Highlights
- Fortnite's success can be attributed to its ability to keep the game relevant through updates, new content, and nostalgic features, with the return of the old map bringing back 3 million fans.
- Call of Duty: Warzone could benefit from bringing back its own original map, Verdansk, to attract old players and revive the game's popularity.
- Nostalgia plays a significant role in player engagement, as seen in the success of Fortnite's OG map's return, and a similar strategy could work for Warzone.
While there are several successful live service titles, ranging from the MMO-RPG hybrid Destiny 2 to the hero shooter Overwatch 2, Fortnite continues to thrive within this area. Not only did it help popularize the battle royale genre, battle passes, and pop culture crossovers, but Epic Games has done an excellent job of keeping the game relevant for years. New weapons and mechanics as well as huge graphical updates and story content have helped make Fortnite’s continued success possible, and now Epic Games has used nostalgia to win back old players - a trick that Call of Duty: Warzone would be wise to borrow.
While the game has rarely been hurting for players, Fortnite’s massive player spike can be entirely attributed to the return of its original map. Epic Games may have brought back iconic areas like Tilted Towers here and there in newer maps, but the return of all the OG areas simultaneously has brought back a lot of old school fans. Considering that Call of Duty: Warzone has experienced some drastic player count drops, it may be time to borrow this Fortnite trick to help the struggling battle royale game return to its former glory. Just like Fortnite’s OG map was beloved by many, so too is Verdansk.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Made The Wrong Choice In Its Final Mission
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 makes a bold decision right before the credits roll, though it feels like the opposite of what it should have done.
Verdansk Could Bring a Lot of Players Back to Call of Duty: Warzone
Verdansk’s Popularity Has Not Wained in Recent Years
The only time that Verdansk was unpopular with Call of Duty fans was before the debut of Caldera, as players only had one map to fight on for two years straight. Fans were desperate for something new, but unfortunately, Caldera proved disappointing in the eyes of many fans. This saw players instantly growing nostalgic for the original map, and though small maps like Rebirth Island were popular, a full-scale experience as beloved as Verdansk has yet to release. While Urzikstan could finally replicate that success, it would be a safe play to just bring back Verdansk.
Though Activision clearly wants to push new maps instead of falling back on old favorites for Warzone, the rest of the Call of Duty series has always leaned heavily into nostalgia. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’s launch map lineup is composed entirely of remasters from the original MW2, while Nuketown has been remade time and time again in the Black Ops franchise. Classic guns reappear all the time, while Call of Duty Zombies brings back Nacht Der Untoten every chance it gets. As such, it only feels like a matter of time before Verdansk returns to Call of Duty: Warzone, and it will surely be welcomed with open arms whenever it does.
While Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile offers a way to play Verdansk, not everyone enjoys gaming on the go. A return of Verdansk on PC and consoles would still be a big deal, and it could give Warzone Mobile a chance to shift to a different map like Caldera or Al Mazrah.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Keeps Verdansk Fresh in Fans’ Minds
Aside from Verdansk being a memorable map that many fans still think about and discuss online, as areas like the prison and stadium are forever engraved in the minds of some fans, the franchise has gone out of its way to ensure that players do not forget about the fictional country. For instance, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’s campaign takes players to Verdansk on a few occasions, first to rescue Makarov from the map’s prison and then to respond to one of his terrorist attacks inside the stadium. With Verdansk still being featured in other content, players are being reminded of its top-notch design.
One thing to keen in mind about nostalgia is that it only grows stronger with time. As such, though releasing Verdansk alongside Urzikstan would be a death sentence for the new map and risks splitting the player base, Call of Duty: Warzone can just wait until 6 months after Urzisktan’s release when the hype dies down to bring back its most iconic map. While there is no telling if 3 million players will return to Call of Duty: Warzone if Verdansk were to come back, as the response to Fortnite’s OG map returning has been truly incredible, it would surely win back some fans.
Call of Duty: Warzone
Warzone is a free-to-play battle royale game in the long-running Call of Duty series. The game has seen over 100 million active players and features several different gameplay modes.
