season schedule following an exciting Opening Weekend, Vanguard will offer a bespoke Multiplayer Ranked Play mode (launching in Beta at the start of Season Two) featuring league-approved rules, visible Skill Ratings, and new competitive rewards among other innovations from Treyarch and Sledgehammer Games.
Stay tuned later this week for more information about this fourth pillar of Vanguard in a dedicated broadcast from the Call of Duty League and Treyarch.
Two New Core Maps: Explore Casablanca, Watch Your Step on Gondola
From North African deserts to the European mountains, Season Two is serving up two traditional Multiplayer maps at launch, as well as the largest locale in Vanguard yet during the season.
Casablanca (Launch)
A shining jewel of Morocco, Casablanca is a medium-sized, three-lane-style map within a bustling marketplace. With several buildings to explore and climb upon, expect a variety of vertical engagements that invite a variety of close- to long-range tactics.
Gondola (Launch)
Don’t look down on this medium-sized, three-lane-style map. Take a trip on the Gondola to travel above a large gulch and fire watchtower, but hop off before it rides off the cliff! Operators can also take advantage of the long sightline this gondola route provides, or head through the power plant and caves for more close-quarters battle.
Two Perks, Lethal Grenade, and Killstreak — Free in Battle Pass
Some free rewards are just too good to keep under wraps until the dedicated Battle Pass blog dropping in this channel in the next few days.
Ball Turret Gunner — Killstreak
Call of Duty®: WWII fans know the Ball Turret’s power well.
Beginning the Season Two Battle Pass with a bang — or multiple across 30 seconds — the Ball Turret Gunner can be activated after achieving a 12 Killstreak.
This Killstreak is hard to earn but rewarding to use, so prepare for potential carnage if you place it within one of three available slots.
Sticky Bomb— Lethal Equipment
A familiar sight for veteran players, the Sticky Bomb is a direct rival to the Frag Grenade and Gammon Bomb as a throwable explosive equipment piece.
Consider it the perfect choice for those stuck between a Frag and a Gammon Bomb.
Armory — Perk 1
A direct counter-Perk to Engineer, Armory is ideal for Operators who use more than just their weaponry in combat, namely placeable Demolition Charges, concussion mines, and placeable Field Equipment pieces.
Mechanic — Perk 3
Mechanic provides a reasonable buff to Field Upgrade charge time, making it a must-have for completing challenges related to them or for Operators who love using them.
Celebrate Valentine’s Day in Vanguard
Don’t have an IRL Duo for Season Two launch day? Vanguard will feature a Valentine’s Day themed experience with some Double XP opportunities and thematic changes for dropping in around this time.
No love is needed to enjoy it; just invite some friends and prepare to fight for a true King of Hearts.
Coming in Season: Arms Race and Vehicles — Launch Patch Notes to Drop in the Coming Days
An Arms Race with Armored War Machines is bigger than infantry combat — it’s piloting Motorcycles, Squad Transport Vehicles, and Tanks en route to destroying enemy bases.
This and other features are expected to arrive during Season Two. Sledgehammer Games will release their initial Patch Notes next week, including weapon balance changes.
VANGUARD ZOMBIES
- Dimensions shift and the Dark Aether opens. The undead assault heats up in Egypt’s Eastern Desert, where a portal to the Dark Aether opens alongside other new arenas…
- A new Artifact gives you strength to conquer the Deceiver. Vercanna the Last joins the fight to tend to your squad’s wounds with Healing Aura… and aid against the three-faced Zaballa the Deceiver.
- Wonder Weapons to aid with new Objective & Story Quest. Wield the Ray Gun and Decimator Shield alongside new armaments as you partake in Sacrifice and uncover the secret to defeating Kortifex.
New Hub Map and Arenas — “Terra Maledicta”
“Der Anfang” was only the beginning. As the undead army prepares to invade a new front, Krafft and company take the fight to Von List in “Terra Maledicta,” a new Zombies experience set in Egypt’s Eastern Desert and abroad.
Gateways to new arenas will open, including the Dark Aether itself in an entirely new location for Vanguard Zombies. Professor Krafft and his Special Forces fighters have established a “beachhead” within the Dark Aether in the fight against Von List, where they’ll risk everything to obtain a lost page from the Tome of Rituals.
New Ally and Foe: Vercanna the Last and Zaballa the Deceiver
The Dark Aether entities continue a supernatural war through the mortal world as a new ally appears and a powerful enemy makes her presence known.
