Vanguard Champion Hill Alpha Starts Tomorrow!

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Call of Duty®: Vanguard’s Champion Hill Alpha is live this weekend from August 27th at 10 AM (PT) to August 29th at 10 AM (PT) and it’s free for all PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 players. Also, it’s available for pre-load right now, so be sure to go and download it before it starts tomorrow!

We’ve had a great time creating Champion Hill, the internal playtests have been tons of fun, and we’re extremely excited for fans to get their hands on this all-new experience. Please keep in mind that this is a small slice of what players will experience in the upcoming beta and launch, however you will be able to experience many of the core systems of Vanguard MP for the first time. We couldn’t be more excited for everyone to play it. Let’s get into it!

WHAT TO EXPECT 

The Champion Hill Alpha is the first public technical test of Call of Duty: Vanguard. It’s designed to provide the development team with valuable data points as we continue to tune our MP experience heading into the Worldwide Reveal of Vanguard Multiplayer and the Beta coming in September. Please note that everything you’ll see, hear, and play in the Alpha is still in development. If you experience anything that doesn’t feel right when playing this weekend, please let us know. We’ll be actively monitoring the official Sledgehammer Games Twitter account for any feedback relative to weapon tuning, perks, balance, and spawns. Don’t hesitate to reach out.

We’re so excited for everyone to get their hands on Champion Hill and there’s a ton of content to dig into over the 48-hours of the Alpha! Here’s a preview of what’s included –

Champion Hill Maps

  • Courtyard
  • Trainyard
  • Market
  • Airstrip

Playlists

  • Champion Hill (Duos and Trios)

Weapons

  • Weapons are persistent through matches. There are ten upgrades per weapon and each weapon upgrade adds one attachment.
  • Weapon sets will rotate. Both Weapon Set 1 and Set 2 include: ARs, LMGs, Shotguns, and Pistols.

Equipment

  • MK2 Frag Grenade: Cookable Fragmentation Grenade.
  • No. 69 Stun Grenade: Slows victim’s movement and aiming.
  • Throwing Knife: Retrievable knife that is lethal when thrown at the body or head.
  • Gammon Bomb: Impact Grenade.
  • MK V Gas Grenade: Explodes on impact with the ground, releasing a lingering cloud of gear gas that causes slowed movement, blurred vision, and coughing.
  • S-Mine 44: Proximity-triggered explosive.

Perks (persistent through matches and you can buy up to six perks):

  • Ghost: Undetectable while moving by Spy Planes, enemy intel, and Field Mics.
  • Survival Training: Maximized resistance to stun effects. Immune to gas.
  • High Alert: Your vision pulses when enemies outside of your view see you.
  • Tracker: Enemies leave behind a footprint trail. See markers at enemy death locations and hide the death markers of enemies you kill.
  • Demolition: Extra lethal on spawn. Thrown lethals display an indicator showing the path of the lethal.
  • Double Time: Double the duration of Tactical Sprint. Increase crouch movement speed by 30%.

Streaks (activated automatically in the next match after purchase):

  • Spy Plane: Calls in a spy plane which reveals all enemy positions on the minimap to allies. Can’t be shot down. (This automatically activates in the next match.)
  • Flamenaut: Receive a flamethrower with unlimited fuel and a protective suit. Both lost on death. (This automatically activates in the next match.)
  • Deathmachine: Equips a machine gun with explosive rounds and a fixed number of bullets. Persists through death until ammo is depleted. (This automatically activates in the next match.)
  • V2 Rocket: Activates instantly, and drops a V2 Rocket, killing all players and ending the match.
  • Extra Life: Gain 1 additional life for your team.
  • Armor Plate: A single piece of Armor.
  • Full Armor: Full set of armor plates.

Operators

Note: Operators will be randomly assigned.

  • Lucas Riggs
  • Polina Petrova
  • Wade Jackson
  • Arthur Kingsley

MORE INFO!

If you’re interested in more information about how to play Champion Hill and how to download the Alpha, please visit the Call of Duty Champion Hill Alpha blog. 

CALL OF DUTY: VANGUARD – MULTIPLAYER REVEAL & MP BETA

There are plenty of surprises around the corner that you won’t see in the Alpha. But don’t sweat it, we’ll be revealing Call of Duty: Vanguard’s full Multiplayer offering at our MP Reveal scheduled for September 7th, 2021. Following the MP Reveal on September 7th, we’re opening the Beta up for Early Access to folks who pre-order Call of Duty: Vanguard – see schedule and pre-order link below: 

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Welcome to the Vanguard Beta!

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To all our Early Access PS5 and PS4 players ready to jump in — let’s do this! And to all the returning players who checked out last month’s Alpha — welcome back! We missed you.

