Warzone's festive terror Krampus returns, two winters after bullying Call of Duty players to the point they wanted them gone forever

Krampus, the festive goat demon who terrorized Call of Duty players two winters ago, has returned to Warzone.

In European folklore, while Santa Claus showers good kids with gifts and joy, Krampus deals with the naughty ones with tricks and sometimes violence. Naturally, these holiday duties had Krampus cross paths with the toxic realm of Call of Duty Warzone back in 2021, where the demon hunted down players at the end of tight matches. 

The event's tough difficulty has haunted Call of Duty player's nightmares every winter since, and while the event itself isn't returning, the beast has now been immortalized in an in-game Easter Egg. 

The Santa's Slayground Christmas event kicked off on December 20, and along with timed rewards, the update introduced the reference to Warzone's Urzikstan map. Players traveling to the map's cargo beach can interact with an ominous arm stretching out from the rubble.

Doing so rewards you with an anxiety-inducing "Krampus Is Hunting You" pop-up, a voice line from the menace, and a "He Hunts You" animated calling card. (Only one of them is a proper reward, but another reminder of Krampus's cursed existence is always good.)

Elsewhere for the series, Call of Duty 2024 is reportedly another Black Ops outing set during the ‘90s Gulf War, currently in development at Treyarch. Not much else is known about the game - you’ll presumably still be focused on shooting - though it’s one of at least four more annual Call Of Duty games incoming. 

Check out our Modern Warfare 3 review for the latest Call Of Duty verdict.