The new map, Al Mazrah, mixes desert landscapes with urban environments and a river. The latter is important as Modern Warfare 2’s various modes now support swimming and aquatic combat. That includes “clandestine swimming up river tributaries, underwater ambushes and exploration, as well as quicker movement courtesy of the RHIB or Armored Patrol Boat,” according to the Call Of Duty site. In early stages of a match on Al Mazrah, you’ll still need to remain within a shrinking circle, but you’ll have several circles to choose from. These will group players together in different areas of the map, before the circles converge into a single safe zone in a match’s later stages. If you’re less than successful and die, you’ll still be sent to the Gulag for a chance at revival, but Infinity Ward explained new changes here, too. Gulags now pit players against one another in 2v2 battles, so you’ll need to partner with a stranger to win. There’s also now loot to find (and take with you) from the Gulag, and an AI “Jailer” who can be downed and robbed of his keys as an extra means of escape. The jailer isn’t the only non-player character in Warzone, either. There are now NPC combatants in Al Mazrah who can be optionally engaged in combat. “AI combatants have a variety of lethality levels and behaviors and are usually encountered in specific areas of the map. While they may defend their territory like a CDL pro, they won’t seek out combat,” says the Call Of Duty site. Defeating these opponents can give you access to high-level loot. Finally, battle royale won’t be the only mode in Warzone 2. A new “extraction mode”, called DMZ, will allow players to drop into Al Mazrah, grab loot - either working together or alone - and then attempt to escape with their gear. It sounds a bit like Escape From Tarkov, or The Division’s Dark Zone, but there will be more information about it in future. Call Of Duty: Warzone 2 will launch on November 16th, a few weeks after Modern Warfare 2.
