Warzone receives massive updates with Black Ops 7 Season 1 in December 2025, including the brand-new Haven's Hollow resurgence map (smaller than Fortune's Keep but larger than Rebirth Island), two new Verdansk POIs (Factory and Signal Station), and major gameplay changes removing Wildcards while enabling default Overkill. A Blackout-inspired big map experience set in Avalon arrives in Spring 2026.
| Feature | Launch Window | Key Details |
|---|---|---|
| Haven's Hollow Map | Season 1 (Dec 2025) | New resurgence map, 9 POIs, Appalachian setting |
| Verdansk POIs | Season 1 (Dec 2025) | Factory (reimagined) + Signal Station (new) |
| Loadout Changes | Season 1 (Dec 2025) | 5 attachments max, no Wildcards, default Overkill |
| Movement Updates | Season 1 (Dec 2025) | Tac Sprint removed, Combat Roll added via perks |
| Blackout/Avalon Mode | Spring 2026 | Big map experience inspired by BO4 |
| Rebirth Island Refresh | Early 2026 | Revamped version of classic resurgence map |
The integration of Call of Duty Black Ops 7 into Warzone marks one of the most significant updates in the battle royale's history. While annual Call of Duty releases traditionally bring new weapons and operators to Warzone, the Black Ops 7 integration announced at Call of Duty Next 2025 goes far beyond standard content additions. Raven Software and Treyarch are fundamentally reshaping how Warzone plays, with their "guiding star" being to "evolve carefully and intentionally" rather than reinventing the wheel.
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From the vibrant new Haven's Hollow resurgence map to sweeping gameplay changes that remove Wildcards entirely, Black Ops 7's Season 1 update promises to reset the meta and encourage greater build diversity. Add in strategic new POIs for Verdansk and the surprise announcement of a Blackout-inspired mode coming in 2026, and you've got Warzone's most content-packed integration yet.
I've analyzed every announcement from Call of Duty Next, developer blogs, and hands-on previews to bring you this complete breakdown of what's changing when Black Ops 7 launches November 14 and integrates with Warzone in early December 2025.
The headline addition to Warzone with Black Ops 7's Season 1 update is Haven's Hollow, an entirely new resurgence map that takes players to the heart of Appalachia. Developed by High Moon Studios, this map expands upon the Liberty Falls setting from Black Ops 6 Zombies, but presents the location before the zombie outbreak—meaning you'll see a vibrant, colorful small town rather than a post-apocalyptic hellscape.
Haven's Hollow sits in the sweet spot between Fortune's Keep and Rebirth Island in terms of size—smaller than the former but slightly larger than the latter. This deliberate sizing creates faster-paced engagements while still providing enough breathing room for tactical rotations and strategic positioning. The developers focused heavily on player visibility and clarity, implementing bright, distinct color palettes that make enemy detection significantly easier compared to some of Warzone's darker, more visually cluttered maps.
The map features nine major points of interest spread across a compact battlefield designed for 45-player trios matches, though player counts may vary across different modes.
Main Street dominates the center of Haven's Hollow, featuring classic small-town Americana with a motel, gas station, and Liberty Lanes bowling alley. The long sightlines down the road make this a prime location for ambushes and crossfire, while the dense interiors provide excellent cover for close-quarters combat. The bank rooftop serves as a natural hot drop location with commanding views of the surrounding area.
Haven's Gamble is the map's most visually striking landmark—a floating riverboat casino packed with bright slot machines, card tables, and winding multi-level decks. The colorful banners and large paddlewheels make it instantly recognizable from anywhere on the map. The interior offers plenty of vertical gameplay with multiple floors connected by staircases and corridors perfect for intense firefights.
The Lumbermill represents the industrial heart of Haven's Hollow, featuring old wooden buildings, rail tracks, and a tall smokestack that serves as a key navigational landmark. Heavy saws and stacked timber fill the interior spaces, while the yards outside contain logs and equipment that provide natural cover. This POI rewards players who can control the high ground from the smokestack area.
The Mansion directly references Shattered Veil from Black Ops 6 Zombies, making it instantly familiar to zombies players. This sprawling estate offers multiple entry points and a complex interior layout that encourages tactical clearing and room-to-room combat. The upper floors provide excellent sniping positions overlooking nearby POIs.
