Warzone Season 1 guide: Hajin, Zodiac, new gear and modes
Warzone Season 1 guide: how Hajin and Zodiac work, the Zipline Launcher and Grabber Drone, new perks, Elite Perks, modes and what the MW4 integration changes.
Checked against Season 1 on 7 Nov 2026. We re-test every guide after major updates; if something changed, tell us.
This Warzone Season 1 guide explains what changes when Call of Duty: Warzone fully integrates with Modern Warfare 4 on November 6: the new Hajin and Zodiac maps, the Zipline Launcher and Grabber Drone, the 18-perk system with three Elite Perks, the launch modes and the rules for legacy weapons. All details come from Activision's official Season 1 post, published on November 2, 2026.
Season 1 goes live at midnight ET on November 6, which is 9 PM PT on November 5, across all platforms. It also marks the launch of Warzone on Nintendo Switch 2. If you are new to the parent game, start with our Modern Warfare 4 beginner guide, then come back here for the free-to-play side. Everything on this game lives in the Warzone hub.
What the Modern Warfare 4 integration changes
The headline change is a full integration: Warzone gets a Player Level reset, so you level and can optionally Prestige across multiplayer, DMZ and Warzone. All 33 Modern Warfare 4 launch weapons arrive with Weapon Prestige and dedicated Warzone Mastery Camos, along with Apex Attachments, Season 1 Operators, daily challenges, calling card challenges and Battle Pass and BlackCell progress.
- Tactical Sprint for everyone. It no longer needs a perk, but its duration is slightly shortened.
- Drag while reviving. You can pull an ally out of harm's way as you revive them.
- Readability pass. Activision lists improved visibility across maps and improved footstep audio.
- Older hardware dropped. Warzone is no longer playable on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One from Season 1; progression carries over to a supported platform on the same linked Activision account.
Legacy weapons from Modern Warfare II through Black Ops 7 stay usable from the Legacy tab, but they cannot be edited in Gunsmith and do not support Mastery Camos, reticle challenges, weapon customization, cosmetic gunsmithing or build codes.
Hajin: the new Battle Royale map
Hajin takes Warzone to South Korea for the first time and links Battle Royale to the Modern Warfare 4 story. The map covers both North and South Korea across 13 major points of interest, from the dense streets of Hajin City to the open farmland of Imjin and North Korean locations such as the 14th Political Prison, Chang-san Air Base and Deadtown.
Weather changes by area, with fog, wind, rain and distant storms, and Activision stresses that visibility stays central to gameplay. Expect two versions of the Hajin Gulag: when you are first eliminated you watch as a spectator, then fight a 1v1 in a symmetrical arena. Win and you redeploy; lose and you are out. The official post also notes that the Battle Royale version differs from the DMZ version, including how the circle and gas move and the absence of a radioactive cloud at the Hanuel Nuclear Reactor.
Zodiac: the new Resurgence map
Zodiac is a compact Resurgence map built around the DRC Advanced Systems drone manufacturing headquarters in South Korea. It has ten points of interest: Admin, Trackline, Furnace, Solar, Old Mines, Dispatch, Depot, Sentinel, Cooling and R&D.
- Admin. The central administrative tower, with tall offices and sightlines.
- Trackline. A double railway where trains cross the facility and change the fight.
- Furnace. Heavy industrial machinery and conveyor belts.
- Underground routes. Tunnels let squads flank from unexpected angles.
The map was developed by Beenox in collaboration with Infinity Ward. Verdansk and Rebirth Island also return later in Season 1, with Verdansk getting new landmarks such as the Signal Station, the Grazna-7 Launch Complex, the Overlook skyscraper and the Drone Labs.
New gear: Zipline Launcher, Grabber Drone and more
Season 1 introduces several Field Upgrades that are found as loot or bought at Buy Stations, not part of your loadout.
- Zipline LauncherFire it to create anchors and a zipline for rooftop-to-rooftop flanks. It stays on the map until retrieved or destroyed, and enemies can use it too.
