The next generation of Call of Duty: Warzone is finally here, bringing some huge upgrades over the old Warzone and wiping the slate clean on progression and stats.

Modern Warfare 2 is also out now, so the transition is well and truly complete, and we can all now tuck into the next version of Warzone at long last.

Here's everything you should know about the game.

Warzone 2.0 release date

Call of Duty Warzone 2.0 came out on 16 November 2022 after months of waiting, and that date came shortly after the launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

This was all confirmed at COD: Next, an event that may well become a fixture for Activision annually, given how much interest it generated.

That release date was a relief compared to rumours of a 2023 launch and means we had a couple of weeks to level up in MW2's multiplayer before sinking into the new Warzone.

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Activision

Warzone 2.0 trailer

Just a few days before its release, Warzone 2.0 finally got a proper trailer, and what a trailer it is.

There's loads to see including explosive action and plenty of vehicular manslaughter - new mechanics and modes are all showcased. Before that, we'd only had a short glimpse in the below trailer from COD Next.

If you want to see more of the game in action, though, simply head to YouTube - now that the game's out there's an ever-expanding host of gameplay out there from the likes of StoneMountain64, JackFrags and many more.

Warzone 2.0 platforms

The next generation of Warzone hasn't left behind older consoles, despite hardcore fans' pleas - Infinity Ward has rightly pointed out that it would be abandoning by far the biggest slice of players if it gave up on the PS4 and Xbox One.

That means you can play Warzone 2.0 on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One and PC. This also brings full native versions of the game for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, at last, for improved performance and resolution.

Is Warzone 2.0 free?

The next version of Warzone indeed retains the free-to-play status that made the first game such a smash hit.

That means you can play Warzone 2.0 completely for free, and on PlayStation and Xbox you don't have to pay for online subscriptions to access its online modes.

Do skins and guns carry over to Warzone 2.0?

Infinity Ward has confirmed that the move to a new engine is a fundamental one for Warzone, meaning that it's wiped the slate clean from a progression standpoint when Warzone 2.0 drops.

This means that whatever unlocks you've earned in Warzone so far do NOT carry over to the new game, and the same goes for gun and operator skins you might have purchased.

This may be a disappointment to some, but is only logical considering Warzone had been out for 2.5 years at the time its sequel dropped. Things can't last forever!

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Activision

Does the original Warzone still exist?

Another interesting thing that has been confirmed is that the arrival of Warzone 2.0 doesn't mean the destruction of Warzone 1.0 - the current version of the game will continue to operate for the foreseeable future. This might be to avoid people falling off the bandwagon or just as a way to keep them having access to bundles they've bought.

Warzone 1 is still out there, re-titled as Warzone Caldera and with just that one map to enjoy, but with all the weaponry and equipment you might know and love.

Warzone 2.0 new Battle Pass system

Fortnite's Battle Pass has been the envy of the industry for a while, with incredible levels of player engagement in its mechanics.

Well, safe to say Call of Duty has copied it - the COD battle pass has a new look and feel for Warzone 2.0 after Season 1 dropped.

It has an unlock system where you earn tokens that let you choose what tiers and rewards to unlock - with map sectors full of items that unlock as you reach certain levels or unlock a certain number of rewards.

This will give you a little more control over what you earn as you progress through it.

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Activision

Warzone 2.0 new map

As revealed during Call of Duty: Next, there's a new map in Warzone 2.0 - Al Mazrah, set in a fictional region of Western Asia.

As you can see above, it's a huge expanse (a tiny bit bigger than Caldera or Verdansk, once you start running around it a bit), and contains a bunch of locations to explore. Dotted around the place are incredibly recognisable sections from iconic maps like Highrise and Terminal, making some areas more familiar.

It's also a location featured quite heavily in the campaign for Modern Warfare 2, so we'll doubtless learn more about its place in the wider story over time.

Water is a much bigger part of the map, too, meaning that boats and swimming are key in some parts, as we'll discuss below.

Warzone 2.0 gameplay changes

A bunch of gameplay changes have come to Warzone, not least because the changes that have arrived for Modern Warfare 2 all apply to it as well - they share a game engine.

This means that we've had a visual upgrade, especially on newer consoles. That newer hardware also has a 120Hz mode, allowing for improved smoothness and response times.

One huge change to the game's balance is that you no longer buy loadout drops to get full custom set-ups including perks and weapons. Instead, buy stations now let you buy individual guns from your armoury at a higher cost, making it much more expensive to get geared up.

Sometimes loadout drops do spawn into the map as in-game events to be used by any and every team, though, making it a scramble to get your gear. Finally, you can earn loadouts by dropping into marked Strongholds and taking out the enemy AI within them to complete an objective.

Swimming has been added to the game and features heavily in the environment, along with boats. Vehicles are upgraded more widely to feature more detailed damage like punctures, and when they blow up they'll leave a permanent husk for cover. They also use fuel, and can be refuelled using looted canisters or by visiting a fuel station, where you can also repair them.

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Activision

There is also a new circle mechanic, with the appearance of multiple circles during matches, which will then merge together as the match moves to the endgame, which is pretty cool.

Oh, and there's Gulag 2.0 - with 2v2 play, plus a "Jailer" roaming the map. Killing this AI will let everyone in the gulag escape the match and return to the game. That's an interesting gambit, but we can't see many groups of four strangers being that cooperative with each other, to be honest.

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Activision

The weaponry is modern but rooted in reality (at least at launch) with attachments that you can earn sometimes being applicable across different guns, a welcome change that should ease up the required grinding. Thankfully, a new firing range makes it easier to test how your build performs.

New equipment has arrived including remote cameras and EMP grenades, while you can now also dive into a prone position while you're sprinting if needed.

You can hang on ledges to peek over walls and barriers as you mantle over things, opening up new possibilities as you move around the map.

Gunsmith has returned for weapon editing in Modern Warfare 2 and the level of detail has been stepped up even further, letting you redistribute your weapon's weight for better recoil but worse aim-down-sight speed, among other tweaks.

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Activision

The current player count being used seems to be 120, a smaller one than Warzone 1.0, but with the addition of a few bases full of AI soldiers on the battlefield for you to fight as you play, defending areas and objectives.

The inventory system is also quite a lot more complicated and needs a bit more management than in Warzone 1.0. This is partly based on the new DMZ mode, which we have more detail on below.

You can read about all these changes and more, plus get detailed information about Al Mazrah and more, on the Call of Duty site, which has a tonne of info to share.

Warzone 2.0 third-person mode

One interesting detail in that blog post is that Warzone 2.0, like Modern Warfare 2, has brought third-person gameplay into the mix.

This slight remix has identical gameplay to the first-person Warzone experience, meaning it is an optional extra for those who like third-person shooters more.

It'll lead to some interesting differences given how you can see round corners in this mode, and we'd anticipate players choosing their favourite camera versions.

What is DMZ in Warzone 2.0?

An all-new extraction mode has arrived with Warzone 2.0 - DMZ.

Familiar to players of games like Escape from Tarkov or Hunt Showdown, this mode sees teams drop into Al Mazrah with their own missions to complete - that might be to loot certain items or kill types of enemies, any number of objectives.

Rather than a pure battle royale, this will mean playing things carefully to ensure that you can get in and get out safely, carrying loot that will grant you rewards once you're done.

You can learn everything important about DMZ in our dedicated article right here.