Call of Duty: Warzone players have been playing on Verdansk for an entire year, watching the map grow more detailed with every passing month. Through the addition of bunkers, weapon silos, complex easter eggs, and fresh mechanics, there is now plenty for players to do whenever they drop into the map. Additions like the train and subway tunnels only served to give Verdansk more personality, and over the past year, players have learned the ins and outs of all the map’s locations.

With so much time spent expanding this Call of Duty: Warzone map, and so many players sinking hours into playing on it, the suggestion that it could suddenly be removed seems absurd. Apparently, though, this is the plan, with Verdansk rumored to be nuked into oblivion in the near future. While many fans have wanted a new map to play on for some time now, wiping Verdansk from existence is a bold move. While there are undoubtedly some positives that could come from this strategy, taking the the map out of the game forever could have some negative effects as well.

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Call of Duty: Warzone’s rumored nuke event sounds insane, with the setup seeing Zombies overrunning Verdansk and a bomb dropped as a last-ditch effort to contain the undead. With a special Plague mode supposedly being added to focus on PvE Zombie battles and show off the destruction of the fictional country, players could be seeing an event that is even more thrilling than Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War’s reveal. Verdansk being taking out of the game permanently after the explosion would provide real stakes, changing the game in a significant way. As such, one of the biggest positives of Verdansk’s removal is that it would get fresh eyes on Call of Duty: Warzone, with new and returning players loading up the game to try the new map.

Speaking of the replacement for Verdansk, a rumored 1980s theme would see players exploring a location that looks and feels fresh. Possibly bringing in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War mechanics like swimming, as well as new vehicles and Treyarch’s style of map design, this map could feel far different from the one fans are accustomed to. Verdansk’s removal forces a new map to come to Call of Duty: Warzone, finally giving players a major change and allowing the game to feel brand new. With a new setting providing more potential for exciting clips, original game modes, and a new Gulag system, there is plenty to be excited about if such a change happens.

Finally, taking Verdansk out of the game in such away allows its replacement to thrive. Supposedly set in the Ural Mountains and made up of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War’s Fireteam maps, this new map can thrive from day one. If Verdansk stayed, the player base would be split between the two maps, with many players not giving the Ural Mountains a proper chance. Likewise, two active maps could slow down matchmaking and ruin lobby balancing, leading to players waiting for games that are ultimately unfair. With a fresh start, this is avoided, and players are all fighting on the same map.

While Verdansk being taken out of the game would be a great way to push a new map and get fans talking, it is not guaranteed to go over well. For starters, longtime fans may find themselves missing Verdansk. With no option to play the old map, though, they may quickly sour on Call of Duty: Warzone, quitting the game until Verdansk returns. After all, while playing on the same map for an entire year has led to some fans wanting change, others are happy with knowing what to expect from every single game. The enduring popularity of consistently remastered 6v6 maps like Nuketown shows this.

Aside from some players missing Verdansk when it goes, there is the legitimate possibility that the new map is not as popular as the original. If fans do not take to the new design for whatever reason, whether it be bugs or an unenjoyable map flow, there is nothing that can be done apart from waiting. Much like Call of Duty: Warzone’s cheating problem or the DMR meta, disdain for the new map could lead to players quitting the game until a change is made. While removing Verdansk is a bold move, it could heavily damage the game’s popularity if the replacement is not well-received. After all, players hate needing to switch between games for their battle pass challenges, as it forces them to play something they do not want to play. Verdansk fans being forced to play a map would lead to the same exact issues.

Finally, removing Verdansk simply feels like a waste of content. Other battle royale games like Apex Legends and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds have proven that having multiple maps active can be a good thing. Players have more variety and more to do every day that they play, and fans of one map are not punished so that a newer play space can thrive. Over the last year, Verdansk has become synonymous with Call of Duty: Warzone. As such, it is hard not to worry about the game losing part of its DNA when the map leaves.

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While it is understandable to want major changes made to Call of Duty: Warzone, those changes do not need to come with a cost. While Verdansk can be removed, it does not need to be. Instead, it should stay in the game as an option, allowing the hard work that was put into its development to be enjoyed by players for years to come. While the Ural Mountains should certainly come to Call of Duty: Warzone and be pushed as the game’s new focus, Verdansk should stick around as an extra source of content for fans that want to experience what helped make the game what it is today.

Call of Duty: Warzone’s Rebirth Island map has proven that two different locations can thrive inside Call of Duty: Warzone at the same time. With both of the maps offering different playstyles and player counts that help them appeal to different kinds of players, it is entirely possible for Verdansk’s replacement to do the same. As such, both Verdansk and the Ural Mountains could exist at the same time, allowing fans of Call of Duty: Warzone’s new and old locations to enjoy themselves.

Further, the nuke event will be just as exciting if Verdansk remains afterwards. In fact, the event could be used as a way to fully reimagine the map. Changing in a bigger way than it has ever changed before, a nuked-out version of Verdansk could see players exploring a version of the map that is ruined by the explosion. Shattered glass on all the skyscrapers, destroyed buildings, and a blown-up Dam, are just some of the big changes that can be made. Essentially a brand-new map, a ruined Verdansk could stay in the game without damaging the importance and purpose of the nuke event.

Call of Duty: Warzone supposedly getting a new map is great, and an addition of this kind is long overdue. However, Verdansk should not permanently leave Call of Duty: Warzone when the Ural Mountains map arrives, as the old location sticking around could only improve the experience for fans.

Call of Duty: Warzone is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.

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