The latest Call of Duty: Modern Warfare patch released earlier this week and it seems to be pointing to an imminent launch of the often leaked Warzone battle royale mode.
Players have discovered an apparent easter egg in the game's latest map, Bazaar. On a wall in Bazaar, there is a map hanging with a stamp below it reading "03/03," which may point to a launch on March 3 for Warzone, which has all but been confirmed by Infinity Ward after numerous leaks and in-game teases have pointed to the incoming new game mode.
Previous reports have suggested an early March release date for Warzone with March 10 being one suggested date, but the same leak also indicated that it could get delayed until later. Now it appears it may actually be launching even sooner.
The March 3 release date fits really well for another reason: it's a Tuesday. Modern Warfare patches arrives every Tuesday, so it could be that next week's update is the biggest of the game's lifespan so far. It was also rumored recently that early hands-on previews have begun for some streamers and influencers, so if the new Warzone battle royale mode really does launch in a matter of days, we will likely see gameplay from those sessions very soon.
Perhaps the most important of all rumors surrounding Warzone is how it will be monetized. Though it's expected to fill the space of the new "Classified" menu option within Modern Warfare, those close to the project have also leaked that there will be a free to play version launching alongside of it. In this way, Warzone will be better eqipped to outlast the otherwise relentless annual release calendar of Call of Duty games, and it will challenge games like Fortnite and Apex Legends more directly and, presumably, for years to come.
