Call of Duty: Vanguard

Vanguard Season 5 patch notes: Release date, new maps, round-based Zombies, ranked season, more

Luca Di Marzo
vanguard mendez and khaled al-asad

Activision have officially revealed the patch notes for Season 5 of Vanguard, unveiling all the content that players can expect for the final season of the game.

The fifth and final season of Call of Duty: Vanguard has officially been revealed ahead of Modern Warfare 2‘s release. Season 5 of Vanguard marks the “Last Stand,” bringing brand-new content for players to enjoy as the last hoorah for the game.

From new maps and weapons to another round-based Zombies map, Vanguard players have a lot to look forward to when it comes to Vanguard Season 5.

Here’s everything you need to know about the update, including all of the new content that arrived.

Vanguard Season 5 release date

Vanguard Season 5 officially launched on August 24 at around 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET / 5 PM BST, while the update went live on August 23.

This will be the final season for Vanguard, so there will be a heap of content for players to enjoy, whether you like to play Multiplayer or Zombies.

Vanguard Season 5 new maps

Beheaded (Launch)

vanguard beheaded map

Beheaded will be available at launch, and is set on a “war-torn Times Square.”

On this small map, players will “battle under the neon lights outside famed Big Apple establishments, or take up position in Lady Liberty’s fallen head, race through her arms, and dash through the subway to flank your enemies.”

Fortress (In-Season)

vanguard fortress map

Arriving in-season, Fortress will see players take to the Mediterranean on a medium-sized map “featuring close-quarters interiors with rooftop access that grant you power positions. Fight in a maritime graveyard, where ship remains litter the desert landscape. The eponymous fortress incorporates an old ship into its own design, creating a varied landscape to be exploited by savvy Operators.”

Vanguard Season 5 Operators

Raul Menendez (Launch)

vanguard mendez operator

Taken from the Black Ops series, Raul Menendez was born in Nicaragua and left in charge of the Menendez Cartel after his father was killed by the CIA. After his sister’s death, he became a “hostile political activist.”

“His charisma and ruthlessness propelled him to leadership of the social movement turned terrorist organization, Cordis Die…Now, you can harness his wrath against your enemies as part of Task Force Tyrants.”

Khaled Al-Asad (Launch)

vanguard khaled al-asad operator

Khaled Al-Asad is from the Modern Warfare series, and he “grew up in Urzikstan amid political strife.”

After taking control of the Al-Qatala terrorist group, he “transformed the militants into an army as he acquired an arsenal for the invasion of Verdansk. Committed to the demise of Western power, Al-Asad launched gas attacks in Verdansk, breaking a fragile armistice between nations.”

Gabriel T. Rorke (In-Season)

Vanguard Gabriel Rorke operator

Gabriel Rorke is from Call of Duty: Ghosts, and he “led the Ghosts before being turned against them, paving the way for the Federation’s occupation of the United States.”

Rorke was brainwashed after being left behind and found by the Federation during an assassination mission.

He “Seraph” Zhen-Zhen (In-Season)

Vanguard Seraph operator

Lastly, we have Seraph, who grew up in the “Singapore Quarantine Zone as the daughter of a high-ranking officer in the 54 Immortals.” Seraph embodies force, ambition, dedication, and skill.

Vanguard Season 5 new weapons

With Vanguard Season 5, players will be getting five weapons, with two arriving with the Battle Pass at launch.

Vanguard Season 5 Ranked Play

vangaurd season 5 weapon

In the final season of Vanguard, players will once again be able to participate in a new season of Ranked Play to compete for exclusive rewards such as new Camos, Charms, Emblems, and Weapon Blueprints.

Players will compete in 4v4 matches that use the same “settings, maps, and modes as the 2022 Call of Duty League.”

Further, “Treyarch will launch the new season’s Top 250 Skill Division and Leaderboard on August 31 to show the world who’s the best of the best.”

Vanguard Season 5 Zombies

The Archon

vangaurd season 5 zombies the archon

Zombies fans are in for a treat as Vanguard Season 5 will bring a new round-based map called The Archon. Check out our guide on Vanguard Season 5 Zombies to find out more.

