Warzone 2 Season 5 update patch notes: Vel 46 buff, Lachmann Sub & Cronen nerf, slide changes

Season 5 of Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2 is finally here, bringing some huge changes to the Call of Duty multiplayer and battle royale titles. Here are the full Warzone 2 Season 5 patch notes for the August 2 update.

Season 5 is bringing a number of changes to both multiplayer and battle royale. In the mainline game, classic Call of Duty 4 map Strike has been reimagined and brought into the current day.

In Warzone, the Champion’s Quest is set to become available on Vondel as well as new weapons, vehicles, and operators being added to the mix.

Here are some of the key changes and the full Warzone Season 5 patch notes.

Warzone 2 Season 5 update

Vondel Nuke

The nuke contract is now available on Vondel as well as Al Mazrah, but with some slight changes.

Any team that achieves five wins in a row will be eligible to unlock the Champion’s Quest contract, but you should check out how to complete the Vondel nuke as the new rules do differ from Al Mazrah.

Call of Duty 2023 reveal event

At some point during Season 5, the reveal event for the new COD title will take place in-game, showing off what is widely reported to be Modern Warfare 3, developed by Sledgehammer Games.

There are no specific details yet but current rumors online are pointing towards a mid-August reveal.

Changes to slide and jump movement

On top of everything else, there was a number of changes made to the slide and jump mechanics which could prove huge hits with players who still miss the enhanced movement system in the original Warzone.

Sliding was made faster with a quicker fire-after-slide rate, but you can find the full details below.

Full Warzone 2 Season 5 patch notes

Here are the full patch notes for the Warzone 2 Season 5 update, which is due to go live at 9AM PT (12PM ET/5PM BST).

UI/UX

• Improved Pings Quality of Life
  • Ping priority for stacked icons
  • Better visibility for Contracts & Vehicles on Tac Map

BATTLE ROYALE, RESURGENCE, PLUNDER, LOCKDOWN

The patch notes detailed in the section below are exclusive to Battle Royale, which includes but is not limited to standard Battle Royale, Resurgence, Plunder, and more.

MODES

• Fort Resurgence In-Season
  • Al Bagra Fortress and its greater surroundings, will be added to the Resurgence map rotation.

• Armored Royale In-Season
  • Reinforce your Squad in this Battle Royale Mode with a big difference — you’re dropping onto your own MRAP, and it’s up to you to use, fortify, and repair this hulking vehicle with its turret, protective shielding, and mobile Buy Station, while cutting through rivals operating their own behemoth trucks.

GENERAL

All Maps | All Modes

• Play Again Matchmaking Status Quality of Life
  • Players will now see their matchmaking status during the Play Again Loading Screen.  

• Champion’s Quest
  • Players now need to hold all available elements to progress the timer while locating the next one.

Al Mazrah | Battle Royale

• Player Count
  • All Squad Sizes on Al Mazrah Battle Royale have had their Player counts reduced to 100, down from 150.
  • Ranked will remain at 150 Players until further notice.

GAMEPLAY

“Thus far, we’ve reintroduced several second-chance mechanics and included new ones, albeit scarcely due to concerns of making the mid-game feel claustrophobic and dragging out the climax of a match. In Season 05, we’re dialing up these second-chance mechanics (Gulag Kit, Redeploy Pack, Reinforcement Flare and Reduced buy-back prices) so that players will be able to return to the Warzone more often. At the same time, we’re reducing the number of players across our core Battle Royale modes which will prevent the match feeling too chaotic but provide improved matchmaking times, faster pre-game lobbies, and a better quality of match overall. These changes paired with faster circle movement will elevate the pace of a Battle Royale match with more gameplay uptime!  

“As always, we will be carefully reviewing sentiment and data to make sure that the engagement pacing remains healthy, and that Players can still pursue new personal records. These modifications will not be made to Warzone Ranked Play at this time due to second life mechanics being restricted in the mode.” 

