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The Call of Duty franchise changed significantly in March 2020 following the launch of Warzone, Activision’s take on the battle royale formula where the primary objective is to be the last player standing at the end of a match. Five years later, fans are continuing to drop into the action.
2025 marks the fifth anniversary of Warzone and to celebrate, Raven Software is reintroducing the iconic Verdansk map into the rotation once again. While many are looking forward to another trip down memory lane, it appears Activision had planned to release a battle royale several years before Warzone made its debut.
Call of Duty: WW2 could’ve had a battle royale
After exploring the files of Call of Duty: World War 2, X user Lierrmm uncovered leftover assets showcasing part of an unreleased battle royale map. With the first Call of Duty Battle Royale mode launching in Black Ops 4 with Blackout, CoD could’ve entered the genre an entire year earlier.
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Released in 2017, World War 2 marked a return to a boots-on-the-ground formula after three years of advanced movement mechanics dominating Activision’s shooter series. A return to traditional movement combined with a battle royale set in the same time period could’ve been a recipe for huge success before the genre skyrocketed in popularity with the likes of Fortnite, PUBG, and H1Z1 attracting millions to become the last one standing.
Those unaware of the World War 2 battle royale continue sharing their frustrations surrounding the mode that never saw the light of day. An extensive arsenal of weaponry and simplistic movement mechanics could’ve steered Call of Duty into an entirely new direction.
Would a Call of Duty World War 2 battle royale been a success?
Fans wouldn’t have to wait long before Call of Duty unveiled Blackout in 2018. The first iteration of a Call of Duty battle royale was greatly different to how Warzone plays today. Instead of loadouts forming a stale meta, players had to find individual attachments to equip onto whichever weapons they found on the ground resulting in huge variety in each match.
A diverse meta along with a map containing fan-favourite locations from the Black Ops series made for a hugely enjoyable gameplay experience. It’s a shame it never reached the dizzying heights of Warzone which continues to attract millions to both casual and competitive playlists.
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