Day One of Early Access to the Vanguard Multiplayer Beta is here, and we’re hyped for you to experience a taste of our Core Multiplayer offering for the first time – including new maps, modes, and gameplay innovations. For players returning from the Alpha, thanks for being vocal, typing us so many love letters, and creating amazing content. Seriously. And the suggestions box was filled. Thanks for the feedback.

While we were able to make updates to Vanguard’s gameplay since Alpha closed, some changes are still in progress and will push to launch.

Everything below outlines Weekend One of the Call of Duty: Vanguard Early Access Open Beta – which kicks off Friday, September 10th at 10 AM PT and runs until Monday, September 13th at 10 AM PT. As a reminder, the Beta represents just a portion of the full Multiplayer experience that is still in development, with even more content planned for launch on November 5th. Throughout the weekend, keep the commentary coming. We’ll be chasing intel from the Beta to further inform our launch offering. One team. One dream.

For a deep dive into playable content for this weekend’s Beta, check out the Call of Duty®: Vanguard Beta Guide for tips on Maps, Modes, Weapons and more.

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Thank you for playing the Vanguard Beta!

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A round of high fives for our Beta participants! 

We hope you enjoyed your time in Vanguard and the innovations we’ve brought to Multiplayer. Over the course of the Beta, we were able to collect a great deal of community feedback. All of the official reports, gameplay clips, and messages have assisted our developers in squashing bugs, improving features, and refining the maps and modes for launch. 

Here’s a shortlist of things that have either already been fixed for launch or issues we’re currently working on, thanks to your feedback:

  • Nerfing the sun

  • Cracking down on Red Star raves

  • Removing dognados

  • Tuning spawns to avoid Hotel Royal’s murder kitchen

  • Closing open mic lobbies in Search & Destroy 

In all seriousness, we are fixing those things. We’re also taking a thorough pass at weapon balancing, audio mixing, and visibility. But we’ll share more on that later.

As a reminder, Beta was just a sample of the overall Call of Duty: Vanguard experience. You can expect more maps, modes, and weapons in Vanguard on November 5. Vanguard will also include an exciting Campaign set against four major theaters of war and a franchise-first, universe-expanding, Zombies crossover – crafted by our wonderful friends at Treyarch. 

With that, we want to give one last thank you to all of our players! We can’t wait to share more Vanguard with you all. More to come!

– Sledgehammer Games

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Vanguard Comic with the Writers

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Writing a video game story is a challenge in and of itself. Expanding that story into a comics took that challenge to a whole new level. Today at New York Comic Con, the writers of our Call of Duty®: Vanguard comic spoke about navigating the narrative minefield of writing for both the game and comic simultaneously.

For fans unable to attend the live panel at NYCC, we’ve put together a Q&A that encapsulates all the details we covered at the event. Panelists include:

  • SM: Sam Maggs, Lead Writer (Previously, Critical Role Origins -The Mighty Nein: Jester (Dark Horse), Marvel Action: Captain Marvel (IDW)
  • SR: Stephen Rhodes, Writer (Previously, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt)
  • TO: Tochi Onyebuchi, Writer (Previously, Beasts Made of Night, Riot Baby, War Girls)
  • BF: Brent Friedman, Writer (Previously, Black Ops Cold War, Resident Evil 2, Star Wars Rebels)

What’s the biggest difference between telling a Vanguard story in comics versus games?

SM: One of the biggest differences between writing for a comic and a video game is that you don’t have the interactive elements to consider in the comic medium. Comics allow us to explore more deeply who our characters are. The game is about action, but the comics give us a quieter space to focus more on emotion, and on understanding who these people are so that the reader can develop a real connection to them before they even turn the game on. Of course, you don’t need to read the comics before playing the game—but if you are the kind of person who always wants to know more about your playable characters, then these comics are definitely for you.

BF: The other thing that is important about these comics is they focus on the biggest character-defining choices that lead up to the story we tell in Vanguard.  The choices our characters make in the game are that of life and death, important but spontaneous decisions. The stories we get to tell in the comic are more personal and intimate and they’re revealing about our characters.

What was the inspiration to create a Call of Duty: Vanguard comic?

SR: We have this really great story in the Vanguard campaign about these characters on their first mission together. But while we were writing the main story, we realized that the backstory of how they get pulled together is also important. Luckily there was this desire from all of us to explore the character’s stories. That’s when the comic was suggested. Looking at all the material we had on the characters, it made a lot of sense to explore the origin story of how they all came together to form Task Force One, and that is where Captain Carver Butcher came in.

Butcher made his appearance in 2017 in a WWII DLC. He was a quartermaster in the Headquarters, and he was fun and witty. Was it planned in 2017 that he would be such an integral character?

