The latest free limited-time event is live in Call of Duty: Warzone, and it’s a spooky one — just in time for Halloween. Titled Haunting of Verdansk, this event throws a ton of new modes at you for both Warzone and Modern Warfare multiplayer, along with scary cosmetics, a nighttime version of Verdansk, a new weapon, and a lot more. Unless you keep up with Warzone religiously, the sheer amount of new content can make it overwhelming to jump right into the event.
But not to worry, as we’ve got a breakdown of everything that’s new with Haunting of Verdansk, including the event’s dates, details on the limited-time modes, and even tips on how to come out on top in the new modes. Here’s everything you need to know about Warzone’s Haunting of Verdansk event.
Recommended reading:
- Call of Duty: Warzone review: Plundering the competition
- Call of Duty: Warzone update adds Hollywood icons for Halloween fun
- All Warzone bunker locations: Where they are and what’s inside
When does it go live?
Haunting of Verdansk is a limited-time Warzone event that runs from October 20 to November 3. Above is the event’s launch trailer, which shows off the spooky new nighttime version of Verdansk, the new skins from Saw and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and a look at the new modes, including Zombie Royale. The cinematic trailer is set to a cover of Soundgarden’s Black Hole Sun. Keep in mind, the cosmetics you can earn during Haunting of Verdansk’s duration won’t be obtainable after it ends, so make sure you earn everything within the next two weeks.
What’s new?
Let’s briefly run through all the new features in Haunting of Verdansk before jumping into the nitty-gritty of its contents. Note that double XP will be active throughout the event’s second weekend, starting around October 30, along with TDM snipers only and Juggourdnaut Royale.
Warzone
- Nighttime Verdansk
- Trick-or-Trios
- 16 Trick-or-Treat rewards
- Zombie Royale
- Juggourdnaut Royale
- Plunder: Blood Money
Multiplayer
- Onslaughter mode
- TDM snipers only — Week 2
- Gunfright
- Halloween moshpit
New gear
- Saw’s Billy the Puppet operator outfit
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’s Leatherface operator outfit
- Dr. Karlov operator outfit
- Jak-12 shotgun
- Pumpkin Punisher blueprint
Haunted Verdansk (BR Trick-or-Trios)
The highlight of the Haunting of Verdansk event is the nighttime variant of the famous Verdansk map. Though it might not seem like a substantial change, the darkness introduces a new way to play — allowing you to hide from your enemies in the shadows. This also means it’s easier to see bright colors like outfits, weapons, laser sights, and various colorful ammo types. Depending on your play style, you might opt to use the darkness to your advantage to be more aggressive, or use it to be even more cautious and hide.
Aside from Zombie Royale (more on that below), the star of the show is BR Trick-or-Trios — which sends you to the nighttime version of Verdansk in squads of three. Scattered throughout the map are special Halloween crates that grant you rewards upon discovery, and there are 16 in total. You’ll find one random supply box with a reward across each of the map’s main hubs. This means all of the main areas — even the ones that are more secluded in the regular battle royale mode — will be busy throughout the duration of the event. Other slight changes include the appearance of ghosts, the howl of wolves, and a series of jump scares.
Tips for BR Trick-or-Trios
Since BR Trick-or-Trios offers a slightly different take on battle royale, you’ll want to come at it differently than you normally would in standard battle royale. Here are some tips and tricks to make the most out of your time while playing the nighttime variant of Verdansk.
Wear dark colors so you’re harder to spot
It can be super tempting to use the new Saw or Texas Chainsaw Massacre outfits during the new nighttime modes, but those will cause you to stick out like a sore thumb (especially Billy’s bright red shoes). Instead, go with an all-black outfit like Nikto’s, which is available through the Nikto Operator Bundle. The same can be said about special variant ammo that lights up when you shoot — use regular ammo to remain hidden in the dark.
Solozero NVG optics comes in handy
Since enemies are going to be harder to see at night, it’s a no-brainer to come equipped with the Solozero NVG optic — a sight that is available for most weapons in the game. It uses night vision to track enemies (as long as they don’t have the Cold-Blooded perk equipped). Do keep in mind that your aim down sights (ADS) time will be slower with the Solozero NVG optic than if you had a more compact sight on your weapon, but the ability to see enemies clearly is worth it.
