Warzone was my lockdown game. Funnily enough, they both started around the same time.
Activision’s big Call of Duty battle royale launched on 10th March 2020 and was an immediate hit. And then, just a fortnight later, the first UK lockdown began. Warzone popularity exploded.
A year later, and we’re still in lockdown. And Warzone is increasingly popular. It topped 85 million players by the end of 2020. I mean, just look at what its updates do to download traffic in the UK.
But Warzone is more than just a mega popular battle royale. It’s changed Call of Duty forever – and dragged the series kicking and screaming back into the big time.
Built on the foundations of Infinity Ward’s 2019 shooter Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Warzone is a technical marvel that feels great to play. It moves like Modern Warfare, shoots like Modern Warfare and plays like Modern Warfare – all on an enormous scale.
Inside Call of Duty Warzone: Exclusive Tech Deep Dive / Behind The Scenes Watch on YouTube
This is an action-packed battle royale that, yes, has its camping problems – as all battle royales do – particularly when played solo, but gather a few friends and it’s a blast. And it brought with it genuine genre innovation, too. Warzone’s Gulag, which offers those who die a chance at a return to the action if they can defeat another player in a 1v1, is an inspired idea brilliantly executed. Stressful, exhilarating and memorable, Warzone established itself as the battle royale of the year, and sits comfortably on the pantheon of the genre’s greats.