Warzone is about to become a different game in several important ways. The Warzone Season 1 changes arriving on November 6 go beyond adding fresh battlegrounds. Modern Warfare 4 will reshape how players progress, build loadouts, move around the map and rescue teammates. For returning players, some familiar equipment will also come with unexpected restrictions.
Activision detailed the update on November 2, ahead of its simultaneous release on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC and, for the first time, Nintendo Switch 2. However, this new chapter also marks the end of Warzone support on PS4 and Xbox One.
Warzone Season 1 changes put old loadouts in a difficult position
The biggest adjustment for longtime players may happen before their first match. All 33 weapons from Modern Warfare 4’s launch arsenal will join Warzone alongside new Season 1 firearms and Apex Attachments. Meanwhile, player levels reset as the game adopts a shared progression system across Multiplayer, DMZ and Warzone, including optional Prestige.
Battle Pass and BlackCell progression will also carry across those experiences. Daily challenges, Calling Card objectives and Season 1 Operators join the unified ecosystem. Consequently, players who regularly switch between modes should find it easier to work toward the same rewards without abandoning their preferred activity.
Yet Carry Forward has an important limitation. Operators, skins, blueprints, emblems, finishing moves, emotes and parachutes from Modern Warfare II, Modern Warfare III, Black Ops 6 and Black Ops 7 remain available. Older weapons move into a separate Legacy tab, where they can still be used but cannot be modified through Gunsmith or earn Mastery Camos.
That distinction matters for anyone who has spent years perfecting particular weapon builds. Activision previously apologized for incorrectly suggesting that weapon camos would carry forward. The practical message is clear: cosmetic collections survive more completely than older weapon customization options.
Hajin and Zodiac reward two very different approaches to combat
Rather than offering two maps with similar objectives, Season 1 introduces environments designed around contrasting match rhythms. Hajin is a large Battle Royale battlefield on the Korean Peninsula, connected to Modern Warfare 4’s campaign. Its 13 major locations include Hajin City, Imjin Farmland, Chang-san Air Base, Deadtown, the 14th Political Prison and Hanuel Nuclear Reactor.
Urban streets, abandoned structures, farmland, rivers and wooded hills create different engagement distances. More importantly, local weather conditions introduce fog, rain, wind and storms that can change visibility. Teams may therefore need to reconsider long-range positioning as conditions shift. The Gulag retains its traditional 1v1 redeployment battles, with two arenas exposed to weather effects.
Players familiar with Hajin from DMZ should not assume they already understand the Battle Royale version. Gas movement, circle behavior, vehicles, interactive objects and loot differ. Additionally, the reactor no longer features the radioactive cloud found in DMZ.
Zodiac takes the opposite approach. Developed by Beenox alongside Infinity Ward, this compact Resurgence map occupies the headquarters of fictional drone manufacturer DRC Advanced Systems in South Korea. Its 10 points of interest include Admin, Trackline, Furnace, Solar, Old Mines, Dispatch, Depot, Sentinel, Cooling and R&D.
Moving trains, underground tunnels, adjustable solar panels and explosive fuel barrels should make positioning less predictable. As a result, Zodiac looks particularly suited to aggressive squads that enjoy rapid rotations and close-range engagements.
New equipment could change how squads survive dangerous encounters
Two additions stand out because they affect more than combat damage. The Grabber Drone can transport loot, objects and even downed teammates, potentially allowing squads to recover allies without exposing another player to immediate danger. Separately, the Zipline Launcher creates new traversal routes, although enemies can use those same ziplines.
That second detail introduces an interesting risk. A shortcut that helps a team escape can also provide opponents with a direct route into its position. Meanwhile, movable objects can block roads, weapon upgrades become available at drone-delivered Buy Stations, and personalized challenges respond to individual player statistics.
Movement and recovery also receive attention. Tactical Sprint becomes available without requiring a perk, although its duration is slightly shorter. Players can drag teammates while reviving them, creating opportunities to move wounded allies toward cover. Furthermore, Season 1 includes 18 perks, with Athleticism, Phantom and Fieldcraft occupying the three Elite slots.
Activision is also promising additional weapon balancing, improved visibility, clearer environmental readability and more distinct footstep audio. These adjustments could prove just as important as the new equipment, particularly in buildings where detecting an approaching opponent can decide an entire encounter.
A crowded launch playlist gives players more ways to compete
Season 1 will not force everyone into the same format. Traditional Battle Royale and Resurgence return alongside their Casual variants. In addition, three limited-time experiences will be available from the beginning.
Rally Point brings 20 players to Zodiac without a closing circle. Massive Resurgence expands Hajin encounters to as many as 120 participants. Loaded Resurgence, meanwhile, offers 44-player matches across Zodiac and Rebirth Island. Extreme Resurgence and Rockets and Snipers are scheduled for the middle of the season.
Verdansk will also return later in Season 1, introducing new areas while offering an alternative to Hajin for Battle Royale players. Rebirth Island remains part of the Resurgence rotation. This combination of familiar and unfamiliar locations should make the transition easier for returning squads.
Switch 2 gains full Warzone access, but platform parity has limits
Perhaps the most significant long-term development is Warzone’s arrival on Nintendo hardware. Switch 2 receives the same maps and playlists as PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. That is a major expansion for a free-to-play shooter previously unavailable on Nintendo’s current platform.
However, equal content does not necessarily mean identical technical performance. Battle4Play’s earlier examination of Modern Warfare 4’s Switch 2 performance highlighted compromises involving resolution and frame rate. Another investigation into Switch 2 input latency in Modern Warfare 4 raised additional questions about responsiveness in cross-platform matches. Those findings concern Modern Warfare 4, not measured performance in the new Warzone release.
For PS4 and Xbox One players, the transition is more immediate: Warzone support ends on those systems. Fortunately, progression remains linked to the Activision account, allowing players to continue on supported hardware by signing in with the same connected account.
The update launches at 12:00 a.m. ET on November 6, 2026, equivalent to 9:00 p.m. PT on November 5. It arrives alongside Modern Warfare 4 Season 1, following the shooter’s positively received campaign and revamped DMZ launch.
Ultimately, the Warzone Season 1 changes present a more ambitious transition than a conventional seasonal content drop. New maps attract attention, but shared progression, restricted legacy customization and expanded platform support may shape how people play for months. Will the fresh tactical possibilities outweigh the loss of familiar Gunsmith freedom?
Source: Official Call of Duty Warzone Season 1 announcement, published by Activision on November 2, 2026.
Creator of the website, Pokemon trainer by nature. Trying to report on everything related to the world of video games, series and movies. Yu-Gi-Oh is my weakness, collecting cards since the dawn of time.