SR: He’s one of the best side-character-to-hero stories in a video game. I don’t think any other side character in any game has ever gone on to become the Nick Fury of an entire game. But our Butcher has. I don’t think anyone in 2017 thought he would go on to do these things. But when we were putting the story of Vanguard together and putting the team together, the question came up, “who do they work for?” At the same time, we were developing the plot around the birth of the Special Forces and we were looking for a character to be at the helm of that initiative. Butcher started out as a somewhat minor character and then suddenly he was running this whole global initiative and recruiting people from behind his bandana. It was a great chance to dive into him as a character and sort of show him off a little bit. We asked ourselves, “what can he do when he’s not supplying players with gear?” And we did some pretty wild things with him in the comics.

How many of the characters were inspired by real people?

BF: Every one of the main characters was inspired by real-life heroes from WWII. We have taken some liberties with personality and backstory and other fictional elements, but the battles, heroics, and stories of soldiers all played an important role in inspiring how we built our characters and the narrative.

What are these stories ultimately about?

TO: These stories are a fictional take on the formation of the Special Forces during WWII. But beyond that, they’re a celebration of diversity. One of the ideas that we get into with the game, but particularly with the comic, is that difference can be a real strength.  Whether those differences be skills or personality or culture, when those differences are put together, people can achieve great things.

What was the dynamic like among the writers? 

TO: We [the writers] really are a team of misfits, all coming from different backgrounds in media with different expertise from games, movies, comics, and TV, so we really got to have fun on this project. That variety in talent, and our closeness to the game’s development, really helped this comic come together as seamlessly as it did.

What were the challenges of writing and producing in a pandemic?

BF: The creative process had an evolution to it. Initially, and I think a lot of people can relate to this, as the world moved to video calls, it was awkward, and it felt really distancing. What helped us a lot was how much we loved these characters. The more we talked about them and the more we got into their worlds, the more comfortable we became with each other and those digital barriers started to break down.

Are there any Easter Eggs hidden in these comics?

SR: Yes. The people who read the comic and then play the game will find a lot of interesting connections.

When is the comic released and where can people find it?

The comic is due to come out prior to the release of Call of Duty: Vanguard on November 5th and will follow a weekly release cadence. We will release a physical bind-up of the collection early 2022. Be on the lookout for more information soon at www.callofduty.com/vanguard as well as SHG social channels. 

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Vanguard: The Road To Launch

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Hello. Yeah, you! Put down the ice cream sandwich and wash your hands before you touch that keyboard. We’ve got plenty of hot intel to unpack today with a little over a week until the official launch of Call of Duty: Vanguard on Nov. 5th.

We sincerely appreciate you going on this journey with us — from Vanguard’s Reveal to the Alpha and Beta, and now launch. A special thank you to all our Alpha and Beta players that helped us put Vanguard to the test this summer. Player feedback from the public testing phase played an essential part in getting Vanguard launch-ready and we can’t thank you enough. The road ahead looks amazing and all of the comments, videos, and general hype have made us so excited for the launch of this game and also for the future Vanguard content to come.

For more information about Vanguard’s content offerings, check out the Call of Duty super blog that breaks down the launch content Vanguard has to offer, including maps, modes, operators, weapons, and much more.

Now, let’s dive into all that’s changed since Beta.  
 

Multiplayer

Our goal coming out of the Vanguard Beta was to give players a faster and smoother gameplay experience at launch. To achieve that, we’ve reduced weapon swap/pickup animation speeds and are bringing in new movement perks. We’ve also added the “Ninja” perk which allows you to have silent footsteps at all times.

Big changes have been made to our audio mix across the board, such as increasing footstep sounds, reducing the announcer frequency, and much more.  We’ve improved the performance of Vanguard across all platforms and fixed glitches resulting in pixelation, lighting issues, and graphical corruption that some players experienced in Beta. We’ve also squashed some pesky bugs that caused spawn issues in Patrol mode.

Visibility

  • Distortion effects were removed from muzzle flash and we reduced smoke emitted when firing a weapon
  • Completed a pass on muzzle flash placement/coverage when aiming down sights
  • VFX Environment ambient placement for better sightlines
  • Removed the droplets of water that get all up in your face when it rains
  • Various bugs have been fixed including a bug where certain optics would stop enemy and friendly HUD icons from displaying while ADS
  • We’ve fixed cases of nametags appearing through Destruction
  • Lens flare reduced across all maps (we nerfed the sun)
  • We will continue to refine VFX, Lighting, and UI into launch and monitor player feedback surrounding the various topics of visibility.

