For a lot of Call of Duty fans, the original Warzone was their first experience with the battle royale genre and the reason they fell in love with the format of shrinking circles and shooting for the crown.
While the sequel has been immensely popular, a lot of the community still misses diving down onto the iconic Verdansk, Rebirth Island, and (of course) Caldera.
Although the title is still available to play, Activision has finally announced that the original Warzone will be shutting down. This news has been met with a mixed response from fans, with some reminiscing on good memories and others slamming the decision to close it.
Call of Duty: Warzone is shutting down in September
— Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) June 22, 2023As #Warzone moves ahead with exciting new experiences to come, Warzone Caldera will shut down on Sept 21.
All Caldera gameplay, player progression, inventories and online services will expire on that date. Learn more👉 https://t.co/BmN8sEOlZ7 pic.twitter.com/MH83AkeHUl
Taking to Twitter on June 22, 2023, Activision announced via the official Call of Duty account that the original Warzone will be officially closing its doors on September 21, 2023.
According to the blog post that details the announcement, this decision was made to allow the dev teams to "focus on future Call of Duty content including the current Warzone free-to-play experience."
The news was met with a mixed response from the CoD community, with some simply saying it was 'expected' and others slamming Activision for "shutting down the best Warzone map of all time."
Either way, September 21 will certainly mark the end of an era, so if you want to experience the original Warzone one more time, make sure to jump onto the title before that date.
Will you keep purchased items from Warzone 1 after shutdown?
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When it comes to purchased content from Warzone 1, Activision clarified in the official blog that any items from Modern Warfare 2019, Cold War, and Vanguard will "continue to be accessible in those specific games."
So, there's no need to worry about losing your purchased items, as they'll still be available in multiplayer for the foreseeable future. Although this news was expected, it's still a sad day for millions of Call of Duty players who absolutely loved their time with the original Warzone.
