The latest installment of the Call of Duty series is nearly here. Call of Duty Vanguard, developed by Sledgehammer Games and published by Activision, is the eighteenth game in the series. We’ve got everything you need to know about the Call of Duty Vanguard release, including a countdown to the official launch date. We’ll also break down all the versions of the game you can pre-order, and give you a rundown on Zombies, Multiplayer, campaign, and Warzone integration.
Call of Duty Vanguard Countdown to Release
Call of Duty Vanguard officially releases on Friday, November 5, 2021, at midnight local time.
Here’s the countdown to release (midnight EDT):
Call of Duty Vanguard is available for pre-order on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation in Standard Edition, Ultimate Edition, and Cross-Gen Edition:
- Standard Edition – $59.99: Call of Duty Vanguard game, Night Raid Mastercraft Weapon Blueprint, Arthur Kingsley Operator, Frontline Weapons Pack, and 5 Hours of Double Weapon XP (PC only)
- Ultimate Edition – $99.99: Call of Duty Vanguard game, Night Raid Mastercraft Weapon Blueprint, Arthur Kingsley Operator, Frontline Weapons Pack, 5 Hours of Double Weapon XP, 5 Hours of Double Player XP, Task Force One Pack (3 Operator Skins and Weapon Blueprints with Tracers), and Battle Pass Bundle
- Cross-Gen Edition – $69.99: Call of Duty Vanguard game, Night Raid Mastercraft Weapon Blueprint, Arthur Kingsley Operator, Frontline Weapons Pack, 5 Hours of Double Weapon XP, Cross-Gen support on selected Platform (PS4 and PS5 or Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S)
Pre-load begins on November 2 at 10 AM PT on PC.
Vanguard and Warzone
Vanguard will integrate Call of Duty Warzone in a big way, and a brand new map called Pacific Caldera will be replacing Verdansk. We will also see weapons, operators, and skins make their way into Warzone from Vanguard, similar to the Cold War integration.
Multiplayer
Multiplayer features twenty maps at launch, with four exclusive to a new mode called Champion Hill. The new game mode is a solos, duos, or trios mode where players try to be the last squad standing in a round-robin deathmatch tournament. Other multiplayer modes include:
- Domination
- Free for All
- Kill Confirmed
- Team Deathmatch
- Hardpoint
- Patrols
- Search & Destroy
A new matchmaking feature allows players to choose from three Combat Pacing options, including Tactical, Assault, and Blitz, to customize their multiplayer experience. Blitz includes the highest octane lobbies with 48 players, whereas Assault is limited to 20-24 players, and Tactical is for smaller 12 player games.
Zombies
Zombies, developed by Treyarch in collaboration with Sledgehammer Games, returns to Call of Duty Vanguard, serving as a prologue to the Black Ops Cold War story. The new “Der Anfang” (The Start) mode incorporates elements of multi-round zombie slaying with objectives seen in Cold War’s Outbreak mode. Many of the currencies and upgrade mechanics carry over from Black Ops Cold War, such as the Pack-A-Punch and perks, in addition to something new known as the Altar of Covenants.
Campaign
The Call of Duty Vanguard campaign focuses on the Pacific War, Western and Eastern Fronts, and the North African campaign. Players will find out the origin of the special forces from multiple points of view. The campaign’s main will feature four playable characters, including:
- Sgt. Arthur Kingsley of the British Army 89th Parachute Battalion
- Lt. Polina Petrova of the Red Army 138th Rifle Division,
- Lt. Wade Jackson of the US Navy Scouting Squadron 6
- 2Lt. Lucas Riggs of the Australian Army 20th Battalion
Call of Duty Vanguard releases on November 5 for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
