Call of Duty season postponed, Verdansk comeback now slated for next month

Activision has delayed the rollout of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Warzone Season 3, including the anticipated return of the latter’s classic Verdansk map.

Season 3 was previously due to arrive around 20th March. Now, it’ll hit two weeks later on 3rd April.

“Season 3 is a big moment for Call of Duty: Warzone and Black Ops 6, and we’re taking the time to deliver a great experience starting on 3rd April,” Activision wrote in a post on social media.

“More to come following Call of Duty: Warzone’s fifth anniversary next week…”

Verdansk was Call of Duty: Warzone’s original map, available when the battle royale’s first iteration arrived back in 2020. Now, it’s widely-expected to return in time for the game’s fifth anniversary.

Call of Duty is the latest battle royale to lean on nostalgia and bring back a classic map in the hopes of boosting player numbers, following the likes of Fortnite and Apex Legends.

The move to return to a fan-favourite map follows a patchy start to this year’s Call of Duty content, with Activision having to focus time to address player concerns over rampant in-game cheating, admitting to the use of in-game AI imagery, and selling a separate expensive Squid Game battle pass

“For a series built on high-octane thrills and explosive gratification, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6’s withdrawal to the well-trodden formula echoes the wider industry’s continued allergy to risk,” our Chris Tapsell wrote in Eurogamer’s Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 review.