Welcome to the Warzone, and more specifically, Season Four of Call of Duty®: Warzone.

At 9PM PT last night, several CIA satellites made landfall around Verdansk, drastically altering for distinct areas around the Kastovian city. In addition to that, rumors of a new mission training facility within the Gulag are circulating, and vehicle importers have rolled a new set of wheels onto the shores of Verdansk.

With all that in mind, we have a job to do — let’s learn what’s new in-game during this special #WarzoneWednesday, Season Four Launch Edition:

Points of Interest of the Week: Satellite Crash Sites

Perseus’s agents have taken down several satellites around Verdansk, offering Operators the opportunity to secure its Codecs and report them back to HQ for decrypting.

Here’s where they are all located, what they contain, and how to use them to your advantage:

POI Detail — It Came from Outer Space

There are four Satellite Crash Sites around Verdansk, each with its own unique impact on the immediate and surrounding area:

Krovnik Farmland — Right in the middle of some poor farmer’s crops is one crashed satellite, its fuselage split into multiple parts amid the field. 

Bloc 18 — Closer to the once-sleepy village near the Salt Mines lies another downed satellite. Its location leaves it open to Operators parachuting down from the Radar Array.

Summit — Deep within the Gora riverbed between Bloc 16 and 17 near the Airport Control Tower, a more intact satellite sits ready to be explored.

Gora Bridge — Spanning the Gora River between Downtown Fire Station 12 and the Promenade Fairgrounds, this bridge saw a direct impact from the downed satellite, taking a chunk out of its brickwork.

POI Interactability — Rewards from Securing the Codecs

Under normal circumstances, the downed satellites would only serve as additional cover opportunity in otherwise open areas. However, during the Ground Fall event, Operators can retrieve highly valuable Codecs from these broken machines.

At these sites, there will be an uplink where Operators can send the downed satellite’s files back to HQ. To do so, an Operator must interact with this uplink, which will undoubtedly leave them open to enemy soldiers looking to complete this mission for themselves.

Upon a successful uplink, an Operator will receive highly valuable loot, including a Loadout Drop; a special UAV known as a H.A.R.P., which acts as an Advanced UAV for 90 seconds; and in very rare cases, the powerful Armored Cargo Truck last seen in the Armored Royale Limited Time Mode.

POI Strategies and Meta Impact

Even without the Ground Fall event, these four Satellite Crash Sites add some new strategies for engagements within and around the Farmland, Bloc 18, Summit, and Gora Bridge.

Within the Crash Site, close-quarters weapons, such as SMGs or shotguns, can work well inside the fuselages, as they keep fighting confined to a tight space. The prospect of ground items and Supply Boxes will funnel engagements into these areas, so be on guard when traveling through them. However, because they are broken, it can be easy for someone with a longer-range weapon to scout from afar and pick off players inside these areas.

Because you can climb onto the satellite pieces, there may also be some opportunities to use them for some verticality in otherwise flat land, namely within the Farmland. This could give some leverage when fighting in a long-distance sniper duel, or allow for an unexpected drop-in should you also have a Dead Silence popped.

As for when the uplinks are operational during the Ground Fall event, expect each of these four Crash Sites to be extremely hot drops and popular stopping points during the match. If you’re dropping in with a squad, have your squadmates watch your six and fend off potential attackers as you complete the uplink — and be sure to share the spoils of the successful mission with the whole party.

Guide to the New Gulag: Hijacked

The unknown warden of the Gulag decided to prepare all captured Operators for a new mission: a grand heist on a boat out in international waters, which veterans of the franchise know as Hijacked.

Replacing the previous Standoff mock-up as the main after-death location in Verdansk Battle Royale game modes, the Hijacked Gulag will pit Operators against one another in high-stakes duels to determine who is worthy of sailing the high seas, and who was made to walk the plank.

Hijacked History Crash Course

On November 12, 2012, a luxury yacht said “Vahn Boyage” to its initial port of call and became a combat zone in one of Call of Duty: Black Ops II’s original Multiplayer maps. It was an instant classic, becoming a fan-favorite among a memorable set of maps and appearing in a futuristic iteration called “Skyjacked” in Black Ops III.

The main draw for this map is its midship, where its owner could lounge in the swanky hot tub, hop in a set of open showers at dead center, and relax in the seating area on the opposite side before retiring to the Captain’s Quarters.

Map-Specific Tips — Verdansk Hijacked

Operators will spawn on opposite sides of the main midship area within what would be the dining and office quarters, or the lounge and bedroom area.

From there, there are three distinct “lanes” across the combat zone: around the central showers, in and around the hot tub, or through the seating area. All these areas are not covered, meaning that equipment pieces thrown from the spawn areas could hit their mark if one isn’t careful.

Compared to the seating area, where there are two open windows and a gabion outside of entrances on either side, the showers area is arguably the most obstructive of the three lanes.

Here, action will have to flow between the two plywood and concrete boxes through an opening running from the showers to the seating area. Long-range weaponry may do well when looking down either side of the central shower structure from spawn-to-spawn, while CQB weapons can perform within the shower or seating areas.

The best flow comes from, naturally, the hot tub. One could run around it for a flank, hop in it for great cover, or stick to the center and duck through the showers. Any weapon can make a splash here, especially when using the tub’s low lip to look over into the showers.

When Overtime hits, the flag will spawn at the dead center of the showers, a common objective site for this map in Multiplayer. Unless you’re deep within either spawn area, reaching this flag will be relatively simple. There are several lines of sight from the seating area and hot tub to this flag site, if you have the health advantage and don’t need a capture to win. And since there are almost no overhangs here, a well-placed Throwing Knife or grenade can eliminate someone on the flag, or at least damage them enough for you to finish the job.

