Epic Games brought back Fortnite’s original 2018 map for a limited time in November 2023, and the decision paid significant dividends. Now, it’s clear Warzone players want the same.
Within 90 minutes of the OG season going live, Fortnite set a new all-time peak player record with just under four million users online simultaneously and over 44 million players logged in to play during the map’s release window.
On the other hand, in April 2023, Activision Blizzard’s quarterly report showed that 45 billion monthly users at the end of 2023’s first quarter plummeted to 27 million, thanks in part to Warzone 2 and Overwatch 2 failing to live up to expectations. CoD community members believe Warzone needs to go back to the start to restore its former glory.
Warzone players reminisce about simpler times
Activision remains tight-lipped about the active player count, so it’s nearly impossible to tell how much of an impact MW3’s iteration had on recouping lost fans. Yet, you don’t need data to know that Warzone hasn’t quite been able to reach the same highs it did when everyone was stuck at home in 2020 playing on the battle royale’s original map, Verdansk.
Warzone players look back fondly on that period when the battle royale brought people together and connected them during a difficult time. However, it’s more than that, as the player base has also grown frustrated over the direction of the series, with new innovations frustrating them rather than exciting. Players want Activision to follow the same path as Fortnite, and bring back their favorite map.
“I would pay $1000 for this right now,” one player responded. “No sloppy seizure movement and ridiculous skins.”
Verdansk was removed from the battle royale in 2021 and replaced by Caldera, accompanying CoD Vanguard’s release. The map has been gone for three years, but players still look back at that experience as one of the best in gaming.
“It’s hard to grasp how special this was,” a second user added. “The game had issues, but it felt like a fairly even playing field. It was the most fun I’ve ever had on a game.” Warzone failed to carry that momentum since that peak, as it’s become a challenge to just log in and complete one match for passionate players who used to love the battle royale experience.
Fortunately for those disgruntled fans, they can experience their favorite map again, but not in the format they expected. Verdansk is set to be the primary map for Warzone Mobile, which is scheduled to release in Spring 2024.
And hope hasn’t been lost for a complete Verdansk return, as a leak revealed that the iconic map will be a part of CoD 2024.
