Call of Duty’s Caldera map dropped in December 2021, and it promptly proceeded to almost destroy the entire Warzone ecosystem. It was seen as a huge downgrade from Verdansk, and many players refused to interact with the tropical-themed map. However, even today, the map remains online, standing strong as an alternative to Warzone 2.0, which was released in 2022. With this guide, we’ll show you how to play Call of Duty Caldera in 2023 – if you want to, that is…
If you’ve been wondering how to get Call of Duty Caldera instead of playing on the new Al Mazrah map, we’ve got good news. It’s remarkably easy to get back online with Caldera – and of course, it’s totally free. If you’ve been hurting for a faster-paced Call of Duty Warzone experience, then you can go live with Caldera within just a few short minutes.
So, read on to find out how to play Call of Duty Caldera on PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS5, and PC!
What is Call of Duty Caldera?
Call of Duty Caldera is a legacy mode for Call of Duty Warzone. It’s the ‘old map’ that was kept online for players that didn’t want to migrate over to Warzone 2.0 in November 2022. It’s also for those that want a taste of nostalgia, offering them the opportunity to go back in time a short distance to re-explore Caldera in all its tropical glory.
It’s simply named’ Warzone Caldera’, and it’s available within the original Modern Warfare (2019) ecosystem. This means that it’s a totally separate product, and despite never being classed as one of the best battle royale games, it’s there, live and online for all to still enjoy.
How to Get Call of Duty Caldera
On a support page located on Activision’s website, it’s stated that:
‘Call of Duty®: Warzone™ Caldera is no longer available to download as a standalone game. Warzone Caldera will still be available to download and play if you previously played Warzone or own Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare®.’
So, there’s a slight caveat – you’ll need to have played these games already if you want to get access to Call of Duty Caldera. It’s now essentially a mode found within the Modern Warfare platform, so on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, or PC, you’ll need to access that game in order to obtain Warzone Caldera.
It’ll soak up around 100GB of storage on your console of choice – so you need to be sure that you want to commit to the download ahead of actually doing it. It’s worth bearing in mind that since Warzone 2.0 was released, the player base for Warzone Caldera has shrunk dramatically, and it’s likely that no more than a few thousand people are actually playing it.
Ultimately, all of the best Call of Duty Warzone players moved on to Al Mazrah in Warzone 2.0 the moment the game launched.
Is Call of Duty Caldera Free?
It’s kind of free – if you already own Modern Warfare or have played Warzone before this situation went live, then you can expect no extra costs associated with playing Call of Duty Caldera. But, if you want to play it and you haven’t owned those games before, you’ll need to purchase 2019’s Modern Warfare.
It’s not a huge expenditure, though. Since that game came and went, a further three Call of Duty games have been released, and with each new one, the cost of Modern Warfare decreases even further. There is still an online cosmetics store where you can purchase skins, operators, and blueprints, but that’s a completely optional practice and you’re in no way, shape, or form expected to do so.
As of April 2023, it was confirmed that the offering – even free – is very slim. There are reportedly just two playlists open for access – Quads and Solos. Even though you’re not parting ways with a single penny – under the right circumstances – it does suck that the game has been stripped to its bare bones.
What Are You Waiting For?
That’s how to play Call of Duty Caldera – and it’s just waiting to be experienced all over again by the Warzone players that may be tired of Al Mazrah. Will you revisit Caldera?