The Research Facility brings a modern, high-tech element to Haven's Hollow's otherwise rural aesthetic. This contemporary structure stands in stark contrast to the rustic surroundings and offers clean sightlines with its industrial architecture. Expect this to be a contested early-game location due to its central positioning and quality loot spawns.
Additional POIs include the Cemetery (providing eerie atmosphere and headstone cover), Train Station (offering rotation opportunities and elevated positions), and several smaller unnamed locations that fill out the map's corners and provide alternative landing zones for teams looking to avoid hot drops.
Haven's Hollow arrives with Warzone and Black Ops 7's Season 1 update, which typically launches approximately three weeks after the base game. With Black Ops 7 releasing November 14, 2025, expect Haven's Hollow to go live around Thursday, December 4 or Friday, December 5, 2025. This is also when Black Ops 7's complete arsenal of futuristic weapons will integrate into Warzone's ever-expanding weapon pool.
Players who enjoyed Area 99's debut at last year's Call of Duty Next will find Haven's Hollow follows a similar pattern—showcased at the event, hands-on testing for creators and media, then a public launch weeks after the main game drops.
While Haven's Hollow steals most of the attention, Warzone's iconic Verdansk map isn't being forgotten. Season 1 introduces two significant points of interest that reshape player movement and strategic options across the battle royale map that defined the early Warzone experience.
The Factory POI returns, but not as you remember it from original Verdansk. Now reimagined as a rocket manufacturing facility, this location takes the layout from its Warzone '84 counterpart and completely overhauls the visual design to improve tactical gameplay.
The redesign focuses on enemy visibility improvements through simplified materials and cleaner interior spaces. Numbered buildings make callouts significantly easier for squads coordinating under fire—no more confusion about "which warehouse?" when your teammate is getting shot. The Factory sits right next to Superstore, immediately making it an alternate landing option when the traditional hot drop becomes too chaotic.
From a loot perspective, Factory should offer similar high-tier rewards to justify its proximity to Superstore, potentially drawing players away from the ultra-contested zone and spreading out early-game action more evenly across this section of Verdansk.
Signal Station represents something entirely new for Warzone—a POI that offers strategic gameplay advantages beyond simple loot. Located south of Military Base on the frozen lake, this radar complex features a massive control room and introduces an innovative tactical advantage system.
Here's how Signal Station works: Taking control of the station presents your team with a secondary objective. Complete this objective successfully, and you'll receive the Heap Map—a major upgrade to your tactical map that displays grid-style player density across the entire Verdansk battlefield.
Think of it as a heat map showing where enemy squads are clustering. This intelligence advantage can completely change your squad's rotation strategy, helping you avoid third parties, identify underlooted areas, or position yourself for optimal circle rotations. However, completing the objective likely makes your squad vulnerable to attacks, creating a risk-reward dynamic that encourages aggressive play around this new POI.
Signal Station's location near Military Base also means it will naturally see heavy traffic from squads rotating out of that high-loot zone, ensuring consistent action and contested control throughout matches.
Both Factory and Signal Station launch simultaneously with Haven's Hollow in early December 2025 as part of Black Ops 7 Season 1.
Beyond new maps and POIs, Black Ops 7's integration brings the most significant gameplay changes Warzone has seen since its Black Ops 6 integration. These updates fundamentally alter how you build loadouts, move around the map, and approach tactical situations.
Wildcards Completely Removed
The most shocking change: All Wildcards are being removed from Warzone when Season 1 goes live. While Wildcards will still exist in Black Ops 7 multiplayer to maintain competitive balance, they're gone from the battle royale. This decision comes after data showed relatively low adoption rates compared to the complexity they added to loadout building.
Five Attachment Maximum
With Wildcards gone, weapons return to a strict five-attachment limit. No more Gunfighter Wildcard allowing eight attachments to transform meta-outlier weapons into viable options. This change aims to tighten weapon balance and make top-tier guns more clearly defined. Players who relied on stacking attachments to compensate for weapon weaknesses will need to adapt their strategies and weapon choices.
Overkill Enabled by Default
Here's the silver lining: Overkill now works automatically without requiring a Wildcard slot. Everyone can equip two primary weapons from the start—no perk slot sacrifice required. This acknowledges that the vast majority of Warzone players prefer running an SMG or shotgun for close range alongside an assault rifle or sniper for longer engagements. Making Overkill default removes a forced choice and lets players focus on more interesting perk decisions.