If you want to avoid dying right away, land between major hubs instead of in the thick of them
Due to the new rewards that spawn in boxes across the map, each of the main hubs will be busy right away. For some players, this might sound like paradise, but those who aren’t as confident with their skills will want to take an alternate route. Instead, land in between the main hubs, where you’ll still be able to find loot — only it’ll be much safer. In regular battle royale, you can get away with landing right in the center of many hubs, but that tactic is much more dangerous during Haunting of Verdansk.
Sniper glints are much more visible at night, so try to use other optics instead
If you thought sniper glints were easy to spot during the day, wait until you see them at night. Against the darkness, the sniper glints are extremely easy to spot. Snipers are one of the best weapon types in Warzone, so it’s hard to imagine not using a traditional scope — but if you can avoid it, you should. Try using other optics like the aforementioned Solozero NVG sight, or the Cronen C480. You can verify which weapons have sniper glint by reading their descriptions within the game. If you still like pulling off those long-range shots, try sticking with a sight that’s 4x magnification, as anything higher will cause you to light up like a Christmas tree.
Watch out for jump scares when you open up supply boxes
One of the many little changes during Haunting of Verdansk is the random jump scares that happen when you open up a supply crate. From our experience, these jump scares don’t happen often, but when they do — they’re horrifying. Be cautious of this, especially at the Stadium — which is where we’ve encountered them the most. You can check one out in the video above.
Reference our general battle royale guide here
For the most part, BR Trick-or-Trios plays out just like the regular battle royale mode. As such, visit our general Warzone guide here, where you can find tips on how to stay alive longer, how to overcome the Gulag, and ways to communicate more effectively with your team.
Zombie Royale
Zombie Royale is one of the most fascinating game modes introduced in Warzone, and the community seems to agree. It’s a shame it’s only available for a limited time. This mode is playable in squads of three and features a unique spin on the battle royale formula. For starters, the gas has already covered much of the map at the start, meaning you’ve got less room to explore. The big draw is that when you die, you respawn as a zombie. Defeat two human enemies and grab their antivirals to come back as a regular player. The zombies have a unique moveset, such as being able to leap up to tall buildings, throw tear gas, and trigger an EMP blast to remove your opponents’ HUD.
This mode is much different than you might be used to with battle royale, so you’ll have to alter your play style slightly if you want to come out on top. It’s frightening, tense, and above all else, an immense amount of fun — even more so if you know what you’re doing.
Tips and tricks for Zombie Royale
Since this mode plays so differently from standard battle royale, you’ll likely have to play a few games to get adjusted to its changes. To get you started off right, we’ve got a series of tips for you that will help you become the last team standing.
You spawn back in with your weapons, but not your perks
This is a simple tip, but one that will help with your awareness. Unlike traditional battle royale, when you come back from being a zombie, when you respawn, you’ll have the weapons you had before you died. You’ll have to grab some armor, but your weapons will still be equipped. However, you will need to get your loadout again to re-acquire your perks (which shouldn’t be too tough since money comes easily in this mode). At least you’ll have more than just a pistol.
Have a zombie teammate serve as a consistent UAV
One tactic you can use is to have a friendly zombie serve as a UAV for your team. As a zombie, you have a constant UAV running, meaning enemy players will show up on the map as long as you’re close. Ping enemies for your team while you’re a zombie to gain the upper hand. As long as one human player remains at the end, you’ll win.
Run into the gas to grab antivirals
Remember, as a zombie, you’re immune to the deadly gas. This means you should prioritize collecting the antivirals that are within the gas since your human opponents won’t be able to attack you there. This tactic is especially useful if you’re a player who likes to stick to the outskirts of the gas.
While in zombie form, try to isolate enemies to pick them off
Zombies have many useful perks, but dealing high damage from afar isn’t one of them. Instead of rushing up on a team that will have the upper hand, try and maneuver around to sneak up on an enemy from behind. You won’t stand a chance if you rush a human player head-on — but from behind, you’ll have a better chance of success.
