New Warzone map event confirmed for April 21: ‘Prepare for utter chaos’

Raven Software has confirmed a special in-game Call of Duty Warzone map event which is understood to see the arrival of Season 3 and a major map revamp.

“Operation Rapid Sunder” is set to begin at 12pm PT / 8pm BST on Wednesday, April 21, the developer confirmed in a Season 3 preview on Monday. “Verdansk is about to heat up in a big way,” it said, alongside a graphic confirming a Warzone map update.

“The situation in Verdansk has hit a critical level. It seems the combat zone has become too dangerous for even a Tier 1 Operator to survive in,” it said.

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“Is a conflagration imminent? The answer is still unknown, though it is recommended you clear your schedule for the week and ready yourself for a crescendo of utter chaos within the Warzone. Be certain you’re available for Operation Rapid Sunder throughout Wednesday, April 21 and beyond.

“Armistice Central Command will be communicating directly to all Operators with further instructions, starting at 12 PM Pacific Time on April 21. Return to the Call of Duty blog—and to Warzone—on this date to receive updates.”

The Season 3 update will be available in Black Ops Cold War on April 20 at 9 PM PT and for Warzone on April 21 at 9 PM PT.

As first reported by VGC in February, at the end of Black Ops Cold War and Warzone Season 2, the battle royale game will finally transition to its new map.

It’s likely that nuclear warheads recently uncovered on Warzone’s map will be used to trigger the map revamp, similar to how Fortnite used an in-game event to transition to Chapter 2.

Footage of the new map was recently revealed in a leaked live-action advert for Warzone Season 3, which appeared to confirm that the updated battleground will be an evolution of Verdansk, rather than an entirely fresh design.

The footage shows Cold War-era landmarks replacing Verdansk’s own points of interest, including an in-construction Stadium and an aqueduct replacing the Dam. Airport, TV Station and Downtown can also be spotted with a 1980s makeover.

According to Raven, the Season 3 update will be approximately 8.1 – 13.1 GB for Black Ops Cold War and 25.2 – 25.9 GB for owners of the free-to-play Warzone who have the latest updates on either game.

Season 3 sees the arrival of four new multiplayer maps for Cold War, four new operators, multiplayer modes, weapons and more.