Call of Duty: Warzone Season 03 Reloaded Patch Notes

• Server Disconnects
  • We’re actively investigating reports of some players encountering issues that may result in disconnects from Warzone matches following the Season 03 Reloaded update.

We understand the frustration caused by ongoing server disconnects and want to clarify that these issues are not due to known malicious attacks or activity. Our studio teams are actively investigating the root cause which shipped with Season 03 Reloaded and will provide updates as soon as possible.

• Blaze of Glory
  • Collect Blaze Bucks dropped by eliminated enemies and found in supply caches in Call of Duty: Warzone. Redeem your bucks for rewards, including the new Vendetta Perk, the Frost Blast Field Upgrade, and the “Highly Decorated” Weapon Camo.
  • Activation Dates: May 6 to 15

• Moving Train
  • The iconic Verdansk train is back. It now features a respawning Recon Contract - if you choo-choo-choose to take on the mission.

• Vertical Ascenders
  • Ascenders have been reintroduced across Verdansk, matching their placement in the original Season 05 and current Plunder layout.

Vertical Ascenders provide new traversal and engagement options across familiar power positions. We’ll continue monitoring combat flow and weapon performance to determine if adjustments are needed - whether that means removing unnecessary ascenders or adding them to areas that remain difficult to access.

• High Trip Resurgence Limited-Time Mode
  • Experience the classic Resurgence ruleset with special narration and gameplay boosts designed to incinerate your opponents.
  • Map:
    • Verdansk
  • Squad Size:
    • Quads
  • Player Count: 
    • 120 Players

With the re-introduction of our ranked seasons in this patch, we’re introducing a number of different changes to the ranked ecosystem to coincide with the new map, aimed at retaining in large the pacing and progression structure, while allowing for the other adjustments that are needed. Here’s a brief summary of the details you’ll find below:

• 150 Players 
  • With our return to Verdansk, Battle Royale Ranked Play is increasing its player count to 150 players, which of course means 50 Teams in the match.

• New SR Values 
  • To maintain the overall pacing and progression of the ranked ecosystem, we've tuned the SR values to better reflect the larger map, Season 03’s changes to gameplay as well as general game economy. The overall outcome of this tuning is such that your progress through ranked should be very similar in terms of time investment, with slightly higher difficulties in the very top ends (High Iridescent, top 250). 
  • We have also raised the SR Cap per match for eliminations to 200, instead of 150.

• Restrictions Adjustments
  • We’re mirroring the ban on Bandolier and the Ammo Satchel, and disabled known perks that are counter to the goals we want to facilitate with ranked. At the same time, with Verdansk’s identity revolving so heavily around vehicle usage we have unrestricted launchers so they can be used to effectively counter any vehicle dominance. Alertness has also been removed from the restricted perk list.
  • As an additional callout - we have added the Trophy system to the buystation to enable planning for a safer vehicle rotation.

In order to access this mode, players must place amongst the top squads in at least 20 matches to be eligible to queue up and begin climbing the ranks.

In this case, "Top Placement" is defined as finishing among the Top 6 teams in Resurgence or the Top 15 teams in Battle Royale. Battle Royale Casual or Bootcamp does not progress your Top Placements.

• The starting circle is more centered, enabling more playspace on drop - but extreme circle ends can still occur. 

• Trophy system is added to the buystation inventory to enable a more protected vehicle rotation.

With the start of Season 03 Reloaded, we will exceptionally be setting players across the board back to Bronze.

When Season 04 starts, the setback system will be re-enabled to the typical soft-reset. As a reminder on how that works: 

In addition to the above, Eliminations factor in the difference in skill between you and the victim. This more accurately rewards overcoming a high ranked player, and lessens the impact if the skill delta is too wide (via players being brought into a match with friends, or otherwise).

This skill delta bonus reward changes depending on if they are + / - 3 ranks from your own. 

• Movement Speed While Plating
  • Movement speed while inserting armor plates has been standardized. Whether using the normal animation or the one-handed animation granted by Quick Fix, your movement speed will now align with the weapon you had equipped when you began plating.

Previously, plating had a fixed movement speed that could be faster or slower than the weapon you were holding. Now, if you're plating with a melee weapon equipped, your movement will match that weapon's speed. The same applies to other weapon classes - for example, plating with an LMG equipped will now retain the slower movement speed associated with LMGs.

» Lethal «

• Drill Charge
  • The explosion radius increased from 3 meters to 5 meters.
  • Inner explosion damage increased from 155 to 200.
  • Outer explosion damage increased from 39 to 100.

Drill Charge has been underperforming relative to other lethal equipment. These updates aim to increase its effectiveness and bring it more in line with peers. We will continue to monitor its usage and impact.

