Call of Duty: Vanguard multiplayer will introduce a new game mode called Patrol, GamesRadar learned during a hands-on gameplay session.
Patrol is a lot like the popular Call of Duty game mode Hardpoint, where players have to capture a series of rotating objectives. Patrol will only have a single objective, but that objective will constantly move around the map. That means that the hardpoint in question will never stay in once place, but you'll need to follow it as it makes its way throughout different choke points and open areas. We played Patrol on the Pacific island map Gavutu during our Call of Duty: Vanguard multiplayer hands-on, and it was pure chaos.
In Patrol, two teams will fight for the single hardpoint which is indicated by a bright beam of light emanating from the ground. When you've captured the hardpoint, the ring of light will turn blue - when enemies have captured it, it's red. If opposing players are both in the zone, it will turn yellow (you can change these colors to accommodate color-blind players, as well).
As soon as the zone is activated, it begins to move around the map, requiring you and your teammates to come up with a gameplay strategy that keeps you in that moving hardpoint for as long as possible. As Sledgehammer Games tells us during the hands-on preview, certain stationary field upgrades like trophy systems won't be very effective here - whereas they're super helpful in traditional Hardpoint matches.
A Patrol match lasts until one team reaches 200 points, or if you go five minutes without either team scoring, upon which the team with the most points wins. During my hands-on, the hardpoint frequently changed hands, and with it constantly on the move it made for an absolute chaotic, fun game type. Considering Combat Pacing will allow you to choose the size of the lobby for Patrol matches, expect larger lobbies to impart even more chaos.
Call of Duty: Vanguard is set to release November 5 on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and PC.
You can read up on our Activision Blizzard lawsuit explained feature for complete details about the legal proceedings facing the Call of Duty publisher.
