Last week, Activision and Infinity Ward held the Call of Duty Next Showcase. Filled with big reveals and riveting deep dives, the team pulled back the curtain on what fans can expect from Modern Warfare II and Warzone in a big way.
You can check out the full Call of Duty Next Showcase event for yourself below. However, if you don’t have five spare hours to watch it, we’ve got some highlights for you to read up on.
The Battle Royale Gets Bigger with Warzone 2
We’ve already speculated what Warzone 2 could have in store for us and now we have our answers. The Next Showcase confirmed it would launch November 16th 2022 and be free-to-play like its predecessor. Warzone 2.0, which is what Activision is calling it, has been built with next-gen hardware for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S players. It will still be available on Xbox One and PS4 however.
As well as launching with a new, large desert themed map called Al Mazrah, Warzone 2.0 will share progression and seasons with Modern Warfare II. New gameplay features include vehicles running out of fuel and their tires being shootable, a new gulag area for you to go to upon dying where you and another player will team up and fight another pair for a chance to rejoin the fray, and matches hosting 120 characters with no bots. That’s a lot of players to kill.
The most interesting reveal the Next Showcase made is the changes Warzone 2.0 is making to the battle royale formula. Players will be split up into multiple circles at the start of a match, keeping everyone separated for longer. Eventually, these circles will converge for a more traditional battle royale finale.
Next Showcase Sheds More Light on Modern Warfare II
The fan favourite mode Spec-Ops is returning in Modern Warfare II. Last seen in 2019’s Modern Warfare and commonplace in older CoD titles, team up with another player for some co-op experiences. You’ll dive into enemy-infested hot zones to complete objectives that the developers are staying tight-lipped on for now. You won’t have to wait long to learn, as this mode will be available when Modern Warfare II launches October 28th 2022.
A brand-new gameplay mode revealed at the Next Showcase appears to be raids. Taking cues from Destiny, another Activision IP, Modern Warfare II’s raids will be a three-player experience that handles similarly to those Guardians have been embarking on for years. Again, the team was mum on further details, other than the fact they won’t be released until after the game’s October launch.
Get in on the Call of Duty MW2 Beta
Lastly, Infinity Ward touched base on when players can get their first taste of the game with the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II beta. Right now, as it turns out! PlayStation players who have pre-ordered the game got access on September 16th, while all PS4 and PS5 gamers could jump on from September 18th. Xbox and PC owners can jump in from September 22nd if they have a pre-order, with the beta opening for everyone from September 24th.
As well as the expected 6v6 mode, the beta also includes the 32v32 Ground War mode. Four maps will be available, with one to be shared between Ground War and Invasion, and the other three to the remaining modes.
Ready to be Deployed?
Want to make sure you’re ready for the next generation of Call of Duty games? We have everything you need here at Overclockers UK! From gaming PCs perfect for playing and streaming to exceptional peripherals that’ll make you feel like an esports pro, check out our top hardware picks.
Refract Gaming Azure (FS-1DP-EP)
Do you need a fresh gaming PC to plug-in and play Modern Warfare II? The Refract Gaming Azure is a perfect pre-built system for the upcoming Call of Duty titles. It comes with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti GPU, armed with Ada Lovelace architecture. That means this graphics card delivers a plethora of gaming-enhancing features for you to take advantage of. Enjoy the power offered by the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D CPU and 32GB DDR5 RAM as you play. Plus, all Refract Gaming PCs come with three years parts and labour warranty as standard.
Glorious Model O Wireless RGB Gaming Mouse (GLO-MS-OW-MB)
Need a wireless gaming mouse with adjustable DPI to match your playstyle? The Glorious Model O supports a maximum DPI of 19,000 in its eye-catching, RGB illuminated design. With its honeycomb surface providing strength, comfort, and plenty of style, this is a great choice if you want a setup that makes a statement. As well as black, this gaming mouse is also available in matte white. Not sure if wired or wireless is for you? Read our breakdown to help pick your side.
Refract Gaming Indigo (FS-1DN-EP)
Need a powerhouse gaming PC that’s perfect for playing and streaming MW2 and Warzone 2.0? The Refract Gaming Indigo has been designed by our team of experts using cherry-picked hardware. They’ve built a premium purple gaming PC that can shoulder everything you can throw at it. It has a mighty AMD Ryzen 9 7900X3D CPU as well as lightning-fast 32GB DDR5 RAM. You can stream in glorious 4K resolution thanks to the powerful NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 graphics card.
PC specs are subject to change.
- 5 min read
Jacob Smith
Author
Jacob is a passionate gamer, plus a noted Pokemon and LEGO nutjob, who emerges only when doing the words here at Overclockers UK. Since starting at the tail end of 2021, Jacob has gone on to write dozens of blogs on everything from the latest games to whimsical Dickens-inspired poetry. Outside of creating content and being the one person in the office daring to champion Nintendo, he is often found fawning over his Pokemon card collection and his trio of lovely doggos.
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