Al Mazrah, Ashika Island | Battle Royale, Resurgence

• Favorite Supply Box Loot
• Reinforcement Flare Field Upgrade
• Portable Redeploy Drone (P.R.D.) Field Upgrade
• Signals Intelligence Contract
• Occupation Scan Public Event
• High Stakes Public Event
• TAV Vehicle

We’re eager to bring over the exciting new gameplay additions that debuted with Vondel to the other maps. From finding personalized loadout crates, the mobility granting P.R.D and more – These additions are sure to bring new ways to approach familiar territory.

Al Mazrah | Battle Royale

• MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) Vehicle | In-Season
  • A vehicle roughly the size and shape of the Cargo Truck, the MRAP is equipped for heavy combat with additional armor plating and turrets, making it a slower, yet effective, vehicle for attack or defense.
  • MRAP Keys are available at Buy Stations for $50,000 that will enable the ability to start and drive one of three vehicles located on the map. .
    • The key must be used from the Player’s Backpack.

  • This vehicle is disabled in Solos and Ranked Play.

• Dirt Bike Vehicle
  • A nimble and rapid form of transportation that can perform hairpin turns on a dime and can technically fit up to two Players.

• Buy Station
  • Locations on Al Mazrah have been refreshed to provide new combat scenarios and strategies.
  • The Limited Stock row now contains new items:
    • Reinforcement Flare
      • Count: 1
      • Price: $5,000

    • P.R.D.
      • Count: 2
      • Price: $2,000

    • Self-Revive Kit
      • Count: 2
      • Price: $4,000

    • Durable Gas Mask
      • Count: 2
      • Price: $3,500

Vondel | Battle Royale

• Champion’s Quest
  • Champion’s Quest has arrived in Vondel – similar to Al Mazrah the goal is to collect 3 elements, plant them and defend them!
  • The twist? The elements have new effects:
    • Gallium: Reveals all nearby team members who held it previously as if a Snapshot Grenade affected you.
    • Deuterium: Fatigues its carrier, causing the Player to cough when they exert too much effort.
    • Neptunium: Periodically electrocutes everything within close proximity including Players and Vehicles.

  • Vondel’s Champions Quest offers unique rewards including a Weapon Blueprint, Charm, and more.

All Maps | All Modes

• Bomb Squad
  • The Bomb Squad Perk will protect against death from explosive Equipment stuck directly to the Player when fully armored.

• Buy Back Price
  • Price reduced to $3,000, down from $4,000
  • This change does not apply to Ranked Play.

• P.R.D. Behavior
  • Increased deployment speed
  • Improved airborne mobility
  • Increased velocity when ascending 

With the P.R.D now dropping on all maps, we’ve decreased the time it takes to lift off, sending you much higher than before, while allowing you to be more agile than before.

Al Mazrah | Battle Royale

• Circle Timing
  • The “Delay Time” before the first movement of the gas is now 90 seconds, down from 220 seconds.
  • The “Close Time” of how long the gas takes to collapse to the next size is now 215 seconds, down from 270 seconds.
  • This change does not apply to Ranked Play.

We’re shaving off around 3 minutes of the first circle’s logic with a combination of reducing the wait time before movement, and collapsing faster. The initial circle is displayed and in-play earlier which will more clearly highlight the safe (or not so safe areas) before you infil. With the remainder of the matches circle pacing playing out as it did previously. .

• Circle Size
  • Decreased the size of the initial circle.
  • This change does not apply to Ranked Play.

• Loot
  • Increased spawn rate of the following items:
    • Gulag Tokens
    • Redeploy Packs
    • Reinforcement Flares

Vondel | Battle Royale, Resurgence

• Circle Placement
  • The first circle is now more centered in BR & Resurgence

Vondel | Resurgence

• Reinforcement Flare Improvements Quality of Life
  • Players will now get their Reinforcement Flare refunded if it fails to deploy.
  • The Reinforcement Flare now prioritizes players who are still connected to the match. 

UI/UX

• Battle Royale Win Streak Tracker
  • There is now a Win Streak Tracker on the menu and in-game to display your progress towards a Champion’s Quest.

• Total Ammunition Count Quality of Life
  • Shows total amount of ammunition in both backpack and player loadout in the currently equipped weapon.

• Total Squad Cash Quality of Life
  • In the Squad Widget, the total squad cash will be displayed.

