Get a head start with Call of Duty: Warzone, the free-to-play battle royale mode

And just like that, Activision has announced a new battle royale mode, Call of Duty: Warzone. It’s going to be a huge experience since there will be up to 150 players as you explore a giant map in the city of Verdansk and another additional mode. You don’t need Call of Duty: Modern Warfare to play this mode, and the best thing of all, it’s free to play!

Call of Duty: Warzone will be available today for all PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC players starting at noon PST. However, if you have Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, you’ll get early access.

To get a head start and be one of the first to play Call of Duty: Warzone, install Call of Duty: Modern Warfare via your respective platform (PS4, Xbox One, PC) and make sure your game is fully updated. Once 8 a.m. PST hits, you’ll have early access after an 18-23 GB download (depending on the platform). Before the install, the game’s menu will have a classified panel with a countdown timer. Once Warzone is installed, the Warzone panel will be available, allowing you to join the lobby and start the fight.

Like Call of Duty: Blackout, you’ll be able to play with your friends in a squad as you fight to become the last team standing. There will be rewards for finding loot, eliminating enemies, or finishing discoverable Contracts on the map.

Contracts are located across the map, and completing them will give you in-match rewards like weapons, Cash, XP, and more. These can range from hunting down a particular enemy in a Bounty or controlling an interesting point on the map.

Warzone is a new way to play a battle royale game. Here’s a list of what to expect:

In Warzone’s Battle Royale mode, drop into the massive Verdansk world with 150 players in teams of three to loot and fight to be the last squad standing in a colossal firefight
In this redefined Battle Royale, players of all skill levels and playstyles will find new ways to play and be rewarded in the survival game mode
Players can collect in-match Cash to purchase equipment, Field Upgrades, Killstreaks or Revive Tokens for fallen teammates at Buy Stations located throughout the map to help turn the tide of war
Squads can choose to take on Contracts, optional in-match mini-missions located throughout the map that payout in epic in-match rewards upon completion, including rare loot, in-match Cash, XP, and Weapon XP to help squads get the upper hand on the competition
If you go down in a match, it doesn’t mean you’re out for the count. In Warzone’s Battle Royale, there are different ways players can earn their way back into the fight:
The Gulag is an all-new way to earn a second chance at survival in Battle Royale. Upon being eliminated, players will be taken to the Gulag to face-off against another fallen player in a 1v1 winner-takes-all gunfight, for a chance to redeploy back into the match
In addition, players can earn enough in-match Cash to purchase a Self-Revive Kit in order to heal themselves after being downed by an opponent
Players can also bring back fallen teammates by earning enough in-match Cash to purchase a Squad Buyback at Buy Stations scattered throughout the map

The second Warzone mode is ‘Plunder’:

Warzone also features the all-new, large-scale combat mode Plunder, where the freedom and gameplay variety of Battle Royale meets fast-paced Call of Duty action
In Plunder, teams drop into an action-packed race to collect as much in-match Cash as possible by raiding Supply Boxes, eliminating opponents, completing Contracts or by controlling key Cash deposit locations throughout the map
Each player gets unlimited respawns, their own loadout, killstreaks and more, as they employ multiple team strategies to grow and safeguard their collection of in-match Cash.
There are a variety of ways to achieve victory, creating nearly endless epic moments and creative possibilities to win this battleground heist

Like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Call of Duty: Warzone will support crossplay between PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. Your Battle Pass items, Operators, weapons and customization items will be applied to Warzone and vice versa. If you don’t have Modern Warfare, progress and items can be transferred if you decide to get the game.