You’ll get plenty of money, so don’t horde it!
As you take out zombies, you’ll begin to accumulate a ton of cash — way more than you’d get from standard battle royale. Put this cash to good use and stock up on gas masks, self-revive kits, UAVs, and anything else you’ll need throughout the match. There’s no sense in getting to the end of the game with $50,000 in your pocket, so put it to good use and stock up on supplies!
Onslaughter
Onslaughter is one of the new limited-time modes available in the Multiplayer portion of Modern Warfare. In it, a powerful Juggernaut suit will spawn randomly around the map, as players eagerly make a rush for it. Once you have the suit, your job is to help your team push forward to advance to a specific sector, as the enemy team tries to push back. They’ll likely use deadly killstreaks on you while you’ve got the suit on, so hopefully your team is there to eliminate any opposing enemies — while pushing forward toward the objective. This mode is available to play right now.
Halloween themed cosmetics
Last but not least, let’s dive into some of the cosmetics you’ll get to enjoy during Haunting of Verdansk. The two standouts are Billy the Puppet from Saw and Leatherface from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, in addition to the Dr. Karlov bundle. To acquire them, you’ll need to purchase their respective bundles for 2,400 COD Points — which you can earn in-game or purchase using real money. The packs each come with their own goodies aside from the outfits.
Saw bundle pack — 2,400 COD Points
- Billy the Puppet skin for Morte
- The Phlebotomozier tactical throwing knife
- Confession assault rifle blueprint
- Death Trap shotgun blueprint
- Pain Train cargo truck skin
- Let’s Play a Game tricycle charm
- Play Me sticker
- Saw calling card
- The Choice Is Yours emblem
- Spiral Cut spray
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre bundle pack — 2,400 COD Points
- Leatherface skin for Velikan
- Meat Grinder melee blueprint
- Family Heirloom LMG blueprint
- Buzzkiller SMG blueprint
- The Squealer vehicle horn
- Keychainsaw charm
- Familiar Face sticker
- Verdansk Chainsaw Massacre calling card
- Killer portrait emblem
- Nightmare Fuel spray
Dr. Karlov Lives bundle pack — 2,400 COD Points
- Dr. Karlov skin for Bale
- Resonant assault rifle blueprint
- Efflux SMG blueprint
- Thyristor melee blueprint
- Capacitor vehicle skin
- Tesla Coil charm
- Out of Mind sticker
- Alternating Current calling card
- Wardenclyffe emblem
- Power Surge spray
Find all 16 treats to earn the Pumpkin Punisher blueprint
Finally, you’ll unlock the fancy (and spooky) Pumpkin Punisher assault rifle blueprint for finding all 16 supply crates across the map. Remember, they spawn at random locations at each hub, so you’ll likely need to give it a few tries before you find the correct one. You’ll know it’s right when it says “X loot found” after you open the crate. Each crate will also unlock a cosmetic item for you. Here’s everything you get from the supply crates:
- Storage Town — Spooky Scene calling card
- Boneyard — Jack-O’-Lantern charm
- Superstore — Corpse spray
- Dam — Time of the Season watch
- Hills — Lil’ Demon charm
- Airport — The Joker sticker
- Train — The Woodsman spray
- Military Base — Return to Dust assault rifle blueprint
- Hospital — Pumpkin Peril calling card
- TV Station — Oak spray
- Downtown — Chainsaw Fiend spray
- Quarry — Flashy Fate sticker
- Stadium — Killing Moon emblem
- Port — Ghoulish Gift emblem
- Lumberyard — Scary Patch emblem
- Gulag — The Cleaver melee blueprint
You can keep track of which ones you’ve collected by opening up the map in-game, or by visiting the Halloween Event tab of the main menu. There will be a checkmark next to hubs where you’ve collected the supply crate. Once you’ve got all 16, the Pumpkin Punisher assault rifle blueprint will unlock. Keep in mind, you can only earn this (and the other rewards) while the event is live. After that, you won’t be able to acquire them anymore — but once you’ve earned them, you’ll be able to utilize them even after the event has ended.