Vehicle Intel: The Dirt Bike

For the first time since Warzone’s launch, Verdansk and Rebirth Island will have a new mode of transportation: the Black Ops Cold War Dirt Bike, set to make an impact on Warzone’s current movement meta as its fastest vehicle.

Despite its driver lacking any protection and with a squadmate on the rear seat, the Dirt Bike is the king of the switchbacks and nimble getaways, allowing Operators to dodge and weave around gunfire or angle their jumps for some epic gameplay moments.

It’s a high-risk, high-reward vehicle perfect for true thrill seekers. Here’s what you can expect when you rev up its 250 cc engine:

Basic Bullet Points — Comparison to Current Vehicles

• Top Speed — Faster than all vehicles, including the ATV.
• Handling — Slower turning radius at high speeds (similar to Cargo Truck), fair turning radius at low speeds (similar to SUV). Drifting is possible.
• Durability — Low; same health as the ATV.
• Capacity — Two Operators: one driver and one passenger. Next to no room to “stack” Operators atop it, such as with the two-passenger ATV.
• Trophy System Placement — Must stand atop the bike to place a Trophy System; can fit one on the saddle or on front/rear fenders.

Advanced Techniques

As designed by Treyarch’s gearheads, who utilized a new physics model to simulate wheel traction, vehicle leaning, and more for this vehicle in both games, the Dirt Bike has several unique movement techniques within Warzone. Those who master this vehicle can pull off some impressive stunts, which can be as effective in combat as they are, in 1984-specific terms, totally tubular looking if you don’t bail.

First is its ability to “lean” by tilting the directional stick left or right (or using the left and right arrow keys) as you would when turning a normal vehicle. Turning will involve leaning your entire body left or right, which may also cause drifting if your back wheel loses traction. Using these leaning techniques could serve you well on tight corning sections or switchbacks, including the “goat paths” you may see on rocky cliffs around Verdansk.

Leaning will also change your Operator’s profile. Whenever you lean left or right, you may get out of — or into — the path of oncoming gunfire or rockets. This may be helpful when driving in a straight line, as moving in a serpentine pattern could allow you to dodge and weave your opponent’s attacks.

Of course, leaning can be done while airborne to “angle” your jumps. Whether you do that for stunt riding or for tactical purposes — say, landing on a specific section of the Stadium — is entirely up to your driving ability. Speaking of stunt riding, you could theoretically pop a wheelie on the ground, although it is far less practical for combat purposes than pulling off certain aerial tricks.

In general, the Dirt Bike may not protect you from the elements or enemy combatants, but it is an incredibly nimble vehicle for reconnaissance and rescue missions. With a Dirt Bike, you may find it easier to travel to, from, and around Supply Boxes or Points of Interests, or even rush into the Circle Collapse or a firefight to save a squadmate in peril.

Top Ten Tips of the Week:

In the spirit of this special Warzone Wednesday column, and because there is plenty of new content for Season Four, we have ten fresh tips for you to take into Verdansk and Rebirth Island for the week ahead:

10. Tango Down. CQB weapons, such as SMGs and shotguns, could work well inside the satellite itself, or at least what’s left of it, as the hull is strong enough to block bullets coming in from the outside.

9. Plenty of Space. All four Crash Site locations are near popular high-ground spots and otherwise leave little cover. When traveling to and from here, watch for sniper glints and proceed with caution.

8. Upgrades via Uplink. During the Ground Fall event, your squad should work together to secure those Codecs via uplink. Doing so will unlock powerful in-game rewards, such as a Loadout Drop or even an Armored Cargo Truck.

7. Look Down Those Lanes. If your Gulag weapon rotation has long-range weaponry, one viable strategy is to look down either side of the showers areas from spawn to spawn. These sight lines are phenomenal, but don’t get tunnel vision, lest your enemy sneak behind you and perform a Finishing Move!

6. A Yacht with No Top. The skeleton-like version of Hijacked has very little cover from above, meaning that equipment pieces can drop into the spawn areas, central showers, and seating aeras with ease. Learn those angles, and you could make for an impressive or infuriating Killcam, depending on whose side you are viewing it from.

5. Ready for the Upcoming Mission. Remember: the Hijacked Gulag is a partial re-creation of the map that’s being introduced in Black Ops Cold War Multiplayer. If you want some practice for your duels, dive into Multiplayer and focus on engagements within the midship area.

4. POWER!!! The Dirt Bike is the fastest vehicle in the game, making it great for getaways out of the Circle Collapse or to save a downed squadmate.

3. Lean with It. While on a Dirt Bike, use “leaning” to dodge and weave around enemy projectiles while traveling in straight lines or to make sharper turns as you travel along switchbacks or other tight corners.

2. Turn without the Burn. Remember that the Dirt Bike’s turning radius is at its worst at high speeds, so if that switchback is too tight, try reducing your speed or pulling off some drift techniques to nail those precise corners.

1. It’s All Coming Together Now… All of Season Four’s new content in Warzone can be combined to create new strategies for your squad. One example: the new Dirt Bike can tear up the open-air Satellite Crash Sites, as its nimbleness allows Operators to move around and through the area with great speed.

Need More Intel? Visit the Official Warzone Strategy Guide to get a detailed look at all 300+ Tips, over 400 Points of Interest, and everything you need to step up your gameplay and be fully prepared for Warzone.

We’ll see you online.

For more information on Call of Duty®: Warzone™, check out: www.callofduty.com and www.youtube.com/callofduty and follow @RavenSoftware and @CallofDuty on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. 

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