Warzone 2 season 3 release date is next week - here's what's new

Warzone 2 season 3
(Image credit: Activision)

Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2's season 3 release date has been set for Wednesday, April 12. Activision confirmed the launch date alongside a number of new details about Call of Duty's next season.

Most of the big stuff from the Warzone 2 season 3 roadmap we've heard before, like the addition of Ranked mode and the long-awaited return of Plunder, but today's extensive blog filled in the details and provided some new information about what to expect from the new season.

Massive Resurgence is a new and fast-paced version of the existing Warzone 2 mode, taking place on the larger Al Mazrah map and bumping up the player count to an eye-watering 150 players.

Warzone 2 season 3 is also getting a new gulag called Blacksite, which is distinct from the stronghold Black Site. The new Blacksite is a semi-rectangular, asymmetrical training map with multiple interior spaces and long external routes for you to navigate while you compete to escape your purgatory. If you have Modern Warfare 2, you can check out Blacksite by playing Gunfight or hopping on a private match.

Right at season 3 launch, Warzone 2 will add Redeploy Drones that you can use to travel quickly around the map. They work similarly to those on Ashika Island, so you can prepare for flight by playing Resurgence or Mini Royale modes before they come to Al Mazrah.

Tempered plate carriers are another new addition to Warzone 2 season 3 that'll change how you handle armored plates by giving your armor two half-bars instaed of three thirds. This should make it easier and more efficient to re-plate when oe or both are damaged. 

UAV towers are also making their way over to Warzone 2's battle royale after being introduced in DMZ. These can be activated to give you and your allies intel on your enemies' position, but beware: they also ping your location to your foes, so use them wisely.

As for Modern Warfare 2, season 3 will see the long-awaited return of Gunfight mode, featuring four maps: the new Warzone 2.0 Gulag map Blacksite, the fan-favorite Shipment, a smaller map called Alley that's set in Al Mazrah, and Exhibit, which is based on the Museum 6v6 multiplayer map. 

A twist on the standard Gunfight mode, the new On-Site Procurement (OSP) mode variant will arrive at some point in-season in a regular playlist update. In Gunfight OSP, you'll have to find weapons and gear spread out across the map instead of being gifted a random loadout every round, which will undoubtedly make it even more crucial that you move quickly and coordinate with your squad.

There's also three new 6v6 core maps coming in Modern Warfare 2 season 3. Pelayo's Lighthouse is a small map featuring a dimly lit and foggy island with a prominent lighthouse, and the nighttime map Black Gold is based on the Rohan Oil section of Al Mazrah. Both of those will be available at launch, while a third new map will be revealed later on in season 2.

Modern Warfare 2 will also add two new battle maps for Ground War and Invasion at the start of season 3. Rohan Oil is a daytime twist and expansion of a well-known Warzone 2 point of interest "allowing for plenty of air and land vehicles to barrel past refinery silos toward objectives," while Sattiq Cave Complex sits just South of Rohan Oil and "provides an interesting mix of verticality, small building skirmishes, and interior combat via its intricate cave network." Alboran Hatchery, which looks like it sits just outside Pelayo's Lighthouse, is another new core map being added in-season.

Cranked will be added to Modern Warfare 2's playlist at season 3 launch, while Face Off and GW Infected will come later in-season. There will also be new Ranked rewards at launch and, coming in the mid-season update, a new core map, Special Ops mission, and the next episode of Raid.

The full Call of Duty season 3 update is jam-packed with a DMZ overhaul, a new battle pass, new weapons, a new Operator roster, and more. You can get a general overview here, but the full patch notes will arrive next week.

Here's how we ranked the best Call of Duty games of all time.

Jordan Gerblick

After scoring a degree in English from ASU, I worked as a copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. Now, as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer, I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my apartment, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.

Read more
A player wearing a gasmask and holding a gun during the shooter, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.
Call of Duty season 2 brings back Gun Game and a fan-favorite Zombies weapon we haven't seen in 10 years
soldiers dropping in from the sky and looking over verdansk
Warzone's original map is returning next month, but it's still not enough: "We don't just want Verdansk back. We want everything back"
Fortnite Season 2 of Chapter 6
The biggest changes in Fortnite Season 2 of Chapter 6
Two Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 players using omnimovement to dive past each other on the Skyline map
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Season 2 brings back a beloved game mode fans have been begging for, but all I care about is a practically meaningless bug fix
Fortnite OG Season 3
What's new in the Fortnite OG Season 3?
The Fantastic Four seen running towards Dracula in Marvel Rivals' Season 1 'Eternal Night Falls' trailer.
Marvel Rivals season 1 has "double the playable content of a regular season" and adds maps, heroes, balance changes, and more
Latest in Battle Royale
Fortnite Henchmen Walkie Talkies
Fortnite Henchmen Walkie Talkies: How to eavesdrop on Kane
Fortnite Gold Veins
Fortnite Gold Veins: How to mine them for Bars
Fortnite Outlaw Keycard
Fortnite Outlaw Keycard: How to upgrade it and what does it do
Fortnite's Lara croft skin in front of a building
Fortnite has had Tomb Raider's Lara Croft locked away in battle pass exclusivity jail for almost 4 years, but she's reportedly getting a new skin very soon
soldiers dropping in from the sky and looking over verdansk
Warzone's original map is returning next month, but it's still not enough: "We don't just want Verdansk back. We want everything back"
PUBG
A mysterious Steam user has over 13,000 pairs of PUBG pants worth just 3 cents in his inventory, and players can't figure out whether it's hoarding or money laundering
Latest in News
Mario racing on a desert track during the Switch 2 reveal trailer.
Porting Mario Kart 8 Deluxe to the Nintendo Switch was "kind of an afterthought," and now it's so popular that getting fans to switch could be a challenge
Nick Frost in Shaun of the Dead
Shaun of the Dead star Nick Frost is playing one of the most beloved Harry Potter characters for the new HBO TV show
The Witcher 4 screenshot with Ciri using sword and sorcery to fight an ancient monster
The Witcher 4 and Naughty Dog's Intergalactic are reportedly skipping 2026 and won't be ready until at least the year after
Lunar Remastered Collection
"Will today’s players still enjoy a game from 30 years ago?": JRPG icon Kei Shigema says he was thrilled to see Lunar getting a remaster even after all this time
Nick Offerman as Bill and Murray Bartlett as Frank in The Last of Us episode 3
The Last of Us season 2 showrunners tease a "gorgeous" episode akin to season 1’s Emmy-nominated Bill and Frank story: "Just you wait"
The Witcher 4 screenshot with Ciri using sword and sorcery to fight an ancient monster
CD Projekt boss says "cutting-edge single-player games" – you know, like The Witcher 4 and Cyberpunk 2 – will "continue to enjoy great popularity" despite industry shifts