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 August 27 at 10AM Pacific to August 29 at 10am Pacific, every PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 owner will be able to participate in the Call of Duty: Vanguard PlayStation Alpha, featuring Sledgehammer Games' innovative new Multiplayer mode known as Champion Hill.

In Champion Hill, your squad — which during the Alpha will be either a Duo (2v2) or Trio (3v3)— will compete in a round-robin tournament against seven other squads, with each squad having a set number of lives to start with. The mission is to reduce all other squads’ life count to zero in a series of timed Combat rounds, before the same happens to you.  Do that, and claim victory on Champion Hill.

In this mode, everyone starts with the same Loadout, but you will collect  cash by taking enemy lives and picking up drops scattered around the map. This  cash will allow you to upgrade your starting weapons and purchase new armaments, equipment, Perks, and Killstreaks during Buy Rounds that happen between Combat Rounds.

It’s in the Buy Rounds that the real strategy comes in (more on that below). No two matches will be the same, since the way that you use  cash throughout each match (e.g. held for bigger upgrades as the Rounds go on, or used on smaller, more incremental upgrades along the way) will greatly change how you and your squad counter every other squad. It’s a chess-match, and one that has a ton of opportunity to dynamically evolve as each match progresses.

But anyone knows that a great strategy is only as good as its execution.  And with that, players can be confident that their skill in those Combat Rounds will determine whether glory is earned or not.

Another unique aspect of Champion Hill is that it is made up of four maps combined into the Champion Hill arena. Specifically, there is a central Buy Station Area and four Combat arenas: Airstrip, Trainyard, Market, and Courtyard. A cool feature of this setup is that once you are eliminated, you can watch the tournament continue from the Buy Station Area spectator platform. You can also press the Up directional button to enter Spectate Mode, get a bird’s eye view of the battle, or select an area to see the fight through your competitor’s eyes. But ideally it doesn’t come to that. Let’s discuss some ways to help you stand atop Champion Hill.

This 48-hour play session is the first opportunity for players to experience Vanguard, two months before its November 5 release.

Preloading will begin on August 23 at 3 AM PT, ahead of the Alpha’s scheduled launch on August 27 at 10 AM PT.

Also announced today was the third annual Call of Duty Endowment (C.O.D.E.) Bowl, a tournament featuring U.S. and U.K. military esports teams that helps their country’s veterans find high-quality careers, to take place on December 10 with some of your favorite Call of Duty creators. Watch to see if U.S. Space Force will repeat as champions, as they battle it out aboard the legendary Intrepid aircraft carrier in New York City. Be sure to follow @callofdutyendowment in Instagram and Facebook, and @CODEVets on Twitter for updates on this highly-anticipated event.

Tips for Being the Last Squad Standing Know Your Enemy:

As mentioned above, the Buy Rounds are where you and your squad have a chance to use  cash you’ve earned to improve your loadout (including weapons, perks, and killstreaks).

The key here isn’t only to focus on your own firepower, though, but to pay attention to the style and loadouts the other squads are going into each Combat Round with.  It may be worth countering a top enemy’s choice of weapons or perks, i.e. picking a certain gun that performs better in situations where they are weak in, or a perk that will overcome their strengths.

At a base level, getting a sense of how aggressive or vigilant the other squads are will go a long way to approaching your next Buy Round to defeat them.

Diversify Your Approach:

Try a few different tactical approaches to each match until you get a sense of where your groove lies.

For instance, it may make sense in one match to make sure you’re keeping pace right from the start.  What this may mean is that you’re spending  cash every Buy Round, building firepower throughout and holding serve with the rest of the teams.  If this works and you end up being one of the last two teams standing, you could very well find yourself in a white-knuckle brawl between an evenly-armed foe, where your squad’s combat skill is going to make all the difference.

Or, it may make sense to hold onto the  cash you’re earning along the way, by either making more modest (cheaper) upgrades during each Buy Round or none at all.  That is until the very end, where you’ve built up enough cash to buy that Killstreak (or perhaps a V2 Rocket) that could obliterate the lives of the remaining squads in one fell swoop.  No need for a knock-down-drag-out final fight here.

There are benefits and risks to each, and it may mean taking a few different shots at both tactical approaches to see which one works best for you and your squad.

A Safe Bet – Focus on Weaponry:

If you’re having trouble claiming victory in this mode, try focusing on upgrading your starting weapons early on. Upgrading your starting weapons is cost effective and will help secure more win bonuses in those first few matches. When you’re flush with cash later in the game, then you might consider swapping out your secondary for that LMG or sniper you’ve been eyeing.

These are just a few tips to get you started with this incredibly fun new mode Sledgehammer Games is bringing to Call of Duty: Vanguard, and that PlayStation players will experience in the Call of Duty: Vanguard Alpha going live August 27. 

Further information on pre-load timing and Alpha access is below, but until then we look forward to seeing you in Champion Hill next weekend!

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 scheduled for release on PS5, PS4, XboxSeries X|S ,Xbox One, and PC via Battle.net starting November 5. Call of Duty: Warzone’s new experience will release later this year.