- Call of Duty: Warzone is getting a new battle royale mode
- Titled Black Ops Royale, it was inspired by Black Ops 4's Blackout
- It doesn't feature loadout drops or the gulag
A new battle royale mode is coming to Call of Duty: Warzone, and it was inspired by the fan-favorite Blackout of Black Ops 4.
Titled Black Ops Royale, the mode will be free for all players when it launches next week. It brings back the series' original battle royale experience, with a focus on scavenging for gear in 100-player matches.
Black Ops Royale doesn't have loadout drops or buy stations, forcing you to rely on what you can find lying around in the massive Avalon map.
Weapons that you obtain have a range of possible rarity levels, with higher ones increasing the number of available attachments in addition to bullet velocity and range. New attachment kits let you upgrade the gear that you have on hand through a predefined progression path based on each weapon class.
Unique perks are also available and can be found on the ground or in supply boxes. You can get them alongside other rewards for completing the various activities or missions littered around the world, too.
The mode doesn't have Warzone's gulag, so your team will need to redeploy towers if you die in the field. You can find valuable redeploy tokens, though, which let you jump back in right away.
Many of these mechanics feel reminiscent of those in the old Blackout mode from Black Ops 4, and plenty of fans are loving the similarities.
"Thank you for bringing back Blackout," wrote one player in the comments of a recent developer briefing video. "Loved blackout, can’t wait to try this out," chimed in another.
A thread about the new mode on the community-run r/Warzone subreddit was also filled with similar sentiments. "I am unbelievably stoked about this. Blackout is by far my most played game mode in any game," one user said.
Others were less impressed, though, with some saying that they would rather play the existing Warzone modes. "Willing to give it a shot but not expecting to enjoy it," one commenter revealed, listing the lack of loadout drops as one of the reasons why.
"Are we back? No, but a new mode is interesting," another posted.
You'll be able to dive into Black Ops Royale when it launches Thursday, March 12 at 9pm PT (that's Friday, March 13 at 12am ET for those on the East Coast).
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