Return to Verdansk, OG weapons, and more

A new season for Warzone is almost here, and it will be accompanied by the long-awaited map, Verdansk. The upcoming version of the map will feature much better visuals and in-game improvements as it has been rebuilt from scratch with minor changes to the original iteration of Verdansk.

The OG Warzone map will be making a return along with a variety of classic weapons from the early days of the game. There will also be changes to the loot system available across the map.

Here’s everything there is to know about the upcoming Black Ops season three update in Warzone.

Warzone season 3 patch notes

Apart from the return of Verdansk, the season three update will feature a whole bunch of additions and returning features to Warzone. All these changes and additions will provide a fresh in-game experience along with a shift to the meta.

Here are all the upcoming changes and additions to Warzone with season three.

Welcome home: Verdansk

Verdansk is finally returning to Warzone after a long hiatus, and obviously, there will be quite a few changes across the beloved map. Although Ranked Play will be unavailable until the release of season three Reloaded in May, you can still test out the new iteration of Verdansk with the 150-player battle royale modes. You can also experience the map in Plunder and Warzone Bootcamp game modes.

While the new rendition of the map retains most of its original features, you will still be able to spot slight changes made with the goal of an overall better gameplay performance. The map has also retained its original announcer, opening cinematics, and the ability to shoot while diving from the plane.

Return to Verdansk

The Return to Verdansk event in Warzone season three will feature a whole bunch of rewards for you to claim simply by jumping back into the returning map. While some of these rewards are available as soon as you dive into the map, you will have to complete certain in-game challenges to unlock and claim the rest of them.

Weapon balancing changes

Like every new season in Warzone, season three will also feature a whole bunch of tweaks and changes to the available weapons in the game. This will allow a new in-game meta to develop as Verdansk takes the game by storm as the returning primary map.

The season three update will feature several tweaks, including nerfs to the range but buffs to the damage of assault rifles, SMG buffs, and additional upgrades for LMGs and marksman rifles. You can check out all the changes on the CoD website for a detailed analysis.

Returning weapons

A variety of classic weapons from the early days of Warzone are making a return with the release of season three. Some of these weapons include the CR-56 AMAZ and Kilo 141 assault rifles. The HDR sniper rifle and the Grau 5.56 also make a return, along with the Kali sticks melee weapon.

Season 3 downtime and free rewards

Warzone servers are supposed to face a 24-hour downtime at the beginning of season three on April 2. The downtime is expected to end at around 11am CT on April 3. However, there is a free reward for everyone who accesses the Warzone tab in the CoD HQ UI during this downtime. You will receive the returning Kilo 141 assault rifle for free to get started with.

You can also use the Kilo 141 in the Black Ops 6 multiplayer mode or the new Shattered Veil map in the Zombies mode to level up before jumping into your first match of Warzone once the downtime ends.

Changes to Omnimovement

Season three will feature a few tweaks to the omnimovement system to make it feel more like the original movement back when Warzone was initially released in 2020. Here’s a specific list of all the changes made in this update to the omnimovement system in the game:

• Movement Speed
  • Crouch Movement Speed reduced by 10 percent.
  • Crouch-to-Stand Speed increased by 15 percent.
  • Crouch-to-Stand Speed While ADS increased by 39 percent.
  • Prone Movement Speed reduced by 5 percent.
  • Sprint Movement Speed reduced by 4.9 percent.
  • Directional Sprint Animation Blend Speeds increased for improved fluidity.

• Jump Cooldown 
  • Reduced the cooldown by 40 percent for improved responsiveness during repeated jumps.

• Omni-sprint Side & Back Speed Scaling 
  • Reduced by 8.5 percent to better balance strafe movement.

• Slide Friction
  • Increased by 4 percent to reduce overly slippery engagements.

Updated loot system

One of the key things returning to Warzone with season three is the availability of the floating loot system. Similar to how it used to be in the early days of the game, ground loot floats off the ground, making it a lot easier for you to choose between what to pick and what not to.

Additionally, the return of this system will bring back a lot of memories for players who have been around since the initial days of the battle royale.

Offline Ranked Play

The Play playlist will be unavailable for a few days until the release of season three reloaded sometime during May. Until then, you will have to make the most of Verdansk on the regular playlists available.