Is Warzone 1 Shutting Down? | What’s Happening with Caldera?

On November 16th, Warzone 2.0 was released, and it brought with it an entirely new platform, map, and a whole host of new mechanics. It was essentially the ushering in of a new era for the Call of Duty Warzone franchise, moving onwards and upwards to greater things. Following the launch of Warzone 2.0, many fans were wondering whether Warzone 1 is shutting down, as, understandably, it has kind of been replaced entirely by the newer version.

Once upon a time, Call of Duty Warzone was a powerhouse platform, and then Caldera dropped and it spoiled everything. It was almost the final nail in the coffin for Warzone, as the vast majority of the audience hated the new map and how it played. Now that Warzone 2.0 has launched, the platform is back on top, but what exactly does Activision plan to do with the first game?

Is Warzone 1 shutting down? Let’s find out.

Is Caldera Going Offline?

Some players prefer the Pacific setting found in Caldera.

For the time being, players can still access Warzone 1, but it’s now called ‘Warzone Caldera’. Since the launch of Warzone 2.0, the developers have opted to keep Caldera in play, even if it’s highly unlikely that the platform or the map will receive any substantial updates going forward. It’s not a part of the new battle pass, it won’t see any new content in the upcoming seasons, and it’s not going to feature any in-depth events or special occasions.

Ultimately, it has been kept around simply because Activision can keep it around, and that’s essentially all there is to it. There’s absolutely no reason for players not to upgrade to Warzone 2.0, given that the platform is entirely free-to-play once again. It’s arguably one of the best battle royale products in the business, even if it did suffer from a relatively rocky launch period. There are stacks of potential in Warzone 2.0’s Al Mazrah, but Caldera will eventually be retired as a ‘legacy product’.

Of course, if you were to log into Warzone Caldera, you’d still find people filling the lobbies. There are tens of millions of Warzone players, and not all of them want to abandon Caldera quite so quickly. It’s a small minority of the community for sure, but there are those fans that absolutely adore Caldera and the pacific setting.

What’s In Store For Warzone 2.0?

If we look past Caldera, we can see a bright and bountiful future in store for Warzone 2.0. Firstly, there’s one hell of a seasonal roadmap in place, and it’s one that’s littered with value, events, updates, and fresh content. In the next few months, we’ll almost certainly see a smaller map released into the ecosystem, much like Fortune’s Keep or Rebirth Island.

As 2023 opens up, so too will the World Series of Warzone, arguably the most important esports tournament in the Warzone space. It’ll bring a fresh competitive streak to the popular battle royale ecosystem, with some of the best Call of Duty players in the world surfacing to cement their legacy in the game.

It’s an exciting time.