https://www.cybersport.ru/games/articles/kibersport-i-warzone-pokhozhe-activision-zateyala-borby-s-pubg-i-fortnite

Call of Duty: Warzone was released on March 10. In two months, the shooter has been downloaded by over 60 million people, and the game is still gaining momentum. At the end of October, the head of Activision Bobby Kotick toldthat seven months after the release, the number of players in Call of Duty: Warzone has already exceeded 80 million. And this is not the limit. Esports will definitely increase the popularity of Activision’s “battle royale” in the world, and it would be foolish not to take this chance.

How is Warzone different from other Battle Royale?

The developers have collected in Warzone all the most interesting and useful from other “royal battles” and came up with new mechanics that prevent players from losing interest in the shooter. In the “royal battle” Call of Duty, it is possible to fulfill various contracts and receive rewards for them. For example, you can go in search of containers with rare loot or scout the territory to find out where the next circle of the safe zone will end. In addition to loot, for fulfilling a contract, the player is awarded money – it can be spent on reviving an ally, buying cluster bombardment and other useful chips that will help win.

In Warzone, the arsenal is conveniently arranged, so that players do not have to waste time looking for various attachments on the map, but immediately find a ready-made assembly. You can also customize your kit in advance, set up modifications that are convenient for you, and then buy a package with your assembly in a match for the collected money.

Another important difference – in the “royal battle” Activision, the player always has a second chance, even in single player mode. If you died, then you will have the opportunity to recoup in the GULAG, winning a duel, and return to the battlefield.

In addition to the standard Battle Royale, the developers like to delight fans of Warzone with other modes: Juggernaut Royale, Mini Royale, Halloween Zombie Mode, etc. This allows players to get new experiences from the Battle Royale, which is also important to keep the audience interested.

Warzone already has some experience in the competitive scene

Since the release of Call of Duty: Warzone, there have already been many tournaments among streamers. Since it was not yet possible to create a private match and add all participants to one lobby until November 10, the organizers of the competition found other ways – often quite controversial. For example, at the last Twitch Rivals, each team launched its own search for a match with random opponents and in the allotted time had to earn as many points as possible, getting them for their place and the number of kills. After the lapse of time, the three best results of each participant were counted in the table – whoever scored more points won. Players were also given the opportunity to complete challenges for which additional prizes were given out, such as getting the most kills or causing the most damage. Each participant tried to earn points for the team, and for this purpose some squads were divided and sent to different parts of the map in order to find and destroy as many opponents as possible, which positively affected the spectacle of the “royal battle” – usually not the most dynamic genre.

However, this system is not entirely fair in relation to the participants in the competition. First, there is a chance to run into cheaters. Secondly, one can come across weak enemies that are easy to deal with, while another lobby can gather strong opponents, and, accordingly, in this position, it will be more difficult for the team to earn points. At Warzone tournaments, there were even cases when participants, before the start of the competition, deliberately showed a bad result in ten or more matches in a row, so that after that they would come across weaker players in the lobby.

What will change in tournaments with the launch of private matches?

To begin with, everything will be much more serious than it was when playing in public. All tournament participants will be able to gather in one lobby and, according to the results of the match, find out among themselves who is really the strongest. You need to understand what your opponents are capable of, what strategies they can use and how best to play your team. After all, in a private match there will no longer be random opponents who just came in to relax and have fun with friends, but players who are serious about winning.

Private matches can affect the entertainment of games, as points for places and kills between participants will be divided slightly differently. If on Twitch Rivals each team could have several victories, for which you can get many points, then in a private game there will be only one champion. Because of this, the participants can act more carefully – not risk their lives for the sake of the number of murders and play for placement. Everything will depend on the team’s strategy for the match, but it may be more interesting for spectators to watch a dynamic battle, rather than an ambush in the house.

What should be the next step for Activision towards esports?

After a successful beta testing of private matches, Activision can safely declare that it is ready to support esports in Warzone, and think about the first major tournament. For starters, you can invite streamers and professional players from the Call of Duty League to attract the attention of esports clubs and show the seriousness of your intentions. The problem is that in the current situation with the coronavirus pandemic in the world, the LAN tournament will not work, so the only option is the online format. Will Activision want to start small or wait for things to improve? After all, online and offline tournaments are two completely different levels, and at the start, the publisher would probably like to make the best impression on the public.

Activision will also have to think over the broadcasting system of battles and find new people for this, so that viewers can conveniently follow each team in the match. Given the dynamism of Warzone, this can be challenging. At PUBG tournaments, there is an opportunity to follow a separate team, and there is also a shared camera, but even this still does not allow the viewer to see all the interesting moments of the match, so this aspect of Activision will need to be very well thought out.

It is equally important and interesting to find out on which platform the Warzone tournaments will be held – consoles or PCs, since Battle Royale players are divided into these two camps. Perhaps Activision will allow the option to use both, but each device has its own advantages. For example, on consoles, you can turn on an aim assist, which helps you aim at an opponent, which already puts PC users in an unequal position.

The main question remains: does Activision see an esports future for Warzone? Recently, the company was a little not up to this, as it was busy with the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, but it is worth noting that even the events and content of this part of the series will be associated with the “royal battle”.

Warzone is one of the studio’s most successful projects, it is interesting not only to play it, but also to watch what is happening from the outside. It is loved by players from other disciplines, and even F1 riders spend their free time in it. For example, Lando Norris can hang in this “royal battle” for hours and cause over 6 thousand damage per match, which is a good result, especially for a non-full-time player.

There is nothing superfluous in Warzone – the game is easy to understand, and it is quite easy to figure out various features like contracts. Activision has a chance to make its battle royale the most popular in the esports scene, and the company has just taken an important step in that direction.