Activision rolls out Call of Duty Season 03 update

Activision has outlined the Season 03 update for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, Call of Duty: Warzone and Endgame. It adds new maps, modes and weapons, along with a limited free-to-play period for Endgame.

The update brings new content to multiplayer, Zombies and Warzone, with more additions planned for the mid-season refresh. Warzone will also gain a new Verdansk point of interest, while big map rotation between Verdansk and Avalon arrives later in the season.

Multiplayer update

At launch, Black Ops 7 multiplayer adds Beacon and Abyss, alongside Mission: Trident for Skirmish play. Remastered versions of Plaza and Gridlock are also included.

Later in the season, the multiplayer map pool will expand again with the new Onsen map, a remastered Summit and the return of Hacienda. Demolition makes its Black Ops 7 debut at launch, with Aim High and Snipers Only following shortly afterwards.

Mid-season adds Freerun, a movement-focused mode, along with Heat Wave Havoc and Freeze Tag. The update also introduces the Ion Core Scorestreak, with two overclock options: Plutonium Core and Chemical Catalyst.

Ranked Play returns for a new multiplayer season, with rewards tied to performance.

Zombies changes

For Zombies, the main launch addition is Ashwood Survival, set within the grounds of Ashes of the Damned. Alongside the standard version, the map will support a harder variant called Cursed on Ashwood.

Directed Mode is also coming to Paradox Junction, giving players a guided Main Quest experience. A Starting Room mode will be added to the same map.

The season also introduces Zombie Battle, a competitive free-for-all mode in which the last surviving player wins. A new round-based map, Totenreich, is due in the mid-season update.

Legacy weapons will also return to Zombies, including a pistol that can be Pack-a-Punched. More legacy weapons will be added to the Mystery Box at mid-season.

Warzone expansion

Warzone's biggest environmental change is the new Launch Pad point of interest in the southern hills of Verdansk. Later in the season, Avalon will enter big map rotation in Core Battle Royale.

As part of that change, Avalon will feature Gulags in the environment. Season 03 also adds a launch-themed limited-time mode called Launch Squad, in which players collect Launch Codes and try to survive until lift-off.

Other Warzone modes due this season include Hot Pursuit, Prop Hunt Royale and Iron Gauntlet. Gameplay additions include Wall Jump and Grapple Hook movement in Battle Royale and Resurgence, along with the Flashpoint Public Event, purchasable Spikes at Buy Stations and the Cluster Grenade.

Resurgence Ranked Play begins its second season on Haven's Hollow and Rebirth Island, with Skill Rating and rank-based rewards on offer.

Weapons and rewards

Across all modes, Season 03 adds six weapons. At launch, the Battle Pass includes the MK35 ISR Assault Rifle and VST SMG. Later unlocks through events and weekly challenges include the Strider 300 Sniper Rifle, 1911 Pistol, Siren Special Weapon and Katana melee weapon.

New attachments are also being added, including the VAS Convergence Foregrip, an Underbarrel Shotgun for the Shadow SK Sniper Rifle and a Spear Gun for the X9 Maverick Assault Rifle. Weekly challenges and seasonal progression will offer more loadout items, attachments, camouflage rewards and XP, with more than 80 weapon camos available during the season.

The update also refreshes the Battle Pass and BlackCell offering with new weapon blueprints, operator skins, calling cards, finishing moves and emotes. Store additions include new bundles featuring Ultra Skins, reactive items and Mastercraft weapon blueprints.

Endgame access

Endgame will be free to play for a limited period as part of the Season 03 rollout. Free players will start as one of four JSOC Operators from Specter One.

The mode will also receive operational objectives on Avalon, beginning with Operation Poison Pill. A new Warband Skill Track and the Aether Blade Ability arrive at launch, while the Thermal Spike Ability will be added later in the season as a Weekly Challenge reward.

Season 03 updates nearly every part of the current Call of Duty line-up, with launch content followed by a broader mid-season package that adds more multiplayer maps, the Totenreich Zombies map and additional Warzone modes.