Audio

  • Audio received a complete mixing and content overhaul to address community feedback from the Public Beta, including more audible footsteps, player and non-player weapons, and map environment content
  • Footsteps are silent when players ADS, Crouch Walk, or have a Perk / Field Upgrade equipped which silences movement 
  • Fixed a bug that caused shots after the first shot to be too quiet
  • Operator quips occur less frequently
  • Asked Butcher to chill out. VO lines are less frequent

Spawns

  • A bug resulting in unpredictable spawns in Patrol has been fixed as well general tuning of spawn logic globally
  • We will continue to refine spawn logic over time to improve spawns in matches with higher player counts

Movement

  • Grenades and incendiaries no longer slow movement speed of players
  • A cap has been placed on max suppression effects
  • Changes have been made to animation times including weapon swap speeds and throwing of equipment (ie: Gammon bombs can be thrown more quickly)
  • Sprint out times have been sped up and re-balanced
  • Dev Tip: Dauntless, a perk that players didn’t have access to in Beta, makes players immune to movement reducing effects

Weapons

  • Shotgun lethality has been improved
  • Effective Range of most Shotguns, SMGs, and Pistols have been reduced (SMGs and Pistols were overperforming at range and Shotguns were adjusted down due to increased lethality overall)
  • Hipfire spread has been adjusted on most guns (mainly to add more consistency across weapon categories)
  • Tradeoffs on barrels, magazines, and stocks have been reduced
  • Ammo types were rebalanced to include more tradeoffs
  • Squashed bugs affecting Weapon Progression and Detailed Stats
  • Dev Tip: Vanguard’s version of the smoke grenade works differently than previous games. You’re fully hidden from distant enemies, but can be seen at closer ranges allowing you to close the distance between you and the enemy and hunt them down with close-quarter combat builds.
  • Dev Tip: Try setting your mount options to use ADS rather than ADS+Melee. It’s not for everyone but it’s a powerful way to become more accurate in an instant while staying out of harm’s way. It can be combined with blind fire for some great results.

Killstreaks and Field Upgrades

  • Friendly Spy Planes and Counter Spy Planes will no longer appear overhead
  • Spy Planes and Counter Spy Planes move slower and are easier to hit
  • Counter Spy Planes have a shorter duration
  • Health has been reduced on Spy Planes, Counter Spy Planes, and most placed Field Upgrades
  • Death Machine and War Machine have swapped costs
  • Glide bomb is easier to control
  • A max timer has been added to the Radar Jammer and Field Mic Field Upgrades
  • Bugs resulting in graphical corruption of the Attack Dogs have been fixed – no more Dognados 🙁

Perks

  • Low Profile has been removed and replaced with Ninja
  • Dead silence has gained the ghost effect in addition to silent movement while active. This offers more flexibility in perk loadouts.

 

Pre-Launch FAQ

Q: Will spawns/weapons/visibility continue to be tuned after launch as needed?

Absolutely. At launch, we will be paying attention specifically to our weapon balance.  We have 38 weapons at launch, all with different sets of attachments and modifiers.  We want to create a fun balance between our weapons with their own strengths and weaknesses.  We’ll be listening, tuning, and tweaking from the second we go live. We will also continue to tweak spawn logic for better spawns and monitor the broader conversation around visibility.

Q: Are more free maps coming after launch?

Headlining Preseason free content is Shipment, the classic Multiplayer experience re-fitted for Vanguard, currently scheduled for a November 17 arrival. Newcomers and veterans alike can ready up for a fresh take on the map that’s entertained Call of Duty fans for over a decade, providing all Vanguard players a chaotic playground for destruction.

Q: How will Vanguard integrate with Warzone at launch and in Season One?

Building on what we did with Cold War and Warzone, Vanguard will continue Universal Progression so that no matter what mode or game you’re playing, you’re able to level up weapons, gear, Battle Pass, and more simultaneously. Story-wise, we’re weaving the narrative throughout the live season content so that the story will transcend the Single Player Campaign in Vanguard to include Warzone. to go deeper with the narrative and create one connected live game experience.

Q: How will Vanguard and Zombies be integrated?

Vanguard’s Battle Pass system will utilize unified progression between Multiplayer, Call of Duty®: Warzone™, and Zombies. Your player level is shared between the modes, too, so you’re always progressing in tandem for a fully unified experience. To learn more about how the Dark Aether saga will continue in Vanguard, read here.

Q: When can I pre-load the game if I’ve pre-ordered digitally?

All players who preordered the game digitally can preload the title so that it’s ready to go right at launch. Preloading is available for all platforms. On PlayStation®4 and 5 preloading begins on October 28 at 9 PM PT in North and South America. All other countries will begin preloading on October 29 at midnight local time. More information on preloading via other platforms can be found here.

Q: What bonus comes with pre-ordering?

Whether you pre-order a Standard, Cross-Gen, or Ultimate Digital Edition, you receive the following:

  • Night Raid Mastercraft Weapon Blueprint – for immediate use in Call of Duty®: Black Ops Cold War and Warzone™
  • Operator Arthur Kingsley – for immediate use in Call of Duty®: Black Ops Cold War and Warzone™
  • Ghost of War Ultra Skin – for immediate use in Call of Duty®: Black Ops Cold War and Warzone™. Limited time offer valid from October 22nd to November 2nd
  • The opportunity to pre-load the game before launch

Read more about pre-order rewards for Cross-Gen and Ultimate Editions, here.

