Activision has been accused of “butchering” the playlists available for battle royale Warzone after developer Raven Software announced a consolidation ahead of the release of Black Ops 6.
Warzone typically rotates different modes, squad sizes, and even maps every week, much to the annoyance of some fans who just want to play the battle royale in their favorite way, or with a specific number of friends.
With Black Ops 6’s release just a few weeks away, Raven announced it’s making “preparations” for the future of Warzone. As part of that, has consolidated the current playlist selection into the following:
• Battle Royale Solos & Quads
• Resurgence Duos & Quads
Plunder, Bootcamp, and active Limited-Time Modes will remain available, and Trios will continue to be available via Ranked Play, with the current season ending on Thursday, October 17.
However, it’s what Warzone has lost, rather than what it now has, that has sparked a backlash from fans, with Duos and Trios no longer available in Battle Royale mode, and Solos and Trios unavailable in Resurgence.
This means that from now until at least the launch of Black Ops 6 on October 25, Urikztsan (the current Battle Royale map) only supports Solos, Quads, and Plunder Quads, and Resurgence has a Duos and Quads map rotation, with Trios available in Ranked Play only via Rebirth Island (by far the smallest map in the game).
It’s fair to say this announcement has sparked a backlash from Warzone’s hardcore community. “This might be one of the worst decisions I’ve ever seen,” said YouTuber Westie. “You’re essentially sunsetting core branches of your game and giving no real explanation at the time the change is being made.
“Some added context/information would be wonderful.”
Here’s some more reaction:
There is no Way hahahahah
— James – JGOD (@JGODYT) September 26, 2024
Black Ops 6 isn’t even out you don’t have to butcher the playlists till it drops lil bro🙏😭
— HunterTV☄️ (@itsHunterTV) September 26, 2024
Just say you dont want us to play Warzone till BO6 drops… this is hilarious
— Chris (@STYLERZ97) September 26, 2024
I’m 100% positive people would rather wait 5 minutes to get into a trios or duos than be forced to play quads man down or with randoms. Worst decision I’ve ever seen. Sheesh.
— Ral (@Rallied) September 26, 2024
RIP to the social media guy posting this who had zero influence over this decision 😭 pic.twitter.com/KwmvHqz3gd
— Isaac (@IceManIsaac) September 26, 2024
Raven has yet to offer an explanation for its decision, but some are speculating it has to do with a need to maintain fast-filling lobbies amid a perceived shrinking playerbase. Players are also wondering why Raven namechecked the release of Black Ops 6 in its announcement — Warzone is set to incorporate the upcoming shooter’s mechanics, weapons, and gear into the game, but there’s no explanation for why this would require a playlist consolidation.
For now, Warzone players have no choice but to play with this new, consolidated playlist offering, or, as some are threatening, quit until their favorite ways to play return.
Last month, Activision announced that Warzone is bringing back the map that started it all, Verdansk, in spring 2025. Verdansk is the most beloved map in Warzone’s four-year history, and it returns to the battle royale complete with iconic points of interest such as Stadium, the Train Station, and Superstore. Fans are now hoping their favorite playlists will be available in time for Verdansk’s release.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
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