Vanguard delivers the complete package to Call of Duty fans across Campaign, online Multiplayer and Zombies co-operative modes. Players will witness the origins of Special Forces as they change the face of history, forming Task Force One in a sprawling World War II narrative campaign spanning the Eastern and Western fronts of Europe, the Pacific, and North Africa. Multiplayer features 20 maps on day one at launch. While Zombies fans will experience a signature undead gameplay experience, marking a franchise-first Zombies crossover for Call of Duty.
Later this year, Vanguard players will be immersed in a fully integrated, new Call of Duty: Warzone experience featuring a brand-new map, new gameplay and new experiences. Together, this is the most connected Call of Duty ever, all powered by the next-generation Call of Duty engine introduced in Modern Warfare.
It's time to rise on every front.
From fighting Krampus and hunting down Elf Team Six to getting plenty of holiday gifts and Bundles, Festive Fervor is here to spread plenty of cheer across Call of Duty®: Vanguard, Call of Duty®: Warzone™ Pacific, Call of Duty®: Mobile, and more. Plus: Call of Duty Endowment’s involvement in the 2021 Jingle Jam.
’Tis the Season for Festive Fervor
Make your list of squadmates and check those corners twice: Festive Fervor is coming to Call of Duty with plenty of holiday surprises for both the naughty and nice.
Festive Fervor will take over several Call of Duty experiences, including Call of Duty: Vanguard and Warzone Pacific, with limited-time modes, events, rewards, and features up to the New Year along with plenty of discounts on classic Bundle and new holiday-themed offerings.
Prepare to stock up this December, because Festive Fervor is stuffed with content:
- Twelve Days of Deals on Classic Bundles. Starting on December 14, Call of Duty®: Black Ops Cold War Bundles will be available at a holiday discount for use in both Black Ops Cold War and Warzone Pacific.
- Sleigh in Style with New Vanguard Bundles. Four festive Bundles highlight new Store offerings as we rotate to 2022. Use these in both Vanguard and Warzone Pacific.
- Krampus Is Coming… For anyone who doesn’t play the objective in Vanguard, or whoever dares to find him on Caldera, prepare for his wrath….
- Elf Team Six, Reporting for Duty. Find these mischievous holiday helpers across Vanguard and Warzone Pacific and earn rewards.
- Vanguard Owners Get 10 Tier Skips, 10% Seasonal XP Boost, and More. Receive these gifts by purchasing and playing Vanguard before December 31. All owners will get these items starting on December 16, 2021.
- The Main Event: Complete Festive Fervor Challenges, Get Rewarded. Thirteen total items, including a Weapon Blueprint for completing all six Vanguard or Warzone Pacific challenges.
Festive Fervor will officially start on December 16 across Vanguard and Warzone Pacific, following an update to Vanguard on December 15 at 9 PM PT, and an update to Warzone Pacific on December 16 at 9PM PT.
Call of Duty will already be in the holiday spirit with 12 Festive Days of Deals starting on December 14 in Black Ops Cold War and Warzone Pacific, as well as within a new season of Call of Duty: Mobile to be announced on December 13.
But your first gift, courtesy of this blog, is all the intel you need to know about this month in Call of Duty, including what the Endowment has planned.
Vanguard Multiplayer, Zombies Decked Out for the Holidays, Limited-Time Modes and Features
Forget reindeer games — Call of Duty: Vanguard will roll out several limited-time holiday features as part of Festive Fervor, including the reintroduction of a classic Multiplayer mode.
Armageddon Mode
Also known as Drop Zone in previous Call of Duty titles, this twist on Team Deathmatch brings enough Killstreak Care Packages to stuff a whole chimney.
At the start of a match, both teams will fight for control of a marked area somewhere on the map, where Care Packages will drop in on a set timer until a specific number of them are collected. At that point, the zone rotates to a new area.
Unlike previous iterations of Drop Zone, points are only scored through kills, with bonus points being awarded with kills earned via Killstreaks. That makes ripping open those presents your squad’s main key to victory, so lock down those zones and start reaping those rewards.
Elf Team Six
Outside of that limited-time mode, Operators can also earn Killstreaks through seeking and destroying the elite Elf Team Six.