New Artifact Power from Vercanna the Last: Healing Aura
Vercanna the Last is the latest Dark Aether entity to lend her powers to the battle against Von List and Kortifex. A newcomer to our world, Vercanna seeks revenge on Kortifex for wiping out her entire clan. She is the Last of her kind, and joins Krafft’s allies at a crucial moment in the war on the undead.
Her elemental command of Life Energy through her Artifact, the Wand of the Wilds, grants the player the Healing Aura ability that can be crucial in combat. By default, activating her Artifact will send beams of light down on all Operators, instantly bringing them back to full health.
Healing Aura’s base ability and upgrade tiers include:
- Tier I (Base): The Wand of the Wilds summons Vercanna’s Life Energy to instantly heal yourself and allies to full health.
- Tier II: Knock down normal enemies and stun Special enemies near each player.
- Tier III: Revive all downed allies.
- Tier IV: Revived allies have their lost Perks returned.
- Tier V: The Life Energy persists at each player’s location for 10 seconds and continues to heal and revive players.
Zaballa the Deceiver — A Cunning and Shifty Trickster
Those brave enough to survive in “Der Anfang” or “Terra Maledicta” for multiple rounds will come across Zaballa the Deceiver, a powerful enforcer from the Dark Aether unleashed upon the world by Kortifex. For thousands of years, she served Kortifex as one of his “Sisters of Agony,” and her deep history with the existing Dark Aether entities means they all have scores to settle with her.
A chaotic evil charlatan with a devious sense of humor, Zaballa’s true face hides behind three masks. These give her the strength to hover away from Operators, striking beneath the surface with electrical eruptions at a moment’s notice.
Although she is resistant to many forms of attack, that which gives her energy could also be her greatest weakness…
Wonder Weapons Return, Both Old and New
Our Special Forces Operators already have access to dozens of ballistic-based weapons, as well as some melee tools, to fend off the undead. But in Season Two, the four new weapons across Vanguard and Warzone are just the beginning of what Zombies fans can expect in their arsenals.
Through a bit of exploration, elite skill, and perhaps some divine intervention, Operators can wield two Wonder Weapons: energy-based arms with mysterious origins and herculean effects in battle.
Explore “Terra Maledicta” to discover the Decimator Shield, an all-new Wonder Weapon offering superior protection and the mighty Decimation Blast ability. With a unique personality of its own, the Decimator is only too happy to help Krafft’s freedom fighters take down Von List’s undead army.
The other Wonder Weapon is one that veterans will be familiar with: the classic Ray Gun returns to Zombies! The gold — or rather, bright red — standard for Wonder Weapons since Call of Duty®: World at War, the Ray Gun fires circular enemy beams that can tear zombies apart in just one shot. Look for it in the Mystery Box, or as a lucky loot drop during a match.
New Sacrifice Objective, Story Quest, and Side Easter Eggs
Vanguard Zombies’ sixth Objective calls upon players to disrupt a gruesome Dark Aether blood-magic ceremony. Grotesque structures known as Syphoncores will suck the essence out of the surrounding undead. Once they feed, the Syphoncores will spawn more zombies than they consumed, unleashing the horde upon the world. Prevent the zombies from filling all three, and the dark ceremony will be thwarted.
“Terra Maledicta” also presents players with a special Story Quest that introduces Vercanna the Last to the action and gives players access to the mighty Decimator Shield. A series of special tasks and narrative revelations will advance the Dark Aether saga, as players search for a missing page from the Tome of Rituals that may be the key to defeating Von List and Kortifex.
In addition, side Easter Eggs are returning in Vanguard Zombies, this time inspired by the classic “Origins” map from Black Ops II. Pick up a shovel and find loot hidden throughout the Eastern Desert, and dig even deeper to uncover all the secrets “Terra Maledicta” has to offer.
New Covenant: Artifact Ward
A new ability joins the Altar of Covenants with three tiers of rarity. Equip Artifact Ward for a chance to trigger your Artifact for free when hit by a melee attack from the rear, which can come in clutch when your squad’s in trouble during higher rounds.
Artifact Ward’s three rarities are as follows:
- Rare: Being hit by a melee attack on the back has a chance to trigger your Artifact
- Epic: Being hit by a melee attack on the back has a higher chance to trigger your Artifact.
- Legendary: Being hit by a melee attack anywhere has a higher chance to trigger your Artifact.
