Season 3 launched only a few days ago for Call of Duty: Warzone, yet the community is already sharing nostalgia over the old map. For many fans, Call of Duty: Warzone and Verdansk were one and the same, and small updates still left the map feeling like Verdansk. Recent changes have caused many players to wish that some aspects never updated.
While Call of Duty: Warzone's map update made massive changes to large locales across the environment, one unexpected change happened to the Gulag. For many players, Call of Duty: Warzone's Gulag is a sacred zone where fans can compete for a chance at a second life. Original designs were rather straightforward, but this new Gulag has many players upset at the update's decision.
Call of Duty: Warzone Season 3 brought about an 80s version of Verdansk. There are many notable changes, including the new Gulag based on the Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Standoff map. The map was designed with the same board and proxy props that Nuketown Gulag used, but there is one distinct difference that fans are upset about. Previous maps were simple, symmetrical, and quick, but the new map follows a different formula. As one fan comments, the new multi-leveled Gulag is a "maze made for campers," and it promotes indirect tactics that go against the traditional design of Gulag gameplay.
The issue with the newest Call of Duty Gulag revolves around the complexity of its design. Players now have the option to hide and camp, and for many fans, it goes against the idea that the Gulag is the last stand zone. Instead, many fans have the experience of a 1v1 map rather than a prison contest to earn their right for redeployment.
Despite criticism, the new Gulag does have a collection of fans who are accepting it due to the nostalgic memories of Standoff. While it may not be a classic Gulag experience, it does offer a unique Call of Duty: Warzone encounter that can not easily be mimicked. The community remains divided, but for many fans, Call of Duty: Warzone was fine just the way it was.
Changes are going to increase throughout Call of Duty: Warzone's future, and not all of them will meet fan approval. Call of Duty: Warzone is the center of the franchise's new marketing endeavors, and the community may see more evolutions coming to the experience throughout this year and the next.
Call of Duty: Warzone is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
