Call of Duty: Warzone 2 will be powered by a brand new game engine which will also be powering the upcoming Modern Warfare sequel as well as future installments in the franchise.
Speaking with online content creators (via CharlieIntel) over the weekend, co-studio head Pat Kelly confirmed that developer Infinity Ward is using a brand new game engine to build both Warzone 2 and Modern Warfare 2. The new IW engine iteration has been in the works “for years” and will serve as a foundation for not only “a new Warzone experience” but also future Call of Duty games.
Kelly furthermore added that the new engine will help Infinity Ward explore a few “disruptive and innovative” ideas for Warzone 2 which were left out in the first battle royale game due to technical limitations.
In addition to a brand new map, the developer is aiming to give players access to new modes and rules for custom matches where “no two matches play the same.” Warzone 2 players will also get access to an improved Gunsmith system with more freedom to set up weapon loadouts based on their gameplay preferences.
Warzone 2 hence looks to be “a massive evolution of battle royale,” exclaimed Kelly while assuring that the new engine will ensure a smooth integration with Modern Warfare 2 and will not repeat the mistakes of the legacy Warzone game.
According to game director Josh Bridge, “Warzone was just meant to be an extension of Modern Warfare” but its integrations with Black Ops Cold War and Vanguard “bloated” the base game, making it nearly impossible for the developers to trace and fix bugs.
The current, messy state of the game is presumably why a new engine was needed to evolve the battle royale experience and why Warzone 2 will force players to start from scratch. All previous progression will remain with the first Warzone.
Bridge also noted that Warzone needs to fixed first before receiving any new features such as a Ranked mode. It however remains to be confirmed if Warzone 2 will receive a Ranked mode at launch or not.
Call of Duty: Warzone 2 is said to be launching later in the year alongside Modern Warfare 2.