• C4
  • The middle to inner explosion radius increased from 3m to 5m.
  • Inner explosion damage increased from 225 to 250.
  • Middle explosion damage increased from 112 to 180.
  • Slight increase to the speed at which you can detonate the device after throwing it.
  • Slight adjustments to throw velocity.

These changes are designed to reward accurate throws and improve responsiveness, making C4 a more viable and skill-based option.

• Spring Mine
  • Inner explosion damage reduced from 275 to 250.

This minor reduction gives players more opportunity to react while still preserving the mine's lethality. Remember: crouching reduces mine damage by 50%, and going prone reduces it by 75%.

• Blast Trap
  • Increased the Detonation delay from 0.75 seconds to 1 seconds.

This adjustment provides a slightly longer window for counterplay when triggered unexpectedly. We’ll continue monitoring Blast Trap performance for further tuning in Warzone.

» Tactical «

• Stim Shot
  • Speed increase reduced from 15% to 8%.

The Stim Shot’s primary purpose is health regeneration, with a secondary role as a movement enhancer. In recent updates, its speed boost began to overshadow its healing function. This adjustment helps re-center its role within the gameplay loop.

• Experimental Gas
  • No longer deals tick damage.

Following the gas size adjustments introduced at the start of Black Ops 6, we found the combination of debuff, area coverage, and damage to be underwhelming. By removing its damage entirely, we’re shifting Tacticals toward a clearer identity: no-damage or low-damage utility.

• Big Game Bounty
  • The Big Game Bounty Contract has returned to Battle Royale. Track down and eliminate a high-performing squad for greater rewards - high risk, high reward.

• Supply Run Contract
  • Squadmates who are dead at the time a Supply Run is completed will now also receive the Fire Sale reward.

• Low Profile
  • Prone and crouch movement speed increased from 20% to 30%.

• Bomb Squad
  • Damage reduction increased from 20% to 30%.

• Survivor
  • Health regeneration delay increased from 3 seconds to 4 seconds.

Survivor continues to be a highly selected perk. This slight delay maintains its strength while improving balance across the perk ecosystem.

• Reactive Armor
  • Armor regeneration speed increased by 50%.

Once regeneration begins, armor will now fully regenerate up to 75 armor (half of the total pool) within 25 seconds if no plates are equipped.

• Tracker
  • Tracker outlines have been refined with thinner lines to improve visual clarity.

This change aligns with broader visual updates to reduce clutter. Reminder: Tracker is countered by the Cold-Blooded Perk.

• Goblin Mk2 7.62 Mini-Rocket Conversion Kit
  • Converts the Goblin Mk2 Assault Rifle into a fully automatic weapon with explosive rocket ammunition. Splash damage capabilities come at the expense of bullet velocity and rate of fire. Equips a new default Barrel and Magazine. 
  • Acquirable via Event Reward

• Loadout Marker Icon Quality of Life
  • A blue Loadout Drop icon will now appear in the squad widget when your team has enough cash to purchase a Loadout at a Buy Station.

• Damage Closes Buystation Menu Setting Quality of Life
  • Players can now toggle whether the Buy Station menu automatically closes upon taking damage. This setting is off by default. When enabled, the menu will close immediately when the player receives incoming damage.

• Killfeed Duration Setting Quality of Life
  • A new setting allows players to customize how long killfeed messages remain visible on screen after a killfeed update.

• Attachment Filter for Modern Warfare Weapons Quality of Life
  • An improved attachment filtering system has been added for Modern Warfare weapons. This enhancement introduces category-specific filters to streamline the attachment selection process, making it easier to navigate large inventories and quickly find the desired attachments.

• Death Recap Widget Quality of Life
  • The Death Recap system has been expanded in Season 03 Reloaded to provide clearer insight into the conditions that contributed to your death. New indicators include:
    • Affected by Heartbeat Sensor: Indicates the enemy detected your position with the heartbeat sensor equipment.
    • Affected by Body Shield on Teammate: Indicates your position was revealed by a teammate who was body shield by an enemy.
    • Affected by Resurgence Mark: Indicates your position was revealed by a teammate who died in Resurgence game mode.
    • Affected by Prox Alarm: Indicated your position was revealed by a Prox Alarm tactical equipment.
    • Affected by Most Wanted Target: Indicate your position was revealed by opting-in the Most Wanted Contract.

• Nearby Grenade Notification Quality of Life
  • The grenade warning icon now fades slightly when the player is no longer in direct line of sight of the active grenade, providing a more intuitive visual cue.

• Damage Overlay Opacity Quality of Life
  • The full-screen red damage overlay triggered by armor damage has had its opacity reduced by 50%, creating a less visually intense experience when under fire.