VANGUARD AND WARZONE OVERVIEW
- S.O.T.F. 007 reports for duty. Task Force Yeti is the first line of defense against Nebula V. Start Season Two strong with Anna Drake, available in the Battle Pass.
- Four New Weapons. Two midrange tools can be found in the Battle Pass, while the Ice Axe and a hard-hitting SMG are slated to drop during the season.
Introducing S.O.T.F. Yeti — Three New Operators Available in Battle Pass and Bundles During Season Two
An elite trio who joined Butcher in a high-risk — and even higher-altitude — raid for Nebula V, Task Force Yeti is the seventh Special Operations group out of Vanguard’s forerunners for tactical warfare.
Each brings its own favored weapon and background to the front lines, with Austrian assaulter Anna Drake leading the pack via Season Two’s Battle Pass.
Anna Drake (Launch)
This soldier takes justice into her own hands.
Anna fights for vengeance and plans to release her fury on those who murdered all she loved. She protects the vulnerable, taking on their trauma to fuel and direct her rage.
Her expertise in the Alps is built on years of hunting and defending her people, making her a prime leader for Butcher’s latest task force.
Thomas Bolt (In-Season)
He would rather live in the past than the present and insist that everyone else should do the same.
Thomas Bolt is a strict man with a passion for following the rules and serving his country.
He believes he’s fighting for a better world, and underneath his hard exterior, he’s promised himself he’ll finally get married after the war.
A true gunner who saw action in both World Wars, Thomas is not afraid to dig his heels into the harsh winter ground and rid the world of evil one last time.
Gustavo Dos Santos (In-Season)
After receiving confidential intelligence about Germany’s plans for Brazil from members of the resistance, Gustavo returned home to protect his family and deliver this intelligence.
He was then immediately conscripted into the Brazilian Expeditionary Force — “the Smoking Cobras” — leading his unit in taking Monte Castello and breaking the last German line in Northern Italy.
As part of Task Force Yeti, Gustavo is unafraid to engage up close, with his preferred weapon being an SMG he grew attached to while performing his World War II heroics.
Four New Weapons
Operators will get their hands on several classic armaments to bolster their Loadouts across Multiplayer, Zombies, and Warzone.
Unlock the KG M40 Assault Rifle and Whitley LMG on day one through the Battle Pass; then prepare to add the Ice Axe and a prototypical SMG as you settle into Season Two.
KG M40: Assault Rifle (Launch)
“Workhorse assault rifle, naturally steady and accurate.”
Adopted across several Scandinavian armies during the war, and also the preferred weapon of Anna Drake, the KG M40 is a high-caliber fully automatic weapon that rivals the first three Assault Rifles unlocked in Vanguard.
Boasting the second highest damage per shot in its category, a similar effective range to the NZ-41, and a fire rate above 600 RPM, this weapon can be a strong contender in mid- to long-distance engagements. Its strengths can be fully unlocked when an Operator can control its recoil, a mix of horizontal and vertical kicks like the Cooper Carbine, but with slightly better centering speed.
Whitley: LMG (Launch)
“Heavy long-range machine gun, cumbersome but consistent.”
The Whitley represents one of the first machine guns ever used in warfare, rivaling its Battle Pass brother for a strong mid- to long-range tool across all three game modes.
Despite its age, this LMG is highly customizable, and even in its base form provides a niche role with the best damage per shot compared to its four Vanguard competitors.
This weapon may have great potential across Vanguard and Warzone, but if you have skills like Thomas Bolt, the Whitley may soon become your favored weapon.
Ice Axe (In-Season)
A handy climbing implement that has combat use as both a melee or thrown weapon.
In the Alps, an Ice Axe is sharp enough to stick through rocky mountainsides or a hard target.
This strong melee tool is fit for snowy conditions, although it is deadly enough to be a one-hit kill no matter where in the world it is swung.
Armaguerra 43: SMG (In-Season)
Very high rate-of-fire SMG. Effective at short to medium range engagements.
Only produced in small quantities, this advanced submachine gun gave insight into how modern CQB armaments could function, even though its design was never built upon in the decades to follow.
Due to its prototypical nature, more research is needed on its available attachments and effectiveness in live-fire scenarios.
The Armaguerra 43 can be unlocked in one of two ways: through an SMG-based challenge or via Store Bundle to be released later this season, which features a Weapon Blueprint from this weapon’s family.
Stay Tuned for Battle Pass Intel, Guides, and More
This is only the beginning of what’s in store for Season Two.