This change only affects Warzone. In Black Ops 7 multiplayer, Overkill remains tied to a Wildcard to prevent dual-primary dominance in faster-paced 6v6 matches.
Independent Attachment Tuning
For the first time in Warzone's history, developers can now tune attachments independently from other Call of Duty titles. Previously, changing an attachment's stats in multiplayer meant it changed identically in Warzone, limiting the ability to balance weapons specifically for battle royale's unique playstyle and longer time-to-kill.
Francesco Galletti, Studio Head at Raven Software, explained this allows "faster attachment tuning, faster meta shifts, and tuning things specifically for the unique play styles in Warzone." Expect more frequent balance patches targeted at addressing Warzone-specific issues without disrupting multiplayer balance.
Tactical Sprint Removal
One of the most controversial changes: Tactical Sprint is no longer available by default in Warzone Season 1. To compensate, the base sprint duration is being increased, but players who want that extra speed burst must equip the Sprinter Perk.
Sprinter Perk benefits include:
This change forces a meaningful perk choice—do you prioritize movement speed, or invest that perk slot into defensive, offensive, or utility options? It also slightly nerfs aggressive W-key playstyles that relied on constant Tac Sprinting to push everything.
Combat Roll Addition
Black Ops 7's signature Combat Roll mechanic is coming to Warzone through the Mountaineer Perk. This allows players to perform a combat roll after jumping from heights, significantly reducing fall damage. In a game where verticality and multi-story buildings play crucial roles, this perk becomes essential for aggressive players who want to take fights from high ground without committing to stairwell rotations.
The Mountaineer Perk also likely includes other mobility benefits, making it a strong choice for players who prioritize positioning and rotation speed.
Season 1 brings a major reshuffling of perk categories with the goal of encouraging greater variety in loadout building. Too many perks in Black Ops 6's Warzone integration went underutilized because they competed directly with obviously superior options in the same category.
The updated system:
Specific perk changes haven't been fully detailed yet, but the intent is clear: create situations where players genuinely debate between multiple attractive options rather than automatically selecting the same "best" perk in each category.
Black Ops 7 introduces several new pieces of equipment that significantly expand tactical options beyond traditional grenades and tactical devices.
Phantom Signal (Tactical)
This new Warzone-exclusive tactical item's specific functionality hasn't been detailed, but the name suggests it likely involves disrupting enemy UAVs, heartbeat sensors, or other detection equipment. Expect this to become a meta choice for teams wanting to move stealthily or counter information-gathering tools.
Needle Drone (Lethal)
The Needle Drone replaces Impact Grenades as Warzone's precision explosive option. This remote-controlled drone packs an explosive payload and flies in a straight line toward your cursor or can be manually directed to specific targets.
Its best use case: finishing downed enemies behind cover. No more wasting multiple grenades trying to arc them perfectly into a room where someone's teammate crawled. The Needle Drone provides precision elimination at range, though skilled players can likely counter it by hearing the distinctive drone sound and repositioning.
Pinpoint Grenade (Tactical)
Think of the Pinpoint Grenade as Snapshot Grenades evolved. When thrown into a room, it emits a magnetic pulse that tags all enemies within detection radius, revealing their exact locations. The key difference from Snapshots: these tags persist until enemies manually remove them.
Removing a Pinpoint tag makes players vulnerable for a brief duration—forcing them to either fight while tagged or take their hands off their weapons to remove the tracker, creating a tactical decision point. Expect these to become essential for clearing buildings and preparing coordinated pushes.
Echo Unit Field Upgrade
Details remain limited on the Echo Unit, but as a Field Upgrade, it likely provides a rechargeable tactical advantage. Possibilities include deployable cover, a scanning device that reveals nearby enemies, or a support tool that assists teammates. More information should release closer to Season 1's launch.
One often-overlooked change: improved ground loot across the board. Warzone Season 1 will feature:
This change encourages players to engage with Warzone's looting mechanics rather than treating the first five minutes as a race to buy a loadout. Picking up a well-built ground loot weapon might actually be competitive with your custom loadout, opening strategic options.
The biggest surprise from Call of Duty Next came in the final moments of the presentation: a Blackout-inspired battle royale experience is coming to Warzone in Spring 2026, set on the Avalon map featured in Black Ops 7's campaign.
