With the launch of Season 3 Reloaded this week, Call of Duty: Warzone developer Raven Software has removed one of the game’s newest and most popular modes, Black Ops Royale. Inspired by Black Ops 4‘s Blackout, which was the first time Call of Duty ever attempted a Battle Royale mode, Black Ops Royale was added to Warzone on March 12, but has now been removed from the game less than two months later.
Prior to the release of Warzone back in 2020, Treyarch Studios took a pop at the Battle Royale genre with a Black Ops 4 exclusive mode known as Blackout. Unlike the traditional Call of Duty Battle Royale experience fans know today, Blackout had no gulag, no loadouts, no buy stations, and required manual healing. Support for the mode ended once Warzone came around a few years later, as the free-to-play title quickly became a fan-favorite. While Blackout was closer to a more traditional Battle Royale experience, Warzone took things to another level with some unique and defining features, but not everyone was a fan.
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Call of Duty’s Season 3 Reloaded Update Removes Black Ops Royale From Warzone
Over the years, Warzone has become one of the biggest Battle Royale titles around, competing with heavy hitters such as Fortnite, Apex Legends, and PUBG. However, some veteran fans often yearned for the return of Blackout, leading to the introduction of Black Ops Royale on March 12. Although the mode is still built on the Warzone engine, Raven Software attempted to remain faithful to its source material by including no buy stations, gulag, or loadouts. Unfortunately, less than two months after its debut, Black Ops Royale has been removed from Warzone with the big Season 3 Reloaded update on April 30.
Balance the critic averages
Balance the critic averages
Easy (6)Medium (8)Hard (10)
As detailed in the official patch notes for the mid-season refresh, a new playlist update for Warzone confirms that the following options will now be available in-game:
- Battle Royale (Quads) – Avalon, Verdansk
- Resurgence (Solos, Duos, Quads) – Haven’s Hollow, Rebirth Island
- Hot Pursuit (Solos, Quads) – Avalon
- Ranked Play: Resurgence (Trios) – Haven’s Hollow, Rebirth Island
- Battle Royale Casual (Quads) – Avalon, Verdansk
- Resurgence Casual (Quads) – Haven’s Hollow, Rebirth Island
The removal of Black Ops Royale has gone down like a lead balloon with the community, as fans are calling for its immediate return. “No more Black Ops Royale, no solos/duos for any big map mode, no ranked for any big map mode… what are we doing man?” content creator HusKerrs said in response to the update. “They just removed the best mode. What are we doing,” one user said, while another replied with, “Getting rid of Black Ops Royale is a HUGE L.”
Fans are also once again annoyed by the lack of Solos for Warzone Battle Royale. Despite being the main game mode of choice in the free-to-play title, standard Battle Royale can currently only be played in teams of four, otherwise known as Quads. This isn’t the first time that fans have been angered by the lackluster playlist options, as Raven Software regularly removes Solos from rotation. The studio even launched Black Ops Royale, one of Warzone‘s most anticipated game modes in years, without a Solos option, but quickly added it into the rotation after player backlash.
Who’s That Character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)
Thankfully, Raven Software hasn’t removed big map rotation, a feature Warzone fans have wanted for years. Previously, fans were tied to whatever large map was available at the time, and even though Resurgence, which features much smaller maps, allowed a timed rotation feature, it was thought impossible for larger maps due to the limitations of last-gen consoles. However, that is no longer the case, as players can jump into either Avalon, which debuted alongside Black Ops Royale back in March, or the classic and beloved Verdansk, the first ever Call of Duty: Warzone map.
- Released
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March 10, 2020
- ESRB
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M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Drugs, Violence