WARZONE RANKED PLAY

Season 05 brings new rewards to Warzone Ranked Play for its second full season of competition under the Al-Mazrah sun, including the Pro Issue Hemlock,  Division Weapon Camos, and much more.

Global Battle Royale Changes

• Check out the Gameplay section above for some important updates to Battle Royale and Al Mazrah.

Match Ruleset Updates

• New Vehicles and Gameplay Elements
  • Vehicles
    • Tactical Amphibious Vehicle (TAV)
    • Dirt Bike

  • Contracts
    • Signals Intelligence

  • Gameplay Elements
    • P.R.D (Personal Redeploy Drone)
    • Reinforcement Flare

• Disabled Vehicles, Events, and Gameplay Elements
  • Vehicles
    • MRAP

  • Events
    • Occupation Scan Public Event
    • High Stakes Public Event

  • Gameplay Elements
    • Favorite Supply Box

• Restricted Weapons and Equipment
  • Weapons
    • X13 Auto
    • Basilisk
    • MX Guardian
    • KV Broadside

  • Attachments
    • Explosive Ammo (Sniper Rifles)
    • Dragon’s Breath Ammo (Shotguns)

SR (Skill Rating) & Divisions

• Final Placement SR
  • SR earned for Placement Milestones has been increased.
  • Updated Placement SR:
    • Top 40: 15 (Up from 10)
    • Top 30: 30 (Up from 20)
    • Top 20: 45 (Up from 30)
    • Top 10: 60 (Up from 40)
    • Top 5: 80 (Up from 50)
    • Top 3: 100 (Up from 60)
    • Top 2: 125 (Up from 80)
    • Victory: 150 (Up from 100)

This adjustment will help Placement Milestone SR feel more impactful throughout the match. Players will still need to earn high Kills and Assists in addition to high Placements to reach the highest Skill Divisions.

• End of Season Skill Setback
  • At the end of each Season, your ending Skill Division will determine where you start the following season:
    • Bronze through Crimson I Players are set back three Tiers below where they finished in the previous season.
      • Example: A Player ending Season 04 in Gold III will begin Season 05 in Silver III.

    • Players Crimson II and above will start Season 05 in Diamond I.

Season 05 Challenge Rewards

• Throughout the Season 05, Players can earn the following rewards:
  • Placement Challenges
    • Finish ‘Top 15’ 25 Times: ‘Popped Off’ Large Decal
    • Finish ‘Top 5’ 25 Times: Pro Issue ISO Hemlock Weapon Blueprint
    • Finish 1st Place: ‘Straight Dubs’ Weapon Charm

  • Kill & Assist Challenges
    • Get 25 Kills or Assists: ‘WZ Season 05 Competitor’ Sticker
    • Get 250 Kills or Assists: ‘WZ Ranked Play Season 05’ Loading Screen
    • Get 1000 Kills or Assists: ‘WZ Season 05 Ranked Veteran’ Camo

End of Season Division Rewards

• At the end of each Season, Players will be awarded Skill Division rewards that represent their highest attained Division that Season. 
• Rewards Update
  • Starting in Season 05, players will continue to earn Emblems associated with their highest attained Division. Those who climb into Gold and above will obtain a new reward each season where we previously offered a Weapon Charm. For Season 05, we’re kicking off this new reward rotation with Season Division Camos.

• Seasonal Division Rewards
  • Each Ranked Play Season will have a unique set of Division Rewards awarded at the end of the Season to celebrate the Player’s highest Skill Division reached that Season.
  • The Season 05 rewards are as follows:
    • Top 250: ‘WZ Season 05 Top 250’ Animated Weapon Camo, Emblem, and Calling Card
      • Players must be in the Top 250 Division at the end of the Season to qualify for these rewards.