Hidden around Vanguard’s Multiplayer maps, Elf Team Six are ready to roast Operators like chestnuts on an open fire if they aren’t found before they disappear.
Operators who take down these Elf Team Six members will earn match score and Killstreak progress, a small gift that could help give your enemies something far worse than coal in their stockings.
Krampus
While Elf Team Six can help the nice Operators achieve victory, there is something else in store for the ones who act naughty and don’t play the objective in respawn-enabled game modes, or who camp in Team Deathmatch:
The folk horror figure Krampus is coming to Vanguard, appearing during Multiplayer matches and targeting whoever has the least impressive objective score, such as a pathetic Hardpoint time or a disgracefully low number of Domination captures.
If you’re warned of Krampus’s presence, then good luck: he won’t hesitate to eliminate his target with an absolutely devastating (and humiliating) Finishing Move, although you might be able to defeat him before he delivers that powerful attack…
Multiplayer and Zombies Get Festive for the Holidays
Festive Fervor also rolls out to decorate Vanguard for the holiday season.
During Festive Fervor, Shipment becomes Shipmas, a winter wonderland of chaos blanketed in snow and, by the end of the match, whatever remains of those soon-to-be-smashed shipping containers.
Expect some subtle seasonal visuals in game modes like Domination and Hardpoint, as well as more holiday overhauls to places like the Gunbench and the wintery home base of Stalingrad in Zombies’ “Der Anfang.”
A Gift for All Vanguard Owners: 10 Free Tier Skips, 10% Seasonal XP Boost, and More
In the spirit of Festive Fervor, those who already own Vanguard — or purchase it before December 31 — will receive the following rewards, available for use starting on December 16:
- 10 Battle Pass Tier Skips for Season One. These are enough to automatically unlock a free Calling Card and 100 COD Points, or even more rewards if the Season One Battle Pass is purchased. Combine it with a Battle Pass Bundle, and you can get over 30 Tiers of content, which contains over 40 items across Vanguard and Warzone, right at the beginning of the season.
- A 10% Global Player, Weapon, and Battle Pass XP Boost During Season One. Earn that next Prestige Icon, weapon attachment, or Battle Pass Tier just a bit quicker with this XP Boost. Expert tip: the 10% XP boost for playing with a Clan, as well as the boosts from the Battle Pass and other sources, stacks with this reward!
- The 24 Vanguard Tiers of the Season Six Battle Pass. If you haven’t already earned them last season, anyone who purchases Vanguard will receive these for free.
Vanguard Bundles for the Naughty and Nice: Krampus, Holiday Blueprints Leading Up to the New Year
Ready to really get in the Festive Fervor spirit across Vanguard and Warzone Pacific?
The Store will be stocked up with plenty of Bundles for everyone in your Clan — or get some much-deserved gifts for yourself — including four that are themed around the holiday season:
Launching alongside the Festive Fervor update is the Santa’s Slay Bundle, perfect for decking the halls (and your opponents) with Legendary Weapons that have Red-and-Green Tracers, as well as a Finishing Move that makes use of a helpful Elf companion!
And if all that is not enough for the holidays, why not humiliate foes as you win with Lucas in his impressively knitted (ugly) sweater included with his “Yarn Burner” Skin?
During Festive Fervor’s launch window, you can also drape Roland in Krampus’s unholy threads with the Krampus Unleashed Bundle, featuring Roland’s “Vinderblood” Operator Skin.
It also includes a Legendary “Krampusnacht” Marksman Rifle Blueprint that can punch through enemies like Krampus’s claws, as well as a “Reindog Rampage” Finishing Move that might be just as satisfying as that horned demon dealing justice on his own terms.
You can also give your opponents the ultimate surprise gift with the Secret Santa Bundle,which will become available during the Festive Fervor season. It features two Legendary Weapon Blueprints: one for a pump-action Shotgun and another that turns a Marksman Rifle into a fully automatic beast.
Before Festive Fervor ends and 2022 begins, the Store will introduce the Broken Resolutions Bundle, a nine-item Bundle with two Battle Pass Tier Skips on top of Legendary and Epic Operator, Armory, and Player Profile Pieces.