Q: How will enforcement against potential cheating be handled?

The RICOCHET Anti-Cheat initiative is a multi-faceted approach to combat cheating, featuring new server-side tools which monitor analytics to identify cheating, enhanced investigation processes to stamp out cheaters, updates to strengthen account security, and more. RICOCHET Anti-Cheat’s backend anti-cheat security features will launch alongside Call of Duty®: Vanguard, and with the Pacific update coming to Call of Duty: Warzone. Learn more about Ricochet, here.

Q: Is FOV Slider coming to console?

Yes, FOV Slider is coming to Vanguard on PlayStation and Xbox consoles.

Q: How frequently will Playlists be updated?

While we can’t promise exact cadence, we can say that we plan to update playlists at a higher frequency than previous titles, with a focused consideration to community feedback.

Q: How can I make a report/get support?

To report a bug, issue, or leave feedback about Call of Duty®: Vanguard, click here to participate in our survey. For account-related issues, please go to https://support.activision.com/

 

Get up to speed!

For a full recap of everything coming to Call of Duty: Vanguard at launch, check out the resources below from the Call of Duty Blog team so you’re ready to jump in on Day One.

Call of Duty®: Vanguard Editions and Pre-Order Benefits Detailed

Call of Duty®: Vanguard Zombies — The Next Chapter in the Dark Aether Saga

Welcome to Call of Duty ®: Vanguard Zombies – Q&A with the Treyarch Team

Call of Duty®: Vanguard Campaign Character Bios

Call of Duty®: Vanguard Campaign Detailed BTS

Inside the Call of Duty®: Vanguard Comic with the Writers

Vanguard Intel: Behind the Scenes with Multiplayer and Champion Hill in Call of Duty®: Vanguard

How to play Champion Hill – A Guide to Call of Duty®: Vanguard

Announcing Ricochet™ Anti-Cheat: A New Initiative for Call of Duty

 

See you online!

Have constructive feedback? Please let us know your thoughts by tagging @SHGames on Twitter, @sledgehammergames everywhere else, going to r/CODVanguard on Reddit or using #Vanguard on hashtag-friendly platforms. You can also report a bug or leave feedback about Call of Duty®: Vanguard in this survey.

While we’re here – don’t forget to tag @CallofDuty with #CODTopPlays to share your best gameplay clips on Twitter and Instagram.

See you all on November 5th!

Sledgehammer Games Team

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What’s to Come in Vanguard Zombies

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EXPAND YOUR ARSENAL

We’re bringing some protective gear to your loadouts and the Mystery Box this week, along with two more weapons unlockable through in-game challenges. Get ready to add the Combat Shield, Katana, and brand-new Welgun SMG to your collection with this week’s update!

In Zombies, the Combat Shield will mitigate a portion of damage from the direction you’re facing when it’s raised, and protect your back from partial rear damage when it’s stowed as an added bonus. The shield can’t break, but you’ll still take some damage when using it, so you’ll need to stay on your toes. Paired with the right Covenants, the Combat Shield just might become your new favorite weapon to help you out of some sticky situations.

You’ll also be able to unlock the Katana melee weapon and the new Welgun SMG for your loadouts via two new Zombies weapon unlock challenges in this update:

  • Katana: In Zombies, get 5 rapid kills with a Melee weapon during 50 different Portal Objectives.
  • Welgun SMG: In Zombies, get 5 rapid Critical Kills with an SMG during 50 different Portal Objectives.

DEDICATED SERVER PAUSE INCOMING

Let’s be honest… moving Zombies to an infrastructure hosted entirely on dedicated servers for the first time in a new engine hasn’t been a seamless experience.

In the past, traditional Zombies lobbies ran on player-hosted servers, which were often prone to a myriad of issues, depending on the player’s connection and several other factors. While the gameplay experience should now be smoother across the board for matches of all sizes on dedicated servers in Vanguard, the process of pausing said servers for Solo and single-player Private matches isn’t as simple as flipping a switch.

Like all of you, we wanted Dedicated Server Pause for solo players to be included sooner, and the amount of work required to get it right has frankly taken longer than we would’ve liked. Thanks for your patience while we wrap up its implementation in an upcoming update.

LOOKING AHEAD…

If you’ve been paying attention to the narrative intel and conversations between our Dark Aether entities in Season One, you might have an idea of where we’re headed in Season Two. In addition to a new hub map located elsewhere on the globe, we’ll be taking players to multiple arenas, including the Dark Aether itself in a completely original location crafted for Vanguard Zombies.

