Activision has shared details for the highly anticipated Call of Duty: Warzone Season 2 Reloaded update, which will see the launch of Black Ops Royale as a brand-new game mode.
Launching on March 13th, the mode takes inspiration from Call of Duty: Blackout, the franchise’s first battle royale mode.
A New Map and Mechanics
Black Ops Royale moves away from Verdansk, Haven’s Hollow, and Rebirth Island in favour of Avalon, a brand-new battleground featuring several multiplayer maps from the Black Ops series as points of interest.
In addition to the new map, players will be able to utilise wall jumping, wingsuits, and a grappling hook to navigate the map and outplay opponents. Notably, the mode will not feature player-created loadouts and will instead favour weapons of varying rarity levels.
Buy Stations and the Gulag from the standard Call of Duty: Warzone modes, will not be available in Avalon. However, players will be able to earn a second chance either through a Redeploy Token or by capturing a Redeploy Tower.
Redeploy Towers are one of several activities players will be able take part in during a match. A range of rewards, including high-level armour vests, killstreaks, and a temporary UAV that reveal enemy locations, can be earn by completing these objectives.
The Esports Impact of Black Ops Royale
The arrival of Black Ops Royale opens the door for Activision and third-party organisers to host a range of tournaments showcasing the its competitive viability. However, despite the changes, the mode will have a minimal impact on Call of Duty: Warzone’s esports scene.
In 2026, the Call of Duty: Warzone Resurgence Series acts as the title’s main esports circuit, with teams competing for a share of a $1.2m (~£901,884) prize pool split across LAN events taking place at DreamHack Birmingham, DreamHack Atlanta, and the Esports World Cup.
The launch of a revamped circuit has resulted in several organisations expanding into the battle royale title. This includes T1, which has already cemented its place among Europe’s best after finishing first in the online qualifiers for DreamHack Birmingham.
