Call of Duty: Warzone’s new Caldera map is now live and it brings with it a whole new map, new contracts, and even, for the first time in Warzone, planes. For players who’ve spent two years in Verdansk, it’s a bit of an adjustment, but at its core, it’s still Warzone. So we thought we’d put together some tips for the brand new contracts that are fresh to Caldera, how to use the new planes to achieve a higher finish, and how to start off your matches on the right foot. If you’re not the best Warzone player in the world, don’t be discouraged – following this guide will help you get to know Caldera better before you even step foot in on it.
New to Caldera is Top Secret Contracts. These appear on the map as question marks and generate a random contract for the players to complete. These are high risk, high reward. If you’re playing a conservative game, and you’re avoiding encounter-heavy contracts like Bounties, then you may want to stay away. However, if they’re the only thing near you, you could always get a Supply Run, or Scavenger contract, both of which are great for earning cash.
The Supply Box contract is also new to Caldera, this contract drops a marker on your map and you need to race there before the time runs out. Doing this will reward you with weapons, loot and in some special cases, the specialist perk which gives you every bonus. These contracts leave green markers on the ground in-game, so be warned, they’re extremely easy to camp.
Planes
Call Of Duty: Warzone. Credit: Raven Software.
While we’ve had helicopters for a long time, planes finally make their Warzone debut in Caldera. They’re extremely easy to fly, so those of us with trauma from torpedoing Battlefield jets into the ground don’t need to worry. They also have generous aim assist, meaning you only need to be in the same postcode as your target, and you’ll be able to pick off some enemies. They’re a great way to get around the map, and, if no one’s on the anti-aircraft guns, they’re also a great way to give yourself a bit of breathing space with your team.
We don’t think they’ll dominate the meta quite as much as the helicopters have done in the past, especially since landing them is about as reliable as sniping someone from 900M away, but they’re a great mid-game tool, especially when coming to grips with the new map. Caldera is also far more populated with planes than Verdansk ever was with helicopters, meaning it’s unlikely you’ll be unable to find one.
Loot Refresh
Call of Duty: Warzone. Credit: Infinity Ward, Raven Software
A late-game change to Warzone is that now, during one of the final circles, all boxes on the map will be refreshed with loot. This makes a huge change. If you manage to drop back in late-game, thanks to winning the new Gulag or by your team reviving you, you now have so many more options for how you’re going to tackle the last phases of the game. If your team happen to have made camp near a legendary crate, that’s the perfect place to drop back in and be guaranteed a high tier piece of loot.
However, this also makes pursuing new drops into the game a much more dangerous game, as you can’t guarantee they’ll have nothing to fight back with, just because you’ve already been through that building. Overall, it’s a great change that means that players aren’t at a horrible disadvantage if they don’t have a teammate that’s been hoarding enough money to get another loadout in the late game.
Cash injection
Call Of Duty: Warzone. Image credit: Activision
There are now two events that can happen at the start of matches before you’ve even dropped in. The first of the two is the cash drop. This is exactly what it sounds like. Around 8-10 large drops of cash around the map at the start of a game. These are an excellent way to start a game, especially if you’re looking for a lot of kills. This combined with your first contract of the match will almost guarantee that you can afford a loadout.
These drops are incredibly busy, so you’re going to have to be extremely coordinated if you’re going to take one on. Alternatively, prioritise drops that are far away from the flight path, as people are rarely as keen to deviate that far in order to pick up some cash.
Heavy Weapons Drops
Call of Duty: Warzone. Credit: Raven Software
The second of the two early game events are the Heavy Weapons drops. Again, this is what it sounds like. However, these seem to occur far more rarely than the cash drops, as in over 25 matches, we’ve only encountered the heavy weapons drops twice.
Again, this is a mad dash towards the drop, with the first player to secure it receiving legendary loot. Both of the times we’ve encountered this, it’s been a slaughter, mainly due to how long it takes to secure. Even if you think you’re safe, you’re practically guaranteed a shot in the back while you try to secure it.
Big Game Bounties
Call of Duty: Warzone. Credit: Raven Software
Also new to Caldera is Big Game Bounties. These appear in the late game and target the highest-performing player on the map. These bounties always provide great rewards such as an advanced UAV, so they’re worth picking up. They’re especially helpful in a large firefight, as the chances of your target being picked off randomly without you having to go after them are high.
And that’s everything new in Warzone’s new Caldera map. It’s still early days, and there’s plenty to discover, such as the best loadout for Caldera, or the best places to loot, but rest assured, we’ll have all of that right here. Good luck!
The Caldera map is out now for all players on Call Of Duty: Warzone.
