After bringing back the iconic Verdansk map in Call of Duty: Warzone, developers now confirm that the map won't be leaving the game anytime soon. The title released the Return to Verdansk update on April 3, bringing players back to the map that started it all. Verdansk was the first map featured in Warzone when it originally released, and the return of the map features an overhaul of the space paired with a shot of nostalgia.

However, many fans have been concerned that the map was only a limited-time event, and that developers Raven Software and Infinity Ward would remove it in the next season. Speaking to IGN, Warzone's game director at Raven Software Pete Actipis put these fears to rest, revealing that the studios have no plans to remove Verdansk from the game.

"We brought Verdansk back for a reason. It wasn't just to bring it back for a season and kind of say goodbye to it again." — Pete Actipis

Actipis revealed that the map is a favorite among the development team, and that they didn't want to bring it back only to remove it again. Actipis stated that the Verdansk map won't be removed from the game anytime soon, and that this is "just the beginning of the Verdansk 2025 journey."

Verdansk Was Completely Remade For Call of Duty: Warzone

The Map Took A Lot Of Effort To Build

Verdansk has been immensely popular among fans, bringing back the original nostalgic map but redeg it from the ground up to play like the best version of itself. Etienne Pouliot, creative director at Beenox who was in charge of building the new map, told IGN that bringing the location back into the game was more than a simple port. "We remade everything from the ground, the sky, the player visibility, the audio," says Pouliot.

The developers were consciously aiming for the intersection of nostalgia and good gameplay, fixing up issues from the original map while maintaining its feel and details. The result speaks for itself, with the map getting generally positive responses from fans. Even Reddit, which has been historically negative about Call of Duty: Warzone, had players praising the map. Actipis jokes, "I'll take it when Reddit says positive things about Warzone! That is an anomaly and I'm excited by it."

Call of Duty: Warzone Verdansk Map Could Still Be Removed In The Future

The Devs Couldn't Confirm The Long-Term Strategy

Reintroducing Verdansk is just the beginning, according to the interview, and it seems that the studios behind Warzone plan to continue evolving the map and the game as a whole. "This is the starting point," says Actipis, noting that the quality of Verdansk is a look at where the game is heading as a whole.

Actipis made it clear that having no plans to remove the map soon doesn't mean Verdansk will be around forever, pointing out that he couldn't confirm the long-term strategy for the map. However, based on player reaction and the devs' own feelings—"we love Verdansk," says Actipis—it seems that the nostalgic map will be staying in Call of Duty: Warzone "for at least the time being."

Source: IGN