Of note is a “Pop Bottles” Finishing Move that makes use of a champagne bottle, a sleek “Midnighter” Operator Skin for Beatrice, and a “Cover Charge” Assault Rifle with enough silent firepower to forget those foes by February.
Vanguard Multiplayer Festive Fervor Challenge — Details and Rewards
Throughout Festive Fervor, those who get in the holiday mood and complete challenges will get free rewards, including an Epic LMG Blueprint for conquering all six challenges in Vanguard Multiplayer or Warzone Pacific.
In Vanguard, the Festive Fervor Challenges include eliminating some of those holiday nuisances across all Multiplayer modes, playing Shipmas, or simply getting in the spirit of the season and opening Care Packages like presents under the tree.
Your rewards for doing so include a Battle Pass Tier Skip, a Double XP Token, and cosmetic rewards for your weapons and player profile.
Warzone Pacific: Season’s Greetings from the Isles — Holiday Surprises Across Caldera, Rebirth Island
Vanguard won’t be the only place to get into the Festive Fervor spirit, as Caldera and Rebirth Island will have their own limited-time celebrations.
Caldera Receives Festive Fir Trees with Presents for All!
Those who drop into Caldera during Festive Fervor can’t miss the invasive vegetation among the palm trees and other Pacific foliage: Festive Fir Trees!
Marked on the Tac Map with a special tree icon, these temporary landmarks will be placed at specific points of interest across the island.
Any squad that stays within the Fir Tree’s zone — under the tree and around it — for a short period of time will cause several Supply Boxes to magically appear, including special Holiday Crates that could contain Legendary items for that match, limited-time rewards, or even some coal for those Operators on the naughty list.
Krampus — The Terror of the Isles with Plenty of “Gifts” for Festive Fervor
Beyond being a sign to do some good this holiday season, the coal found in those Holiday Crates does attract a certain folklore creature.
Krampus tends to spend his holidays on Caldera and Rebirth Island, where within minutes of a match starting, he goes on the hunt for sport. While his choice of target is more random here than in Vanguard, he does tend to hunt down those who received coal from the Holiday Crates.
This mythical creature will take three minutes to complete his hunt before he disappears for his next target, or he’ll be killed and give out a special permanent reward for the squad that faces his wrath.
Because these islands are his usual stomping grounds, Krampus has some other surprises in store throughout Festive Fervor. Fortunately, all of these are relatively nice — expect modifiers like increased chances of Legendary Supply Boxes or half-off Buybacks on each day of this holiday event.
Elf and Seek — The Gnomes Take Over the Islands
Just like Krampus, some mischievous creatures also call Caldera and Rebirth Island their home and are waiting for Operators to seek them.
These gnomes are just as carefree as Elf Team Six, hollering at any Operator who gets within 10 meters of them. Squads who find and destroy them will receive rewards like a Double XP Token or a Calling Card.
Vanguard’s Festive Fervor Event and Bundles Available in Warzone
Those who want to earn Festive Fervor’s ultimate Epic LMG Blueprint can alternatively complete six unique challenges in Warzone Pacific, each with a reward like a Battle Pass Tier Skip, Double XP Token, and more.
These challenges include dealing 365 points of damage to Krampus, destroying those pesky gnomes, or simply playing the game and roaming around Caldera or Rebirth Island.
In addition to this limited-time Vanguard event, all its Bundles are also available in Warzone Pacific, making it possible to dash through the sand as a Krampus lookalike or in that festive holiday sweater. (Note: There are some Vanguard-only items within these Bundles that cannot be accessed in Warzone Pacific; see the individual Bundles for details).
12 Festive Days of Deals — Black Ops Cold War Bundle Discounts
Black Ops Cold War brought a wide variety of Bundles to Operators across six seasons within Black Ops and Warzone, so you may have missed a few over the past year. Enter the 12 Festive Days of Deals: starting on December 14 — two days before Festive Fervor — a selection of Bundles for Black Ops Cold War and Warzone will receive limited-time holiday discounts.
Each day leading up to December 25, five Bundles from Black Ops Cold War will be available in that game and in Warzone Pacific. Most of them, such as the “Tracer Pack: Weaver Operator Bundle” that kicks off the deals on December 14, will be featured with special discounts in their Call of Duty Point Price.