    • Iridescent: ‘WZ Season 05 Iridescent’ Weapon Camo, Emblem, and Calling Card
    • Crimson: ‘WZ Season 05 Crimson’ Weapon Camo and Emblem
    • Diamond: ‘WZ Season 05 Diamond’ Weapon Camo and Emblem
    • Platinum: ‘WZ Season 05 Platinum’ Weapon Camo and Emblem
    • Gold: ‘WZ Season 05 Gold’ Weapon Camo and Emblem
    • Silver: Emblem
    • Bronze: Emblem

  • Ranked Play First Place: The Player who finishes Season 05 in the #1 position on the Top 250 Leaderboard will receive a unique, one-of-a-kind Calling Card and Emblem for the ultimate bragging rights.

BUG FIXES

• Fixed a number of issues that may have caused momentary hitching for some players in Battle Royale matches.
• Fixed an issue in Battle Royale game modes that prevented the application of Lethal Equipment Skins.
• Fixed an issue in Battle Royale Private Match that caused the squad details button to display incorrectly.
• Fixed an issue that caused Perk Package icons to load with significant delay in Buy Stations.
• Fixed an issue that caused Train sounds to be silent or cut off around the map.
• Fixed an issue that caused the Most Wanted Flag to not appear on the Player who has a Most Wanted Contract.
• Fixed an issue that prevented players from joining a Private Match lobby.

GAMEPLAY

• Slide
  • Decreased slide time and increased slide velocity, so the Player covers the same distance in a shorter amount of time
  • Allowed the Player to fire slightly sooner after initiating a slide

• Jump
  • Small increase to the lateral velocity boost while jumping
  • Small reduction to the landing slowdown penalty while landing 

WEAPONS

FR Avancer (Assault Rifle)

• With a blinding fire rate and exceptional maneuverability, in the right hands, this aggressive bullpup rifle can dominate the battlefield.
  • Unlocked via Battle Pass 

Carrack .300 (Sniper Rifle)

• This semi-auto bullpup sniper rifle features an exceptionally high fire rate and a unique design for best-in-class handling and stability when on the move.
  • Unlocked via Battle Pass 

Customizable Throwing Knives

• Players can now select Lethal Equipment Skins (in-match only)  

» Light Machine Guns «

• RAPP H
  • Increased semi auto Damage
  • Reduced semi auto rate of fire

The following weapon changes are applicable to Warzone only. While we are generally pleased with the state of Weapon balance in Warzone, our work is never done. Internal data has shown that the Cronen Squall is still performing better than we would like–enough so that it would restrict the pool of viable Weapons. Our main focus of these changes is and always will be to broaden gameplay options at every level of play. Not all Weapons have the potential to sit atop the charts–and that is okay. As long as those Weapons enable a playstyle or have a niche in which they can thrive, that is our goal. Below you will find changes that aim to level the playing field between some of the top and bottom performers.

Assault Rifles 

• Chimera
  • Close-mid Damage increased 

• M13B
  • Headshot Multiplier increased

Battle Rifles

• Cronen Squall
  • Maximum Damage decreased
  • Minimum Damage increased
  • Neck Damage Multiplier decreased
  • Upper Torso Damage Multiplier decreased
  • Lower Torso Damage Multiplier decreased
  • Limb Damage Multipliers decreased

Light Machine Guns

• HCR 56
  • Limb Damage Multipliers decreased 

• RAAL MG 
  • Headshot Multiplier increased 

Submachine Guns

• MX9
  • Close-mid Damage increased
  • Neck Multiplier increased
  • Upper Torso Multiplier increased
  • Lower Torso Multiplier increased

• Minibak
  • Damage step added at mid-far range
  • Minimum Damage decreased
  • Headshot Multiplier increased

• Lachmann Sub
  • Maximum Damage Range decreased
  • Close-mid Damage Range decreased

• VEL-46
  • Neck Multiplier increased
  • Upper Torso Multiplier increased
  • Lower Torso Multiplier increased

• BAS-P
  • Maximum Damage Range increased
  • Neck Multiplier increased
  • Upper Torso Multiplier increased
  • Lower Torso Multiplier increased

• Fennec 45
  • Maximum Damage increased

Lastly, we are aware of concerns surrounding the Signal 50 in Warzone. While our data does not suggest the Signal 50 is out of the normal range in performance, its experiential impact for Players is equally important to us. At this time we do not feel it is necessary to make changes to the Signal 50, but we will continue to monitor the data and your feedback closely.