For players who didn't experience Black Ops 4, Blackout was Call of Duty's first attempt at battle royale in 2018—two years before Warzone launched. It featured 100-player matches on a massive map that incorporated iconic locations from across Black Ops history, including Nuketown Island, Firing Range, and Array.
Blackout was well-received for its time, praised for bringing Call of Duty's polished gunplay to the battle royale format. However, when the free-to-play Warzone launched in 2020 with superior features and a much larger player base, Blackout faded into obscurity despite maintaining a devoted fan community.
The announcement confirmed this isn't simply Blackout being copy-pasted into modern Warzone. Instead, it's a Blackout-inspired mode taking place on Avalon, the fictional Mediterranean city that serves as the primary setting for Black Ops 7's campaign and features prominently in the game's reveal trailer.
Players will already be familiar with portions of Avalon through Black Ops 7's Endgame co-op mode, which uses parts of this map for PvE missions. The full battle royale version in Spring 2026 will likely expand these areas into a complete large-scale battlefield.
Specifics remain scarce, but expect:
This announcement suggests Activision and Raven Software are committed to offering multiple distinct battle royale experiences within Warzone rather than forcing everyone into a single mode. Some players prefer Blackout's pacing and map design over Verdansk's urban sprawl, and this mode caters specifically to them.
During the same announcement, developers teased that Rebirth Island is receiving a major refresh in early 2026. Zero details were provided beyond "a refreshed take on Rebirth Island coming to Resurgence," but this likely means:
Rebirth Island remains one of Warzone's most beloved maps, offering fast-paced action and constant respawns. A refresh keeps it feeling relevant while Haven's Hollow provides the all-new alternative for players wanting something completely different.
Beyond headline features, Season 1 brings numerous refinements that improve the overall Warzone experience:
Over 140 Quality of Life Improvements Carried Forward
All the fixes, adjustments, and improvements implemented throughout Black Ops 6's Warzone integration remain in Season 1. This ensures the game doesn't regress in quality during the transition.
Weapon Build Sharing
A new feature allows players to share complete weapon builds with squadmates or the community through generated codes. No more manually explaining "use this barrel, this grip, this magazine" in Discord. Just share your build code, and others can instantly replicate your setup.
Expanded Mastery Camo System
For the first time ever, Campaign players earn Mastery Camos through Co-Op Campaign Story Missions and Endgame mode. This means progression now exists across five distinct modes:
Global progression lets you level up weapons and unlock camos regardless of which mode you're playing, with progress counting toward the same goals. This is a huge quality of life improvement for players who don't exclusively play battle royale but still want to grind Warzone's prestigious camos.
New Limited-Time Modes
Raven Software confirmed new LTMs (Limited-Time Modes) arriving throughout Season 1 and future seasons. These special modes provide variety and let developers experiment with rule modifications, special conditions, or unique objectives without permanently altering core Warzone.
Seasonal Ground Loot Changes
Rather than static loot pools, expect seasonal rotations that keep the early-game looting experience fresh. Different weapons and equipment will be featured in ground loot each season, encouraging players to experiment with guns they might not typically use.
These combined changes will dramatically reshape Warzone's competitive landscape:
Loadout Diversity Increases: Removing Wildcards paradoxically creates more variety. Without the crutch of eight-attachment Gunfighter builds, players must choose meta weapons more carefully or accept performance gaps. Meanwhile, default Overkill and perk reshuffling open up dozens of viable perk combinations that were previously ignored.
Movement Becomes a Conscious Choice: Gating Tactical Sprint and Combat Roll behind perks means aggressive players must sacrifice defensive or utility options. This naturally nerfs full-send playstyles while rewarding players who pick their engagements more carefully.
Verdansk Rotations Change: Signal Station's heat map reward creates entirely new strategic considerations. Teams that successfully capture and complete the objective gain massive information advantages, but expose themselves in the process. Expect this POI to become a mid-game hotspot similar to Radar Station in Caldera.
Haven's Hollow Resurgence Dominates: With its emphasis on clarity and visibility, Haven's Hollow will likely become the preferred resurgence map for competitive players and content creators. The nostalgia factor for Zombies players doesn't hurt either.