This new map is described as the “epic conclusion of Vanguard Zombies,” and will take place in Egypt. Players will be taking on new quests in the finale of Vanguard Zombies, facing off against Kortifex the Deathless inside the Dark Aether.

As the CoD blog states, “you’ll need every advantage you can get, so be sure to hit up the Perk Fountains, Altar of Covenants, Tome of Rituals, and the Pack-a-Punch machine and prepare for a larger-than-life final battle.”

Vanguard Season 5 update patch notes

Multiplayer

  • NEW: Beheaded
    • Navigate a war-torn Times Square in this post-apocalyptic small map, built for fast action. Look for the Beheaded 24/7 Featured Playlist at the launch of Season Five.
  • Berlin
    • Debris pile in the Destroyed Room no longer allows players to obstruct view of their Operator.
    • Enemy nameplates are no longer visible through walls in the Office.
    • Players can no longer reach an unintended vantage point in the Destroyed Room.
    • Players can no longer capture the Office Hardpoint from an unintended location.
  • Castle
    • Addressed an exploit that allowed players to reach unintended locations beneath the playable area.
  • Decoy
    • Field Upgrades will no longer fall through geometry when placed in the Exhaust Monitor or Switch Station.
    • Players can no longer reach unintended vantage points near the East Courtyard.
    • Mantling a wooden crate in the Barracks Yard will no longer kill the player.
    • Adjusted spawn location near the Administration Road to prevent players from spawning out of bounds.
  • Desolation
    • Players can no longer reach unintended vantage points near the Central Ruins Overlook and Temple Ruins.
    • Players can no longer capture the Comms Towers Hardpoint from unintended locations.
    • Improved Guard Dog Killstreak AI pathing near the Village Creek.

  • NEW: Season Five Seasonal Challenges
    • Earn cosmetic rewards upon completing each of the twenty Season 5 Mastery challenges.
  • NEW: Season Five Clan Challenge
    • Earn cosmetic rewards upon completing each of the four stages of the Season Five Clan Challenge.
      • Get 500 ADS Kills
  • Addressed an issue that caused players to lose access to previously unlocked items.

  • Season Five Skill Rating Reset
    • Players’ Skill Ratings have been reset at the start of Season Five.
    • Play 5 Skill Evaluation Matches to earn a Season Five Skill Rating and get placed into a Skill Division & Tier.
    • Win matches after your initial placement to earn SR and advance your Skill Division & Tier over the remainder of the Season.
  • Season Five Top 250 Skill Division & Leaderboard
    • The Season Five Top 250 Skill Division and Ladder will go live on August 31st, one full week after Season Five starts. This release time will allow players time to earn a Season Five Skill Rating and advance through divisions.
  • Season Five Ranked Play Rewards
    • Players can earn the following rewards in Ranked Play during Season Five:
      • Blueprints
        • Pro Reissue SMG Automaton – Finish Top 5 in a Ladder Event
        • Midnight’s Edge (Combat Knife) – Win 50 Ranked Play Matches
      • Camos
        • Season Five Ladder Champion – Finish 1st in a Ladder Event
        • Season Five Ranked Veteran – Win 100 Ranked Play Matches
      • Charms
        • Locked Down – Finish Top 10 in a Ladder Event
        • GOAT – Win 25 Ranked Play Matches
      • Spray
        • Chalked – Win 5 Ranked Play Matches
      • Sticker
        • Season Five Ranked Competitor – Complete 5 Skill Evaluation Matches
      • Emblems
        • Earn an Animated Skill Division Emblem at the end of Season Five to reflect your highest Season Five Skill Division

