"Will Warzone 2 replace Warzone when it releases?" is a question on the minds of plenty of Caldera fans as the sequel's launch looms ever closer. Thankfully, you don't have anything to worry about, as the original Warzone isn't going anywhere just yet, though it is being "relaunched" (more on that later). Once Warzone 2 launches on November 16 you'll have a choice of which battle royale installment you want to play, though in the newly released version you'll be starting your progression again from scratch. Should you be worried about whether you need Modern Warfare 2 for Warzone 2 then don't be, as like the original the 2.0 version will also be completely free-to-play.
Everything we know about the Modern Warfare 2 Battle Pass for Season 01 so far.
None of your Operators, weapons, or other unlocks carry over to the sequel as it's a brand new experience, though going forward you'll be sharing progress between Warzone 2, Modern Warfare 2, and Warzone Mobile once it releases in 2023. It's likely that a large number of players will be moving over to 2.0 when it becomes available, but there's always teething issues and balancing requirements for any launch so don't expect a mass exodus from Caldera to begin with. If you're concerned about whether Warzone 2 will replace Warzone, here's what you need to know.
Warzone 2 is a completely separate experience
When Modern Warfare 2 was originally announced, we were promised that "a wholly new Warzone will launch as an extension of the Modern Warfare 2 universe" and that "in order to fully deliver this state-of-the-art experience, Warzone 2.0 will feature new Modern Warfare 2 content and systems with brand-new progression and inventories." This means that Warzone 2 is a completely separate experience starting with a clean slate, and none of the content you've unlocked in the original battle royale will carry over. We already know the new Warzone 2 map is set in Al Mazrah, which promises to be the "biggest battle royale map that Infinity Ward has ever made" and will fully take advantage of the new mechanics introduced with MW2.
You will still be able to play the original Warzone, but it's relaunching as Warzone Caldera
In the original announcement for Modern Warfare 2, it was confirmed that "today’s Warzone will continue as a separate experience that will include a continuation of player progression and inventories within that Warzone experience." This means you'll still be able to revisit Caldera after Warzone 2 launches on November 16, using all of the Operators, weapons, and other unlocks you've earned in the original. However, in the patch notes for the Warzone Season Five mid-season update, Raven Software confirmed that would be "the final major update for this era of Call of Duty: Warzone," so although you'll still be able to play the original Warzone there won't be any more significant changes or upgrades made to it.
Activision has confirmed that the new version of the original Warzone will be relaunched as Warzone Caldera at 10am PT / 1pm ET on November 28. As you might expect from the title, it'll feature the Caldera map exclusively - Rebirth Island and Fortune’s Keep won't be available in Warzone Caldera. Your progression, inventories, battle pass progress, and all purchases will also be completely contained within Warzone Caldera, as it'll be a completely separate game from Warzone 2. Likewise, you won't be able to transfer 2XP and 2WXP tokens between Warzone Caldera and Warzone 2.
