Call of Duty: WW2’s unreleased battle royale mode surfaces in leaked footage

Recently uncovered footage reveals that Sledgehammer Games had plans for a battle royale mode in Call of Duty: WW2 before the concept was implemented in later titles. This early attempt at the popular game mode never made it past development for the 2017 release, with Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 eventually becoming the first title in the series to feature battle royale gameplay.

The footage, shared on Twitter by user Liam, offers a limited glimpse into what could have been the franchise’s first venture into the battle royale genre. While the unfinished state of the mode means the footage is sparse, it provides an intriguing look at the groundwork that preceded both Blackout and Warzone.

Warzone’s evolution shapes modern Call of Duty battle royale

Call of Duty: Warzone, launched in March 2020, has since established itself as a cornerstone of the battle royale genre, competing directly with titles like Fortnite and Apex Legends. Unlike its predecessor Blackout, Warzone operates as a free-to-play standalone title across PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC platforms.

The game maintains relevance through consistent updates and integrations with mainline Call of Duty releases. Each new title brings fresh content to Warzone, including weapons, battle passes, and gameplay features. The recent integration with Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 introduced significant changes, including a new omnidirectional movement system.

Activision has announced adjustments to their content strategy for Warzone’s upcoming Season 2, launching January 28. The publisher plans to reduce new content releases to focus on addressing gameplay improvements, bug fixes, and quality-of-life updates. This decision comes as part of their efforts to enhance the overall player experience in both Warzone and Black Ops 6.