Warzone 2’s future under Raven Software looks incredibly bright
Warzone developers Raven Software introduced countless highly requested changes, but many were disappointed to see they were left behind in Warzone 2. With Raven at the reins again, Warzone 2’s future is looking extremely bright.
Warzone’s time in Caldera was certainly a mixed bag. Despite the game feeling bloated and the map failing to hold my interest, it was incredible to see all of the changes Raven Software brought in alongside High Moon, Beenox, Toys for Bob, and Sledgehammer as the seasons rolled on.
While most look back on Verdansk more fondly than Caldera, it was also a time when the community was crying out for change that never arrived. Players wanted the TTK to be increased, armor to fill an empty slot before replacing a damaged one, and the Gas Mask to stop interrupting actions and these changes all arrived during Caldera.
Not only that, but they shook up gameplay with additions that weren’t highly requested such as Redeploy Balloons and Gulag Entry and Redeploy Extraction tokens to keep players alive and the action fast-paced throughout the entire match. No matter my feelings about Caldera, Warzone’s mechanics were never better.
ActivisionWith Warzone 2 being the direct sequel to the original battle royale, we all expected those major quality-of-life changes to carry on over. Alas, they didn’t.
It almost feels as if Infinity Ward pretended that Warzone stopped existing as soon as they were finished with it. Next to none of the beloved quality-of-life features that Raven Software brought to Warzone returned, and it feels more like a sequel to the Warzone that launched in March 2020 rather than the battle royale that was left behind in November.
That’s not to say that Warzone 2 isn’t a good battle royale. Performance issues aside, I like a lot of the changes Infinity Ward introduced, and Al Mazrah is a particular highlight. But it could have been so much better at launch and with Raven Software at the helm once again, it has a bright future ahead.
It seems that Raven really took control after Season 1 Reloaded, dropping a handful of welcome updates before the holidays. There are now more Buy Stations, Loadout Drops come in earlier, and to put the cherry on top, you can actually purchase Loadout Drops again!
It feels like Warzone is finally getting its identity back thanks to Raven Software. I’m not saying I want Warzone 1 on Al Mazrah, but it still doesn’t feel like a true sequel when it’s a step backward in many ways.
With Loadout Drops back, we can only hope that Raven start to bring some of the other quality-of-life changes throughout the remainder of Season 1 and Season 2. Warzone 2’s map, movement, mechanics, and anti-cheat alongside lootable Perks, a detailed Squad HUD, Portable Buy Stations, and increased close-range TTK has the potential to blow the original game out of the water.
Raven Software just need to keep up the great work and Warzone 2 will finally be in the place it needs to be. Now, about that 2v2 Gulag…
Image Credit: Activision / Raven Software