• Double Killstreak Overwrite Notification Quality of Life
  • When two enemy Killstreaks are activated within three seconds of each other, the second notification will now interrupt and replace the first. This ensures both are delivered promptly and players can react appropriately. 
    • Previously, the second notification would wait for the first to finish, often resulting in delayed awareness.

• Death Skull Icon Improvements Quality of Life
  • The death skull icon has been adjusted to scale more appropriately with distance. It will now appear larger when close by, making it easier to spot, while taking up less screen space when viewed from afar.

This change builds on an earlier update that added the skull icon to help players identify where they died and recover their loadouts. Based on feedback, we've fine-tuned the scaling to reduce visual clutter at long range.

• Heli
  • Adjusted the weight class from medium-light to light. This adjusts how explosives and launchers interact with the Heli.
    • Launchers (including JOKR) 1 hit.
    • Grenades (including C4) 1 hit.
    • Traps 1 hit.
    • Thermite 10 ticks.

• Heli Passenger View Angles
  • Players can now look around with more freedom than before, and are less restricted in tracking targets below the vehicle.

• Vehicles
  • Revised and Rebalanced the volumes of vehicle engine, suspension, chassis, tire surface/skids, water, impact, hit-marker and horn sounds.

• Removed Unavailable Daily Challenges
  • The following Daily Challenges have been removed as they were not progressable in all modes:
    • SAM/Sentry Turret Challenge
    • Counter-UAV (CUAV) Challenge

• Stickerbook Challenge Fixes
  • Improved filtering to ensure all Stickerbook Challenges are now progressable in Ranked Battle Royale.
  • All challenges referencing Battle Royale now also track in Battle Royale Casual.

• Armory Unlock Update
  • Added the JAK Devastator as an Armory Challenge unlock.

• Stickerbook Challenge Updates
  • The following challenges have been updated for consistency and/or progression tracking:
    • Career — Seasoned Soldier
      • Royale Ripper
        • Battle Buster
      • Career — Warzone Tactician
        • Load Up
      • Career — Popping Off
        • Fearless Warrior
      • Career — Dark Ops
        • [REDACTED]
        • [REDACTED]
      • Prestige 5
        • Intel Hoarder
        • Follow Through
        • Come At Me
        • Mobile Shopper
        • New Toys
      • Prestige 8
        • Contender
      • Prestige 9
        • Silent and Deadly
        • Axed
      • Prestige Master
        • Ultimate Victory
        • Not a Fluke
        • Lock the Win
      • Daily Challenge Updates
        • Top 10 Placement
        • Top 5 Placement
        • Top 10 Placement with 10 Eliminations

Perks

• Fixed an issue where Scavenger bags could be picked up by players other than the intended recipient.

• Fixed an issue where Scavenger did not grant the correct amount of maximum ammunition.

• Fixed an issue where Ghost was applying default values instead of the intended configuration.

• Fixed an issue where the Ghost perk's grace period was not correctly set to 3 seconds.

• Fixed an issue where the required movement speed for Ghost activation was not correctly set to 35 (equivalent to crawling or faster).

• Fixed an issue while using Bomb Squad where all explosives were incorrectly capped at 150 damage. Explosives can now deal up to 300 damage as originally intended.

Audio

• Fixed headshot kill indicator sounding higher pitch than expected on the classic hitmarker preset.

• Fixed classic hitmarkers being quieter than intended.

Miscellaneous

• Fixed an issue where Thermite’s tick rate could be significantly faster than intended.

• Fixed an issue where the Gulag notification for a squadmate entering or leaving did not play correctly.

• Fixed an issue where the MX Guardian could incorrectly equip Dragon’s Breath rounds.

• Fixed an issue causing an unintended burst of velocity when exiting an ascender.

• Fixed an issue where jumping onto a ladder could trigger an unintended burst of velocity.

• Fixed an issue where opening the scoreboard during exfil could result in the loss of the user interface.

• Fixed an issue where the Scavenger perk could incorrectly grant more than the maximum reserve ammunition.

• Fixed an issue where gas visual effects could appear in Plunder before the Choke Hold public event was active.

• Fixed an issue where weapon loot cards sometimes appeared off-center from the weapon model.

• Fixed an issue where the outline on Legendary Supply Crates would disappear after using a Supply UAV.

• Fixed an issue where item pings from squadmates would not appear after closing the Buy Station UI.

• Fixed an issue where players could become stuck on a black screen if they were in the Winner’s Circle when the match ended.

• Fixed an issue where the Trophy System was missing its idle sound effects.

• Fixed an issue where target dummies in the Firing Range could become stuck after being killed.

• Fixed an issue where the speed boost from the Resolute perk would not be properly removed.

• Fixed an issue that caused the Gas Mask icon in the squad widget to disappear when picking up a replacement.

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*Game features described above are based on current in-development features that are subject to change based on final development changes and/or game tuning or updates that may remove or modify some or all of the above features.