Summary
Debuting back in March 2020, it’s been almost four years sinceCall of Duty: Warzonefirst hit consoles and PC, and its journey has been a rather interesting one. Coming out right before a global pandemic,Call of Duty: Warzonecame out at the ideal time, managing to capture a monumental player-base right off the bat. And while the introduction of new maps and modes has been met with its fair share of criticism over the years,Call of Duty: Warzoneis still one of the biggest live-service games in the world, and it doesn’t show any signs of stopping.
Beginning on February 7,Call of Duty: Warzonehas received a slew of new content via its Season 2 update. By far the biggest addition this season is the return of Fortune’s Keep, a classicResurgence map from theVanguarddays ofCall of Duty: Warzone. But Fortune’s Keep is far from the only new addition this season, with one new type of limited-time contract feeling like a little celebration ofCall of Duty’s very first Battle Royale, Blackout.
How Call of Duty: Warzone Season 2’s Event Feels Like a Throwback to Blackout
Call of Duty: Warzone Season 2’s Eradication Contract Explained
Introduced right at the start ofCall of Duty: WarzoneSeason 2, a new limited-time event called Horde Hunt is available throughoutCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3andCall of Duty: Warzone. InWarzone, this event brings about a new type of Contract that’s scattered around the Battle Royale’s various maps. Called Eradication Contracts, this new mission type sees players stumble upon a corpse and a set of bloody footprints.
Following these footprints will take players to a Zombie Nest, where they’ll encounter a few waves of the undead. If players can find the nest, kill all the zombies, and defeat the High-Value Target zombie boss within the time limit, then the Contract is completed, and the team is awarded a healthy amount of cash for their efforts. This also grants them some exclusive Horde Hunt event currency.
How Warzone’s Eradication Contract Hearkens Back to Blackout
Call of Duty: Warzone’s latest limited-time event is far from the first time the game has dabbled with zombies. The very first timeCall of Duty: Warzoneexperimented with zombies was all the way back in 2020, during the Haunting of Verdansk Halloween event, which allowed players to find zombies at specific spawn zones across the beloved Battle Royale map. That being said,Call of Duty: Warzone’s Eradication Contractsfeel more like a throwback to Blackout than ever before.
The franchise’s first attempt at a Battle Royale,Call of Duty: Black Ops 4’sBlackout had zombies in it from the get-go, and they were there to stay. Spawning at specific locations on the map, usually related directly to classic Zombies maps, Blackout’s undead hordes protected a series of Mystery Boxes. They also dropped some rare loot upon death, including iconicCall of DutyZombiesWonder Weaponslike the Ray Gun, often making them a good early-game target for players. The Blightfather mini boss could also spawn on occassion, meaning that players had to keep an eye on a significant PvE threat while also looking out for other players.
Call of Duty: Warzone’s new Fortune’s Keep map includes a Ray Gun Easter egg, with players being able to find it at the Ground Zero Point of Interest.
WhileCall of Duty: Warzone’s new Eradication Contracts don’t translateBlackout’s zombie gameplayone-for-one, its general structure does hearken back to that Blackout gameplay loop, encouraging players to grab the Contract early on in order to snag some better loot and earn some cash, with the risk being that other players could capitalize on the distracted group. This isn’t the first timeCall of Duty: Warzonehas shared its DNA with Blackout, and it probably won’t be the last.
Call of Duty: Warzone
WHERE TO PLAY
Welcome to Call of Duty®: Warzone™, the massive free-to-play combat arena which now features Urzikstan, Rebirth Island and Fortune’s Keep.Turn the Heat UpPrepare to take the battle to a new metropolis in the all-new Urzikstan map, the new big Battle Royale map. Jump in to celebrate the epic return of Rebirth Island and Fortune’s Keep, two Resurgence maps that are sure to excite veterans and newcomers alike.Loot For RewardsDiscover supply boxes and complete contracts to build your arsenal and gain a tactical advantage.A Game Pass Core subscription is not required to play Call of Duty®: Warzone™. All other online modes still require Game Pass Core.A mobile phone number may be required to be linked to your Activision account to play Call of Duty®: Warzone™.
