Verdansk Returns to Call of Duty Warzone — Here Are All the Biggest Changes

Call of Duty: Warzone is bringing back the battle royale map that started it all: Verdansk. It’s been just over three years since players last dropped into the beloved location’s iconic POIs, so we’ve taken the time to highlight its biggest changes.

Verdansk is nothing without each individual building that players spent hundreds of hours dodging (and taking) bullets through – and Activision knows it. That’s why veterans who played the OG Warzone map back when it launched in 2020 will find that its Ukraine-inspired streets, rivers, and structures have been brought back almost completely unaltered. It’s the map you know and love, built from the ground up to suit the updated playstyle introduced with Black Ops 6 and squash a few of the more notable issues players have harped on through the years.

“This version of Verdansk has been painstakingly rebuilt from the ground up to give you the very best battle royale experience possible,” Activision explained today in a blog post. “That experience balances the immersion, adjusted movement mechanics, and the signature gameplay you remember from the original Call of Duty: Warzone with one overriding goal: To relive the classic and nostalgic Verdansk map we all remember.”

Kitted Out

The publisher behind Call of Duty says its return to Warzone’s roots includes a version of Verdansk that is “95%” accurate to its original launch build. It’s been more than three years since the map was retired in late 2021, so naturally, the team felt it was due for at least a few tweaks that shouldn’t interfere with that nostalgic design.

One general rule of thumb, of course, is that Verdansk will benefit from improved lighting that falls more in line with the visuals seen in last year’s Black Ops 6. Upgraded visuals on a finer detail level will also be found in locations like Grazna Bridge and those common fire stations, which feature slightly more weathered paint jobs and chunkier bricks. Another example of cosmetic changes to Verdansk’s iconic locations can be found in a weed problem on Storage Town’s roofs, more reflective puddles, and added electric pipework.

Your average Call of Duty fan isn’t going to notice the extra blades of grass added to a random field next to the northwest side of Stadium, but what they will notice are some surface-level design tweaks to a few individual POIs. Storage Town Building 3 is one example of a structure that’s been touched up, with Activision explaining that it’s been gifted a ladder in order to nerf its previous spot as an “unfair power position.” As more than a few similar structures have also invested in ladder additions, players will find that other locations, such as the Hangars, now feature repositioned vehicles and additional cover.

Verdansk Reheated

Even if you’ve lived one hundred lifetimes in Verdansk’s original incarnation, none of these aforementioned changes are true gamechangers. However, to accommodate things like Black Ops 6’s omnimovement and swimming mechanics, Verdansk needed to receive a few more alterations that are a bit more than skin deep.

Verdansk, a traditionally very snowy map, has had its temperature turned up ever so slightly, resulting in the melting of rivers that were previously frozen. That means you’ll be able to swim in some of the deeper bodies of water like the Kastovian Sea – and make more noise when sprinting through some of the ankle-deep rivers polluting the map. Undrivable vehicles have also been given a facelift to ensure there’s no confusion about whether or not they can be used for a quick getaway.

Additionally, those steep, rocky trails and cliffsides that you and your friends have almost certainly died at once before have been tweaked to be more forgiving to players on the run. You’ll also notice that tall structures like telephone poles have been slightly shortened, making for less annoying descents into the Warzone. If you find yourself questioning tree placement come April 3, just know that, yes, the team at Activision has made a few minor adjustments to tree placement to shake things up, too.

Meanwhile, doors react much more dynamically to the action around them, as bullets and explosions can cause them to swing in either direction depending on where impact occurs. Ascenders, which were previously featured in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2019 but added post-Verdansk removal, have also been retrofitted to make some of those harder-to-access rooftops easier to reach.

Heads-Up

While these changes may seem like a lot when all spread out, Activision reiterates that the “vast majority” of Verdansk 2025 has been revived as a “one-to-one duplication.” Examples of areas that remain largely untouched are Karst River Quarry and Superstore, which look and play the same inside and out.

Meanwhile, the video game-y aspects of Call of Duty: Warzone’s nostalgia play also seek to return to the feeling players had when dropping into the battle royale mode back in 2020. This can be seen in a complete overhaul to Contracts, Public Events, Field Upgrades, vehicles, and even Killstreaks, which have all been reverted to fit the offerings found in the 2020 Verdansk build. That means everything from the OG helicopter to the hum of a nearby chest to that classic loading screen is back.

As other experiences like Fortnite deliver updated takes on classic offerings, it looks like Call of Duty is here to offer its own version of one of its most popular moments in time. So, while something like a lighting tweak may seem inconsequential at first, Activision wants players to know that these changes were made with that infamous Roze skin, for example, in mind. Should everything play out as expected, Verdansk’s reintroduction may provide the definitive way to experience that map ever.

Call of Duty: Warzone brings back Verdansk April 3, 2025. It will launch one day after the introduction of Black Ops 6 Season 3 and following a one-day down period for players. When users boot up Warzone on Verdansk launch day, they’ll be able to enjoy a special, limited-time event called Return to Verdansk that comes with unique cosmetics, sprays, Operators, weapons, and much, much more.

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).