Call of Duty: Vanguard and Warzone preseason events include Shipment map and Operation: Flashback mode

By Austin Wood
published

Season 1 isn't actually out until December 2, nearly a month after launch

Call of Duty: Vanguard
(Image credit: Activision)

Call of Duty: Vanguard and Warzone will receive some appetizer-like content ahead of the launch of Season 1, including the return of the multiplayer map Shipment and the release of a nostalgic battle royale mode. 

Introduced in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Shipment drops players into a small map packed with shipping containers that create unconventional sightlines and angles while encouraging close-quarters play. In a blog post, Activision described Vanguard's take on the map as "re-fitted" for "a chaotic playground for destruction." Shipment will arrive on November 17, according to the preseason calendar. 

Warzone will also help build out the run-up to December 2 with Operation: Flashback, a limited-time "encore" mode for the Verdansk map. Coming November 18, this mode was apparently designed with nostalgia in mind, celebrating Verdansk's legacy as Warzone's foundational map with "plenty of surprises." Anyone who plays Operation: Flashback will get a special emblem, and winning a round will net you an exclusive calling card. 

November 24, meanwhile, will see the release of Secrets of the Pacific, which will deliver clues on the upcoming map Caldera. Bits of info will be drip-fed through Warzone and Vanguard challenges during this limited-time event, with one requiring players to collect Pacific artifacts while fighting in Verdansk. Finally, on November 30, Verdansk will get blown to hell and back with a destructive spectacle teasing a "farewell to the Kastovian city… forever?"

The broader preseason offerings will technically begin on launch day, November 5, with the release of the free tiers on the Vanguard battle pass. Season 1 launch day will see some celebrations of its own, most notably a 24-hour trial period for Call of Duty: Warzone Pacific, letting all players sample the seasonal content on the new map. 

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Austin Wood
Austin Wood

Austin freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree, and he's been with GamesRadar+ since 2019. They've yet to realize that his position as a senior writer is just a cover up for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a focus on news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible.