“It’s been over six years since Blackout originally launched,” says Actipis. “Call of Duty: Warzone has been around for a long time, and players have spent years in Battle Royale, but there was something pure about the Blackout experience. It felt like the right time to bring a new experience to Warzone that was rooted in Call of Duty’s first Battle Royale.”
According to Actipis, everything starts with Avalon, the new “big map” for Black Ops Royale. It was designed from scratch with the same team behind the original Blackout map, who were purposefully involved in its development. Rather than duplicating Blackout exactly, their aim was to recreate its pacing and combat style in a modern context. I’m told this approach can be seen in how Avalon’s points of interest are laid out and the way the map functions overall, featuring dense city areas, interior combat zones, open sightlines, and more. The map has also been designed to support multiple vehicles including ATVs, LTVs, a new five-seat Helicopter, Cargo Trucks, Tactical Rafts, and more, allowing land, sea, and air movement across all facets of its environment.
“Collaborating with Treyarch didn’t feel like we were making compromises. A lot of these systems evolved in ways that felt natural, if Blackout had continued. We evaluated every system and asked whether it supported the core loop, whether it needed reinterpretation, or whether it needed updating,” Actipis adds. “That included weapon acquisition, weapon upgrades, inventory systems, bullet drop, and aspirational elements to chase. We made sure we paid homage to the Blackout core loop while keeping the flow of a match feeling right for Warzone players. This is not a remake. It lives and breathes as its own unique experience.”