To the surprise of very few, Call of Duty® continues to be a perennial favorite. That’s in no small part due to its battle royale game mode, the free-to-play Call of Duty: Warzone. Despite the huge success of Black Ops Cold War, it’s always exciting to see what awaits gamers with the next core entry – and Call of Duty: Vanguard is no exception.

Of course, the franchise is known for taking place in a different point in time with every new entry. This makes every single new iteration of the Call of Duty series unique when compared to the last, but it also leaves gamers wondering just what awaits them. That’s why we want to get you up to date on everything that’s currently known about Call of Duty: Vanguard so that you can prepare to immerse yourself in the vibrant action on your TCL – the Official TV of Call of Duty – later this year. With that said, here’s a look at what awaits you in the next Call of Duty title.

 

What’s The Game About?

This time around, players are heading back to World War II with a cast of new characters that fans will be introduced to within Vanguard’s campaign. The cast is sure to leave an impression, however, as some are based on real-world soldiers that were involved in various theatres of war that occurred during that era. In total there are four main characters that you’ll be able to jump into the boots of – each with their own story to tell.

These protagonists are Polina Petrova (Laura Bailey), Lucas Riggs (Martin Copping), Captain Wade Jackson (Derek Phillips) and Arthur Kingsley (Chiké Okonkwo). Petrova is a Soviet sniper that’s based on several known female snipers that were active during WWII and she will take players to the Eastern Front of the conflict. Riggs will change things up the scenery as the Australian’s missions will take place in the North African front. On the other hand, Jackson is a U.S. fighter pilot cruising the skies over the war which is sure to add a new dimension to the conflict. Finally, Kingsley is a British paratrooper and he’s likely to be accompanied by some of the more intense cinematic moments as he drops into battle.

What Multiplayer Modes Are Available?

Multiplayer has been a pillar of the Call of Duty series since its inception and that won’t be changing with the arrival of Vanguard. Right off the bat, players will be greeted with a total of 20 different multiplayer maps. As CoD diehards will quickly point out, that’s a substantial number to have available at launch. That’s because the focus this time around will be on smaller vistas, which means that chaotic modes such as Ground War (Modern Warfare) and Fireteam (Black Ops Cold War) have been axed. Instead, the primary multiplayer style is now 6-on-6 battles that’ll take place across 16 of the 20 aforementioned multiplayer maps. Of course, the team at Sledgehammer Games won’t leave players hanging with a more refined 6v6 option.

Rolling out alongside Call of Duty: Vanguard is at least one brand-new multiplayer mode called Champion Hill which was present in the game’s recent Open Beta. This is where the four other maps can be located in progressive battles set in 1-on-1, 2-on-2 and 3-on-3 environments. The mode allows players to run around the map to confront other players, earn money and buy weapons, perks and more. It’s a fast-paced series of rounds that will test players’ skills and could become a standout aspect of Vanguard. Truth be told, it’s going to be very interesting to see Champion Hill matches play out in a competitive setting. As always, playing on the 6-Series with THX® Certified Game Mode should provide the edge players need with fast response and smooth gameplay, which is important to keep in mind in competitive modes like this.

While the classic CoD combat is sure to delight, the return of Zombies sets up players for a fright! Despite that questionable rhyme, yes, the undead will once again rise in Call of Duty: Vanguard. Most interesting about this news is that Sledgehammer games (the studio developing Vanguard) won’t be responsible for the next Zombies mode. Instead, it’ll be tackled by Treyarch, the team that co-developed both Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Warzone. Details are slim on this mode right now, but it will tie into the mode that was most recently featured in Cold War. For now, fans can likely anticipate a breakdown of the new Zombies mode at some point a little closer to Halloween.

Of course, cosmetics and characters in multiplayer modes will also be a major part of Call of Duty: Vanguard – as it has been with every recent title. These cosmetics can be earned and shared across Vanguard and the ongoing Call of Duty: Warzone – courtesy of the games’ shared season pass. It’s unknown what the first season will look like for Vanguard, but details are sure to emerge closer to launch.

What About Warzone?

Warzone has quickly become a go-to mode for Call of Duty fans and that’s going to remain the case with Vanguard. The two are so closely tied together that Vanguard was revealed in a Warzone event. That event took players back to World War II where they were tasked with working together to blow up an enemy train before hostile bombers entered the area. To say the reveal was a success would be an understatement, but more than that, it showcased how the two will crossover with one another to keep players engaged long term. There’s even a digital pre-order bonus currently available that grants players immediate access to the “Night Raid” Mastercraft Submachine Gun Weapon Blueprint.

While it hasn’t yet been confirmed, many are also anticipating that Warzone’s iconic Verdansk map may once again experience a major changeup with the arrival of Vanguard. Given that one event in the game already took the map back to a WWII setting and that Vanguard protagonist Polina Petrova has begun showing up at the end of Warzone matches to snipe winning players, it’s clear that there will be some alterations and themes carrying over to Call of Duty’s free-to-play battle royale title. It certainly wouldn’t be out of left field given that Black Ops Cold War took Verdansk back to the 80s.

Despite the more recent addition of Rebirth Island to Warzone, it may also be time for a new map to be added to the game. Only time will tell what’s in store.

When and Where Can You Play It?

Call of Duty: Vanguard will launch on November 5 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.

As was the case with last year’s title, Activision offering several bundles for this year’s entry. The standard edition will allow players access to Vanguard’s campaign and multiplayer modes. Meanwhile, the Cross-Gen Bundle allows players to secure a copy of the game across branded platforms – meaning that Xbox players get both Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S versions of the game, while PlayStation players secure both PS4 and PS5 versions. Finally, the Ultimate Edition brings the goods by including the Cross-Gen Bundle, an exclusive Task Force One Pack (which includes three Operator Skins and three Weapon Blueprints) and a Battle Pass Bundle (which includes Vanguard’s first season pass and 20 tier skips).

Finding the right version to pick up comes down to how dedicated you are to playing Call of Duty: Vanguard and Warzone. Fortunately, it looks like there’s a lot that you’ll be able to sink your teeth into when the game finally can finally be played on your TCL in November.