Independent Balance Patches: Raven Software's ability to tune attachments specifically for Warzone means we'll finally see balance changes that make sense for battle royale without being constrained by multiplayer balance. Expect faster meta shifts and more responsive balance patches.
Stay updated with the latest Warzone and Black Ops 7 news through these official channels:
Official Call of Duty Blog provides in-depth articles about updates, patch notes, and feature announcements directly from developers: callofduty.com/blog
Warzone Status on X (Twitter) [@WarzoneStat] offers real-time updates about server status, known issues, and quick announcements
r/CODWarzone is the primary Reddit community with over 800,000 members discussing strategies, sharing clips, and reporting bugs
Official Call of Duty Discord lets you connect with hundreds of thousands of players for squad-ups, event discussions, and community challenges
Call of Duty League YouTube Channel features professional gameplay showcasing the highest level of competitive play once Season 1 drops
You might also be interested in checking out our complete Black Ops 7 coverage and active Warzone codes for exclusive free rewards.
Black Ops 7 integrates with Warzone in Season 1, expected to launch around December 4-5, 2025, approximately 3 weeks after Black Ops 7's November 14 release. This update includes Haven's Hollow, Verdansk POIs, and all major gameplay changes.
Yes, all Black Ops 6 weapons, operators, and cosmetics remain fully usable in Warzone after the Black Ops 7 integration. Only the weapon balance and attachment stats may change as Raven Software implements independent tuning for battle royale.
No, Haven's Hollow joins the resurgence map rotation alongside existing options. Rebirth Island is receiving a refresh in early 2026, and Fortune's Keep remains available. Activision typically rotates resurgence maps rather than permanently replacing them.
No, Warzone remains completely free-to-play. All new maps (Haven's Hollow, Verdansk POIs, and eventually Avalon) are accessible without purchasing Black Ops 7. Owning Black Ops 7 only provides early access to leveling weapons and unlocking attachments in multiplayer before using them in Warzone.
Existing loadouts will still exist, but any builds using Wildcards will automatically have the Wildcard removed and revert to five attachments. You'll need to rebuild these loadouts within the new five-attachment system. Since Overkill becomes default, any loadout using Overkill Wildcard will simply have that slot freed up for a different perk.
Tactical Sprint is not gone—it's just gated behind the Sprinter Perk. If you want that extra speed boost, equip Sprinter in your loadout. The base sprint duration is being increased to compensate, so you won't feel dramatically slower, just slightly less mobile if you choose not to use the perk.
The Blackout-inspired mode on Avalon is confirmed for Spring 2026, likely landing between March and May 2025. This gives the development team time to incorporate community feedback from Season 1 and refine the experience before launching a completely new battle royale mode.
Yes, Verdansk remains Warzone's primary large-scale battle royale map for the foreseeable future. Avalon's Blackout mode will be a separate experience offering a different playstyle, similar to how resurgence maps provide an alternative to standard battle royale. Players can choose between multiple modes depending on their preferences.
Black Ops 7's integration represents more than just another annual update—it's a fundamental reimagining of how Warzone plays. From the colorful chaos of Haven's Hollow to the strategic depth of Signal Station's heat map rewards, every addition serves a clear purpose: encouraging variety, rewarding skill, and streamlining the experience without abandoning what makes Warzone special.
The removal of Wildcards initially sounds like a step backward, but combined with default Overkill and perk system overhauls, it actually opens up more viable playstyles. Movement changes force meaningful choices between aggression and utility. Independent attachment tuning finally gives Raven Software the tools to balance Warzone properly without being constrained by multiplayer needs.
Most exciting is the long-term roadmap: Haven's Hollow in December 2025, Rebirth Island refresh in early 2026, and the Blackout-inspired Avalon mode in Spring 2026. This commitment to multiple distinct battle royale experiences ensures Warzone remains fresh and engaging for veterans while staying accessible to new players.
Whether you're a Verdansk purist, a resurgence enthusiast, or a lapsed Blackout fan waiting for your mode to return, Black Ops 7's Warzone integration has something substantial to offer. Mark your calendars for early December 2025—Season 1 is going to be explosive.
Bookmark this guide and check back regularly as we update it with Season 1 patch notes, meta analyses, and new announcements from Raven Software. The future of Warzone has never looked brighter.
For more Call of Duty content, explore our guide to cross-platform gaming to find out which other games let you squad up with friends regardless of platform.