There’s plenty more in the works for Season Two, including multiple Wonder Weapons, more survival gameplay, a new story quest, the introduction of a new Dark Aether entity, a new enemy type, new Objective gameplay, and more. We’re also already working on future Zombies content, and we’re not even done updating our roster of Operators in Black Ops Cold War…

Until then, we hope you enjoy this week’s mid-season Zombies update in Vanguard, and we can’t wait to jump into the Void with everyone!

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Welcome to Vanguard Season 1.5

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Welcome, friends, to a new year. We’re happy to report that our Season 1.5 Update has some resolutions we’re eager to share with you. This update is due to go live today at 4 PM PT.

You may have noticed some intel from our social channels last week teasing the upcoming changes to Vanguard Multiplayer. Along with new seasonal content in today’s update, you can expect to see some significant changes to gameplay and bug fixes. We’ve nerfed Incendiary Grenades and updated Perks to give you new ways to counter fire damage (sorry for the excessive burns). Alongside this, we completed a weapon balancing pass that buffs Sniper Rifles and fixed a few Camo Progression bugs that should allow you to unlock Atomic. Also, we’ve adjusted some of those crazy Control spawns and remedied a few issues resulting in packet burst.

We’ve heard your feedback on the issues you’ve been facing since Vanguard’s launch and we want you to know that we are committed to improving the state of Vanguard Multiplayer. Bluntly speaking, not every fix in today’s update will be a perfect fix. Some issues, especially with spawns and packet burst, might take us some time to thoroughly address. But we want you to know we hear you, we’re working on those things (and more) and you can expect more updates coming to Vanguard before Season 2.

Today’s update doesn’t only include seasonal content and changes to MP. It also includes a Zombies update from our partners at Treyarch. Read up on the top changes here, or you can get the full Zombies treatment over at the Treyarch blog.

For more information about seasonal content updates, check out the official Call of Duty blog.
 

Multiplayer Updates

Stability

  • Several sources of packet burst have been identified and resolved
  • Several sources of Multiplayer crash errors have been identified and resolved
  • Xbox Series X players will no longer experience game crashing with CDN setting enabled
  • Playing with keyboard and mouse will no longer result in ‘controller needed’ message 

Spawns

  • Spawn logic has been tuned to improve small maps with higher player counts
  • Adjusted spawn logic for Domination on Dome
  • Spawns in Control mode have been significantly adjusted to:
    • Prevent out-of-map spawns on Tuscan
    • Prevent spawning in the enemy’s line-of-sight on Bocage
    • Prevent players from spawning directly on teammates

Weapons & Equipment: Bug Fixes

  • Attack / Guard Dog kills now count towards Panzerfaust Camo Challenges
  • STG “Reptilian” Camo Weapon Challenge is now tracking Bloodthirsty kills
  • STG “Predatory” Camo Weapon Challenge is now tracking Multikills
  • Katana unlock Challenge is now tracking properly 
  • Addressed an issue that prevented the “Kill an Enemy While They Have a Spy Plane Active 5 Times” challenge from tracking in the Counter Measures career challenges
  • Player selected camos will now appear during the match intro sequence
  • Locked Camos and attachments can no longer be swapped onto unlocked weapons
  • A bug resulting in missing Post-Match Flow has been fixed
  • A bug resulting in Type 100 Blueprint “Thunderhead” being invisible in the pre-match countdown has been fixed

Weapons & Equipment: Balancing Changes

  • Weapons
    • M1 Garand
    • Type 99
      • Reduced Aim Flinch
      • Reduced ADS Time
      • Retain One Shot Kill potential for chest shots when smaller caliber ammo is used 
    • 3-Line Rifle 
    • Kar98
      • Retain One Shot Kill potential for chest shots when smaller caliber ammo is used
  • Ammo
    • Bolt-Action Hollow Points
      • Removed damage range penalties
  • Equipment
    • Stun Grenade 
      • Reduced Stun Grenade damage in Hardcore modes
      • Reduced how long players are affected by Stun Grenades
    • Incendiary Grenade 
  • Killstreaks
    • Mortar Barrage
      • Duration of Mortar Strike has been reduced
      • Number of Mortar Strikes per streak has been reduced
      • Addressed issue where Mortar Barrage deployment was inconsistent
  • Perks
    • High Alert  
      • Slight delay added before Perk activates after being seen by an enemy
    • Dauntless
      • Gives immunity to fire and burning effects including Incendiary Rounds, Flamenaut, and lingering fire on the ground
    • Fortified
      • Reduces fire damage taken by 30%
      • Reduces excessive damage of all explosives

Maps

  • Polish pass to improve and fix player collision issues with map environments 
  • Overall polish pass on Destructibles throughout all maps

UI/UX 

  • “Seasonal Challenge” menu is now present in the Challenges tab
  • Players will no longer experience visual rank swapping between players in Private Matches
  • The Objective progression bar will no longer clips into reticles
  • Unintended distortion of MVP images has been fixed
  • The continuous post-game level-up animation when players reach Prestige 3 has been fixed
  • Store: menu navigation has improved when viewing and toggling between Bundles

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Vanguard Season Two Patch Notes

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Experimental Playlist

A primary goal of the spawn system in Vanguard is to prevent players from spawning in a position where an enemy player immediately threatens them. We recognize that this system frequently fails to select a quality spawn point on smaller maps based on analytics and player feedback.