However, the 12 Festive Days of Deals will also include one new Bundle: the “Battle Pass Vault Pack Greatest Hits,” a collection of late-Tier content from the first three Black Ops Cold War Battle Passes for those who missed out on those early offerings.
Enjoy these classic Bundles in Warzone Pacific or back in Black Ops Cold War, where Treyarch also has an extended 2XP and 2WXP feast planned for the holiday season, starting December 23.
Call of Duty: Mobile Celebrates 12 Festive Days of Deals, Also Starting December 14
Call of Duty: Mobile is getting in on the holiday festivities with its own huge discounts on Operators and gear through daily special sales.
Spread some holiday cheer with discounts on Crates, Draws, and Bundles, available for only 72 hours after the deal becomes available.
There will also be discounts on Lucky Draws and Bundles, such as the Ghost - Loose Ends Bundle and Holiday Draw Redux, as well as the return of holiday maps like Holiday Raid and Nuketown Russia during its own celebration of the holiday season.
Support Veterans This Holiday Season
The holidays are finally here, and the Call of Duty Endowment is honored to be one of the 14 beneficiaries of this year’s Jingle Jam. Back for its 10th Anniversary, Jingle Jam is one of the biggest charity events in the gaming industry, having raised over $20M since 2011. This is the third year that the Endowment will be featured. ‘Tis the season of giving, and you can show your support for veterans by tuning-in and donating here. If you’re feeling in the holiday spirit, you can also support the Endowment by purchasing the Call of Duty Endowment Timeless Pack in #Warzone and #CallofDutyVanguard with this pack featuring nine new items, including two weapon blueprints.
Key Features:
- Epic campaign spanning four major theaters of WWII
- Experience pivotal WWII battles through the untold stories of multinational heroes that formed Task Force One, changing the face of history and setting the stage for Special Forces as we know it
- Development led by award-winning studio Sledgehammer Games, Call of Duty: Vanguard drops players into an epic scale of global warfare, where they will experience combat through the eyes of the original Special Forces Operators across four major theaters of WWII
- The deeply engaging, single player narrative features a select multinational group of four soldiers from diverse backgrounds, who rise together in combat to turn the tides of war
- Vanguard uses the next generation Call of Duty engine introduced with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare to deliver breathtaking visual fidelity, a photo realistic world, lifelike characters and optimized performance that enhances the gameplay for an advanced Call of Duty experience.
- Unparalleled Multiplayer offering
- Massive day 1 Multiplayer offering with 20 multiplayer maps at launch, including 16 core multiplayer
- Experience signature Call of Duty combat and new ways to play with combat pacing and reactive gameplay environments.
- Tactical down the barrel gunplay, the return of Gunsmith, new custom ballistics, and reactive environments
- The fast and frenetic Champion Hill mode features a series of tournament style head-to-head matches, where players can play solo (1v1) or squad up in duos (2v2) and trios (3v3) to battle it out in an arena consisting of four maps to be the last squad standing
- Treyarch Zombies!
- From the birthplace of Zombies, Treyarch helps deliver a franchise first Call of Duty Zombies crossover as Vanguard connects with the Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Zombies storyline delivering a new connection for Call of Duty players
- Players will be able to survive the relentless onslaught of the undead in a chilling all-new Zombies experience, developed by Treyarch Studios
- Provides continuity from a lore standpoint while innovating on the core gameplay loop
- Warzone Integration
- Raven Studios leading development of brand-new Call of Duty: Warzone map coming this year
- Will feature a multi-faceted, new anti-cheat system across Warzone
- Shares the same tech as Vanguard for seamless weapon and operator integration
Post launch, Vanguard together with Warzone will offer a massive calendar of free post-launch content featuring new maps, modes, playlists, limited time events and seasonal events, as well as community celebrations and more.
The Battle Pass system also returns, allowing you to unlock post-launch content with unified progression across both Call of Duty: Vanguard and Call of Duty: Warzone. As always, you can unlock items like base weapons, customization items, and more, simply by playing the game.
Call of Duty: Vanguard is available for PS5, PS4, XboxSeries X|S ,Xbox One, and PC via Battle.net.
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