Activision has recently announced that they are planning to shut down Call of Duty: Warzone Caldera. The closure is set for September 21, 2023, at which point all gameplay, player progression, inventories, and online services related to Caldera will no longer be accessible. The decision to shut down Caldera is part of a strategic shift to concentrate resources on future Call of Duty content, including the current Warzone free-to-play experience.
Even though Warzone Caldera will no longer be available, players can still look forward to a wide range of gameplay options in the Call of Duty: Warzone franchise. There will be three Battle Royale maps, including the new Season 04 map named Vondel, alongside Ranked Play, the DMZ Beta with five different Extraction Zones, BlackCell offerings, and more. This pivot also paves the way for the launch of Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile, which will feature a shared Battle Pass and cross-progression.
For those who have purchased content in Warzone Caldera – from Modern Warfare (2019), Black Ops Cold War, or Vanguard – there’s no need to worry. This content will continue to be accessible in those specific games. The closure of Warzone Caldera also won’t impact current Warzone gameplay, inventory, or player progression in Al Mazrah or other available maps.
This decision by Activision isn’t the first time they’ve made significant changes to the Warzone ecosystem. Previously, on November 16, the original Call of Duty: Warzone servers temporarily went offline as Call of Duty: Vanguard Season Five concluded. Shortly after, Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 was released as part of Modern Warfare II Season 01. During this transition, players were encouraged to play Warzone 2.0 for free, and once the new ecosystem was stable, Warzone was relaunched as Call of Duty: Warzone Caldera as a separate experience.
Closing down Caldera is seen as a move by Activision to concentrate developer resources, customer service resources, and servers on the new game rather than dividing these between two different experiences. This strategic move is designed to drive players towards the new Warzone 2.0, including those who may have preferred to stick with the older game.