In the new Experimental Playlist, we have modified the spawn system to better determine the quality of a given spawn location on the map. With these changes, players should feel that spawns are less random, especially in objective-based modes. In the first iteration of what will be a reoccurring Experimental Playlist, players will experience a moshpit of the following maps and modes.

  • Maps: Shipment, Das Haus, and Dome

  • Modes (Core): Team Deathmatch, Kill Confirmed, Domination, and Hardpoint

The Experimental Playlist is available now! Give it a try and share your feedback with us on in our survey.

Attachments

The goal of the following changes is to transition some of the Chariot 18″ Rapid Barrel penalties to the .50 BMG Mags. Players should find that the .50 BMG BAR is now more challenging, while the Barrel Attachment is a viable option on a wider variety of loadouts. Note: These changes were implemented on March 22.

Perks

Field Upgrades

Killstreaks

Modes

  • Arms Race

    • Players can no longer spawn on squadmates who are in a contested base.

    • Lethal and Tactical Equipment is no longer immediately refilled when a Field Upgrade is purchased at a Buy Station.

    • Players will no longer respawn with weapons equipped from the ground.

    • Improved the Victory and Defeat UI at the end of a match.

    • Addressed an exploit that allowed players within the protected area of an owned base to be killed by the Goliath Field Upgrade.

Ranked Play

  • Weapon Blueprints

    • Blueprints can now be equipped in Ranked Play and appear in-game with correct visuals.

    • Restricted attachments are flagged in Create-a-Class and automatically removed if the Blueprint is equipped in-game.

  • UI Improvements

ZOMBIES

Side Quests

Weapons

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Welcome to Vanguard Season Three

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Vanguard Season Three begins now!  Along with new seasonal content dropping in today’s update at 9 AM PT such as new Weapons, Maps, Operators, and more, you can expect to see performance improvements and new gameplay elements such as the addition of the Trophy System Field Upgrade. 

Also released globally in this update is Ricochet, the PC kernel-level anti-cheat security driver. To learn more about how Ricochet will impact Vanguard, you can read the full statement from #TEAMRICOCHET in the Call of Duty blog, here. 

To kick off Season Three on a high note, MAX 2XP starts today! Earn more XP across the board now through May 2nd.

Now let’s get into what’s happening in Season Three…

NEW SEASON THREE UPDATES

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Vanguard Season Three Patch Notes

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Maps

  • NEW: Mayhem

  • Bocage

  • Eagle’s Nest

  • Gavutu

  • Sub Pens

Modes

  • Control

  • Arms Race

    • General

      • Addressed an issue where players within the blast radius of a Base were not properly notified.

      • Destructible walls at the Castle Base are now properly damaged by the Demolition Charge Lethal Equipment.

      • Corrected the capture point boundaries at Base E to prevent players from capturing from an unintended location.

      • Players will no longer lose a Lethal Equipment after purchasing a Field Upgrade from a Buy Station.

      • Addressed an issue where Base gates could not be damaged after deploying a Motorbike.

      • Improved the Tank’s ability to traverse the terrain.

      • Addressed an issue where Operators would not be aligned with the Motorbike while driving it.

      • Friendly Base gates will no longer become stuck after a player detonates the Goliath Field Upgrade.

      • Weapons equipped with the Wreck Proficiency Attachment will now deal increased damage to walls, gates, and vehicles.

    • Stability & Exploits

      • Addressed an issue that caused a fatal error crash when players join an in-progress match.

      • Increased the distance at which enemies can be seen to prevent engagements where a player is seemingly invisible.

      • Addressed an exploit where players could survive out of the playable area using vehicles.

      • Addressed an exploit that caused players to become invulnerable when there are no lives remaining.

      • Addressed an exploit where players could obtain an unintended number of Nebula Crates.

Ranked Play

  • Ranked Play Leaves Beta

  • Season 3 Skill Rating Reset

    • Players’ Skill Ratings have been reset at the start of Season 3.

    • Play 5 Skill Evaluation Matches to earn a Season 3 Skill Rating and get placed into a Skill Division & Tier.

    • Initial Skill Rating placement has changed in Season 3. Therefore, after their 5 Skill Evaluation matches, some players may find that they get placed below where they were initially placed at the start of the Season 2 Beta.

    • Win matches after your initial placement to earn SR and advance your Skill Division & Tier over the remainder of the Season.

  • Season 3 Top 250 Skill Division & Leaderboard

    • The Season 3 Top 250 Skill Division and Ladder will go live on May 4th, one full week into Season 3, to give players time to earn a Season 3 Skill Rating and advance through divisions.

