Rebirth Island Reinforced is going to make or break Call of Duty Warzone for me

Warzone Rebirth Island Reinforced images

Rebirth Island is getting its most significant update since its launch in Dec 2020 (Image credit: Activision)

I hope that Rebirth Island Reinforced rekindles my love for Warzone. While I can largely credit Call of Duty: Warzone for maintaining my sanity through two years of lockdowns – a nightly distraction from the hastening erosion of time – my interest in Activision's battle royale has admittedly started to wane. Warzone's rhythms have become too familiar and its meta too unpredictable to easily follow, a confluence that's made it difficult for me to allocate it my attention alongside the slew of new games in 2022.

With the Warzone 2 release date set for later this year, I had already prepared to abandon what is one of my most-played games of all-time in its current incarnation… although Warzone Rebirth Reinforced could change that. Arriving as part of the Warzone Pacific Season 2 Reloaded mid-season update this week, Rebirth Island is getting a long-overdue facelift, and that's something worth dropping back in for.

Warzone Rebirth update

As part of the Warzone Rebirth update coming on Wednesday March 23, we're about to get one revamped point-of-interest, new lootable areas, and a reinforced water tower, alongside revisions to map visibility and more cover across some of the more open areas of the island.

It's the shift to Security to the south that is worth paying attention to. While the area was always good for an early-game loadout and some absurd sniper battles with the rooftop of Control Center and the occupants of the green house in Living Quarters, it always felt like a bit of a dead-zone. It's such an isolated space on the smaller map, offering few points of connectivity to other POIs or areas that can be locked down in advance of the constricting circle – it's effectively the inverse of the carnage wrought out at Bioweapons Labs, which will typically spill out into Chemical Engineering, Decon Zone, and beyond.

Security is being replaced by Stronghold on Rebirth Island, with a wide road leading down from the hill towards a new checkpoint gate and a fortified structure behind it; expect close-quarters combat to excel around the checkpoint, and the new radar building (replacing the communications tower) to provide a solid vantage point for any team strong enough to hold it down.

Strengthening the opportunities in the southern region of Rebirth Island seems to be a focus here, particularly as large supply ships are pulling up alongside the Nova 6 Factory to the east and at the new Docks to the west – an extension of the concrete helipad near to the old construction site. These new lootable spaces will offer multiple tiers of close-combat play, and offer new lines of sight out to the northern Lookout area. All of these changes point to the scope of play along the bottom half of the map changing dramatically, pulling focus away from the chaos in Prison Block and Headquarters where scores of players have traditionally gathered.

We know these types of tactical changes can work for Rebirth Island. When Construction was finally completed in April 2021, leading to the placement of the Control Center, it helped to breathe new life into the western side of the island; that long run of road from Security up through to what my online crew affectionately refers to as 'Grandma's House' was once a killing field for Prison Roof occupants, but the large new structure helped to break up the line of sight and give players a deadly new playground to camp in.

A substantial shift with Stronghold, two new lootable areas on the flanks of the map – not to mention expansions and reinforcements to the Prison Yard walkways, and expanded Water Tower – could breathe enough life into Rebirth Resurgence that it'll see me through until the launch of Warzone 2 this autumn.

Why Rebirth needs to succeed

As Verdansk lost its luster in the Black Ops Cold War era, my friend group found a new home in Rebirth Resurgence; even after Warzone made the push into Caldera, we seldom left the claustrophobic confines of the Island. Admittedly, that's partly because we found it difficult to compete in the more broadly scaled battle royale conflict, and struggled to keep pace as the game evolved and the skill ceiling raised every month. But it's also because Rebirth Resurgence is an uncomplicated good time.

The mode strikes a happy balance between the more punishing battle royale ruleset and open-ended carnage of Call of Duty's Team Deathmatch – to me, it's the perfect reflection of what Warzone can and should be. My Warzone playtime has shrunk in the last few months, partly because the easing of lockdown restrictions has made it more difficult to find time to play with friends, and partly because the Warzone Pacific update put Rebirth Resurgence Quads in rotation.

But with the spotlight focusing once again on the Island, I hope that Rebirth Reinforced will rekindle some of my love for Warzone. The update is expected to launch on March 23, and I'm looking forward to jumping back into the action for Rebirth Reinforced and to ruin with little remains of my positive kill/death ratio as I slam against the waves of players rushing the new Stronghold.

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