- Grabber DroneA rare drone with a claw that can lift loot, environmental objects, Buy Station loot and even a downed teammate, with limited battery.
- Perk Supply Box and Razor WireThe box gives your team a random perk, and Razor Wire is a proximity mine that snares enemies.
- SAM Airburst Turret and Smoke WallCounter aerial threats or lay a long smoke trail for crossing open ground.
Interactive objects are new too: fuel barrels can be moved and detonated, and dumpsters and concrete cylinders can be pushed to build cover or block vehicles, mostly across Hajin, Zodiac and Verdansk.
Weapon Augments, Ground Ops and Grind for Royalty
After drones drop portable Buy Stations, you can hunt "Fly Buy" stations for Weapon Augments, with three at launch.
| Augment | Main benefits |
|---|---|
| CQC | Faster ADS and sprint-to-fire, lower hipfire recoil |
| Marksman | Better bullet velocity and damage range, less horizontal recoil |
| Handling | Faster reload and rechamber, less first-shot recoil and flinch |
Ground Ops add discoverable objectives such as drillable safes, surveillance towers, shootable cargo drones and radioactive barrels found with a Geiger counter. Resurgence also gets a Weapon Trade Station and Drop Kits (Insured, Loadout, Armored and Radar). Grind for Royalty creates personal challenges from your own stats each season, with two camos, Gold Excellence and Gold Mosaic, in Season 1.
Perks and Elite Perks
There are 18 perks in total. The first 15 sit in three loadout slots with five choices each, and three Elite Perks are acquired in a match from Buy Stations or Supply Run Contracts, with only one equipped at a time.
- Slot 1: Field Medic, Hunter, Stocked, Incognito, Surveyor.
- Slot 2: Mountaineer, Adaptive, Scavenger, Drill Instructor, Deft Hands.
- Slot 3: Berserker, Quick Fix, Survivor, Tempered, Wingman.
- Elite: Athleticism, Phantom (undetectable by recon), Fieldcraft (rapid armor and equipment regeneration).
Tempered lets you refill armor with two plates instead of three, which pairs well with Fieldcraft in long Resurgence fights.
Season 1 modes
Battle Royale and its Casual variant run on Hajin and Verdansk, while Resurgence and Resurgence Casual run on Zodiac and Rebirth Island. Three limited-time modes arrive at launch, and two more come mid-season.
| Mode | Map | Players | Idea |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rally Point | Zodiac | 20 | No-circle, drop-in training ground |
| Massive Resurgence | Hajin | 120 | Large Resurgence with redeploys |
| Loaded Resurgence | Zodiac / Rebirth Island | 44 | Start with your loadout, earn perks |
| Extreme Resurgence, Rockets and Snipers | Mid-season | TBA | Arrives later in the season |
Rally Point is the best place for beginners: it has no circle, lets you drop in and out, and Activision says it includes an exclusive weapon blueprint and two camos to unlock. For more shooter coverage, browse our guides section.
FAQ
When does Warzone Season 1 start?
At midnight ET on November 6, 2026 (9 PM PT on November 5) on all platforms.
Is Warzone coming to Nintendo Switch 2?
Yes. Activision says the start of Season 1 marks the launch of Warzone on Nintendo Switch 2.
Can I still play Warzone on PS4 and Xbox One?
No. From Season 1 it is no longer playable on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, but progression carries over to a supported platform on the same linked Activision account.
How many points of interest are on Hajin?
Hajin has 13 major points of interest across North and South Korea, according to the official post.
Do my old weapons still work?
Yes, from the Legacy tab, but they cannot be edited in Gunsmith and do not support Mastery Camos or build codes.
Sources
Details come from the official Warzone Season 1 post, the Season 1 announcement, the Warzone site and Wikipedia.
Has finished every FromSoftware game at level 1. Writes the boss guides and checks them on every patch.