  • NEW: Raul Menendez (Tyrants)
    • Raul Menendez was born in Nicaragua, where his childhood was clouded by the brutal revolution of US-backed Contras. His father founded the Menendez Cartel and was assassinated by the CIA at the height of his power, leaving Raul in charge. But it was the death of his sister Josephina that focused his rage, driving him to become a hostile political activist. His charisma and ruthlessness propelled him to leadership of the social movement turned terrorist organization Cordis Die.
    • Unlocked via purchase of the Season Five Battle Pass or related Bundle.
  • NEW: Khaled Al-Asad (Tyrants)
    • Khaled Al-Asad grew up in Urzikstan amid political strife. He was drawn to the words of Omar Sulaman, and joined the Al-Qatala terrorist group. He was imprisoned, but escaped after Sulaman’s death to take control of Al-Qatala. His leadership transformed the militants into an army, as he acquired an arsenal for the invasion of Verdansk. Committed to the demise of Western power, Al-Asad launched gas attacks in Verdansk, breaking a fragile armistice between nations.
    • Unlocked via digital pre-order of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II.
  • T-800 and T-100 (Terminators)
    • Reduced Mastery Challenge requirements from both Operators to just one.

  • General
    • Corrected various mismatched Magazine Attachment names and capacities.
    • Added missing inspection sound effects for Sniper Rifles, Pistols, and Melee Weapons.
    • Addressed an issue where players could not raise their Weapon after climbing a ladder.
    • Improved performance of the Gunsmith UI on legacy hardware.
  • NEW: EX1 (Assault Rifle)
    • A prototype energy rifle effective at long range and highly customizable.
    • Base Weapon unlocked at Tier 15 of the Season Five Battle Pass
  • NEW: RA 225 (Submachine Gun)
    • This SMG has a high fire rate and a very mobile compact frame.
    • Base Weapon unlocked at Tier 31 of the Season Five Battle Pass
  • NEW: Valois Revolver (Pistol)
    • A combination knife and revolver that acts as both a lethal melee weapon and a pistol.
    • Base Weapon unlocked via Weapon Unlock Challenge.
      • Get 15 Melee Kills
  • KG M40 (Assault Rifle)
    • Mk. 3 Reflector Optic Attachment will no longer be invisible when equipped.
  • Marco 5 (Submachine Gun)
    • Added Weapon Unlock Challenge.
      • Get 15 Hipfire Kills
  • UGM-8 (Light Machine Gun)
    • Added Weapon Unlock Challenge.
      • Get 15 Bullet Penetration Kills
  • M1916 (Marksman Rifle)
    • Removed duplicate Mk. 8 Reflector Optic Attachment.

  • Engineer (Intel)
    • Friendly Attack Dog and Guard Dog Killstreaks are no longer highlighted in red.

  • Flamenaut (9 Kills)
    • Addressed an issue that resulted in DEV ERROR 5573 upon use.

  • Players that have purchased both Terminator Bundles will begin to receive the following additional rewards starting in early September. Please note that some Players may receive their items later than others.
    • Target Acquired Legendary Whitley Blueprint
    • Endoskeleton Skull Legendary Weapon Charm
  • Metal Etched Blueprint for the 1911 Pistol will no longer grant an invalid Muzzle Attachment.

Zombies

  • “The Archon”
    • Available starting August 24th at 9 AM PT / 12 AM ET / 5 PM BST.

  • New Main Quest and Boss Fight available in “The Archon.”

  • New Dark Aether narrative intel available to discover in “The Archon.” 

  • Decimator Shield 
    • Reduced cooldown on the Decimator Blast ability from 60 to 30 seconds.
    • Increased Decimator Blast damage against Sturmkriegers and Zaballa the Deceiver.

  • Season Five
    • EX1 energy rifle and RA 225 SMG available in Zombies loadouts once unlocked via the Season Five Battle Pass.
  • Unlock Challenges
    • New Weapon Unlock Challenges added to Zombies for the Marco 5 SMG and UGM-8 LMG.

  • Round Based
    • Altar of Covenants
      • Covenant selection now refreshes with each round at the Altar of Covenants instead of every three rounds.

  • Season Five
    • 20 new Zombies Season Challenges available at the start of Season Five.
  • Season Four
    • Addressed an issue that prevented the “Broken Communications” challenge from tracking properly.

Those are all the details we know about Vanguard Season 5. If you’re interested in the battle royale aspect of Call of Duty, be sure to check out all the details on Warzone Pacific Season 5.

Source: Call of Duty / Sledgehammer Games

Image Credit: Activision

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