  • General

    • Fixed the “Cricket Glitch” that was causing some players to have reduced performance and chirping noises on some maps.

    • Fixed an issue where Ranked Play Camo Rewards would occasionally unequip.

    • Inactive players will now be kicked from Ranked Play matches, making them eligible for Suspension or Ladder and Skill Rating penalties.

    • Added Berlin Control to the Ranked Play map rotation.

  • UI Updates

    • Skill Division Tiers now use Roman Numerals instead of Numbers (Elite V, Elite IV, Elite III, Elite II, Elite I).

    • Once unlocked, Ladder Event Rewards correctly appear as unlocked on the My Career Rewards screen.

    • All players can now see and preview the Ranked Legend Solange Operator Skin Reward on the “Division Rewards” tab on the Rewards Screen, regardless of their current Skill Division.

    • Victory Flames now display behind Rank Icons on the Ladder and Top 250 Leaderboard when earned.

    • Updated the Top 250 Skill Division icon used in various locations.

    • Fixed an issue causing Skill Division icons to be incorrectly offset from player Rank icons on some screens.

  • Restrictions

  • Season 3 Ranked Play Rewards

  • Ranked Play Matchmaking

Operators

Weapons

  • NEW: Nikita AVT (Assault Rifle)

    • Accurate and reliable with best-in-class fire rate, this AR can be outfitted to exceed in CQC or long-range combat scenarios.

    • Unlocked with Battle Pass at Tier 31.

  • NEW: M1916 (Marsman Rifle)

    • A semi-automatic rifle with a combination of power and fire rate. Impressive at any range in the hands of a capable marksman.

    • Unlocked with Battle Pass at Tier 15.

  • NEW: Sledgehammer (Melee)

    • A tool designed for breaking stone, though it works equally well on enemy bones in a punch.

    • Unlock Challenge: Get a Multikill with a Melee Weapon in 15 different matches.

  • NEW: Skål Crusher (Melee)

  • STG44 (Assault Rifle)

  • Volkssturmgewehr (Assault Rifle)

    • Decreased aim walking movement speed.

    • Shells will no longer cease to eject from the Weapon after sustained fire.

    • VDD 287mm (Barrel)

    • Reisdorf 22V Adjustable (Stock)

  • Type 100 (Submachine Gun)

    • Sakura 196mm Light (Barrel)

    • Warubachi 134mm Rapid (Barrel)

    • Warubachi Grip Folding (Stock)

    • .30 Russian Short 30 Round Mags (Magazine)

  • PPSh-41 (Submachine Gun)

  • Armaguerra 43 (Submachine Gun)

  • Welgun (Submachine Gun)

  • G-43 (Marksman Rifle)

  • Gorenko Anti-Tank Rifle (Sniper Rifle)

  • Ice Axe (Melee)

  • General

    • Camo Challenges that require Headshots or Longshots are now properly tracked.

    • Progress toward unlocking the Plague Diamond Camo in Zombies is now properly tracked.

    • Added unlock challenges for the Season Two Battle Pass weapons.

Equipment

Perks

Field Upgrades

  • NEW: Trophy System

    • Deployable autonomous defense system that destroys up to three nearby pieces of equipment and projectiles.

    • Available to all players upon logging in for the first time during Season Three.

More on Trophy System

When we released Vanguard last year, our initial tuning on Lethal Equipment deemphasized their lethality in combat, focusing our combat on gun skill. With new explosive equipment added in Seasonal updates and clear player feedback indicating its appeal, it became apparent that the Trophy System should make its debut.

Upon deployment, the Trophy System will protect its immediate radius from the following incoming and pre-established items for a limited time. Notably, the Throwing Knife is an exception to these defenses due to the high-risk, high-reward nature of this Lethal Equipment.

  • Incendiary Grenade

  • Sticky Bomb

  • MK2 Frag Grenade

  • Gammon Bomb

  • Thermite

  • Demolition Charge

  • Molotov Cocktail

  • No. 69 Stun Grenade

  • MK V Gas

  • S-Mine 44

  • Decoy Grenade

  • Ammo Box

  • Trophy System

  • Jammer

  • Field Mic

User Interface & Experience

  • Party member Operators will now hold the correct showcase Weapon during the lobby walk sequence.

  • Proximity indicators are no longer displayed on the HUD for the Sticky Bomb Lethal Equipment in Hardcore modes.

  • Arms Race, Control, and Patrol are now properly tracked in the Combat Record.

  • Improved the scrolling functionality of the Friends and Recent Players lists.

  • Corrected the challenge descriptions for the NZ-41 Survivalist and Type 11 Death Artist Camo Categories.

  • Addressed an issue that caused player microphone indicators to disappear.

Bundles & Cosmetics

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