EQUIPMENT

• Drill Charge
  • Reduced damage from drilling when a Player is stuck with a Drill Charge, providing a larger opportunity for death from explosion

• Recon Drone
  • Recon Drone’s health bar now updates every time the drone is accessed

• Tactical Camera 
  • Removed audio distortion when failing to use a Tactical Camera 

PERKS

• Bomb Squad
  • Bomb Squad will protect against death from explosive Equipment stuck directly to the Player when fully armored | Warzone only

• Quick Fix
  • Added visual cues for attacking someone with active Quick Fix
  • Entering an objective with Quick Fix equipped will now visually show when the health regeneration effect is active. 

AUDIO

• Further improved audio balance to favor some sounds over others (i.e. Airplane audio will be mixed down when using voice chat)
• Added alert sound from pets when being spotted

• Fixed an issue where knife pickups could play an incorrect sound
• Fixed an issue where the out of bounds sound would repeat incorrectly 

UI/UX

Updated CODHQ Landing Page 

• Adds Game Mode tiles to the Games section of CODHQ, allowing Players to jump to a specific row from the CODHQ menu 

Skin Carousel in the Lobby

• Added a carousel that allows Players to change the skin of their selected Operator while searching for a Match.

Combat Detail Widget

• Added a new widget that provides info upon Player death:
  • Who killed you, what weapon, how many shots, etc

• Widget will list multiple Players and environmental damage when applicable 

VEHICLES

MRAP

• A vehicle roughly the size and shape of the Cargo Truck, the MRAP is equipped for heavy combat with additional armor plating and turrets, making it a slower, yet effective, vehicle for attack or defense.
  • Grenade turret in the front, machine gun turret at the back
  • MRAP driver can launch smoke grenades
  • Spawns locked in Battle Royale and DMZ; key can be purchased at Buy Stations 

Dirt Bike

• A nimble and rapid form of transportation, the Dirt Bike is ready for Operators to lose enemies through tight alleys, perform hairpin turns on a dime, and get across any map without much cover but with plenty of style.
  • Driver can perform 9 unique tricks
  • Earn a bonus for performing tricks and combos! 

GLOBAL BUG FIXES

• Fixed an issue where Operator Skins and Finishing Moves could reset after suspending on consoles
• Fixed an issue where some Players were not getting awarded BlackCell items correctly (Season 04)
• Fixed an issue where the Player was unable to obtain Battle Pass rewards when on the BlackCell exclusive version of the reward (Season 04)
• Fixed an issue where tablet screens may cover part of the screen when activated
• Fixed an issue where in the progression menu UI, Prestige 6 was swapped with Prestige 10
• Fixed an issue that would occasionally prevent the ‘Reap This’ Kastov-74u Blueprint from equipping in-game
• Fixed an issue where objects could float in the air if dropped on glass that was then broken by disabling ability to drop objects on glass surfaces
• Fixed an issue where a placeholder name is displayed when completing the “Get 30 headshot Operator kills with Battle Rifles” challenge to unlock the Cronen Squall
• Fixed an issue where Battle Pass and Weapon 2XP tags could appear incorrectly on the Playlist tile
• Fixed an issue where opening, but not using, the SAE Killstreak tablet at the end of a match will show the Heartbeat Sensor UI before/during the final kill
• Fixed an exploit where Players were able to transfer Completionist camos to weapons without unlocking them
• Fixed an issue that could cause the game to display incorrectly while using snap layouts on PC
• Fixed an issue where Xbox Players’ Operator Skins would reset to default after the Xbox times out and turns off
• Fixed an issue that could cause the killfeed widget to function incorrectly 

PC & CONSOLE SETTINGS

Introducing “Eco Mode”

• Found in the Graphics Settings menu, with three options:
  • Off: Same behavior as all previous updates with no power savings.
  • Minimal (Default): Frame rate capped at 60hz and slight drop in 3D scene resolution for the Multiplayer and Warzone lobbies only. Yields an average power savings of 20%.
  • Full: Frame rate capped at 30hz and larger drop in 3D scene resolution for the Multiplayer and Warzone lobbies only. Yields an average power savings of 50%.