December 08, 2025
Warzone Season 1 Patch Notes: Aim Assist Tuning, SBMM Changes, New Map & More Everything you need to know about the massive Warzone Season 1 update
Warzone Season 1 is officially here — and it might be the biggest reset the battle royale has ever seen. Movement, perks, matchmaking, anti-cheat, Verdansk updates, a brand-new Resurgence map, equipment changes, and loadout rules have all been shaken up at once.
Below is a clean breakdown of the most important features launching with Season 1 so you can jump in prepared.
🎯 Ricochet Anti-Cheat & Account Security
To ensure fair competition, Season 1 introduces stronger anti-cheat protection:
- Upgraded detection for boosting and unfair progression
- TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot now required to play Warzone
- New tools coming later in the season to help validate PC security settings
📌 Players who verify their email will unlock bonus rewards:
- “Veiled Aurora” universal camo
- 5× Double Level XP tokens
- 5× Double Weapon XP tokens
- 5× Double Battle Pass XP tokens
Fair play reinforcement is a major theme this season.
🎁 Events, Rewards & Battle Pass Updates
Season 1 kicks off with Rally Point Week 2, featuring:
- Personal missions for solo rewards
- Community milestones that unlock prizes for everyone participating
Event Rewards include:
- NX Ravager Crossbow
- Covert Viable Operator Skin
- Elimination Tracker Gunscreen
The Black Ops 7 Season 1 Battle Pass features:
- 100+ rewards across 14 pages
- Free access to all base weapons
- Paid tiers available for faster progression and exclusive cosmetics
🌄 New Resurgence Map: Haven’s Hollow
Season 1 introduces a brand-new compact map inspired by late-summer Appalachia. It combines cozy Americana streets with high-tech facilities — offering fast pacing, grounded mobility, and tight urban combat.
Key Locations:
- Coal Depot — Indoor ambush spots with high-risk rooftop power positions
- Lumbermill — The biggest rooftop on the map with secret parkour routes
- Main Street — Dense interior fights and highly contested loot drops
- Mansion — Vertical combat with attic chokepoints and rooftop ascenders
- Pond — Open sightlines with low-water combat and a central lodge
- Research Center — Multi-floor courtyard layout with dangerous buy station
- Riverboat — Multi-deck action with zipline access
- Train Station — Redesigned buildings and improved cover for tighter fights
BO7-themed UTVs and ATVs are back with new visuals.
🗺️ Verdansk Returns with New Landmarks
The fan-favorite map has been upgraded with fresh areas to explore:
- Signal Station — Radar tower with an interactive side quest
Activate it to earn a Tactical Heat Map that tracks nearby threats. - Factory — Remastered location near Superstore with new explosive hazards
Classic gameplay with new surprises.
🎮 New Modes & Playlist Rotation
Season 1 refreshes the weekend experience with rotating LTMs:
- Week 1: Buyback Battle Royale (Quads)
- Week 2: Amped Battle Royale — higher base health
- Weeks 3–4: Holiday break (no LTM)
- Week 5: Ultra Fast Resurgence (Quads)
🧠 Matchmaking Changes: Open Matchmaking Arrives
Skill-based matchmaking has been loosened in most playlists.
- Skill is minimally considered in all non-Casual modes
- More mixed-skill lobbies for faster matchmaking and variety
Playlist Launch Line-Up (Week 1):
- Verdansk Battle Royale: Solos, Duos, Trios, Quads
- Casual BR: Quads only
- Resurgence: Haven’s Hollow + Rebirth Island rotation
- Resurgence Casual: Quads
- Weekend LTM: Buyback Battle Royale (Quads)
🧲 Aim Assist, Movement & Combat Adjustments
Major rebalancing across core gameplay:
Controller vs KBM
- Aim assist strength tuned at close and long range
- Updated activation rules
Movement Overhaul
- Tactical Sprint removed unless you equip the Sprinter Perk
- Base sprint speed increased
- Combat Roll added via Mountaineer Perk
Experimental Mobility
Enabled in LTMs:
- Wall Jump
- Grapple Hook
🧩 Loadouts, Weapons & Attachments
Big changes to customization:
- Wildcards removed
- Overkill is now default
- Max 5 attachments per weapon
- Key equipment items now loot-only instead of loadout options
This pushes more mid-match scavenging and adaptability.
💣 Lethal & Tactical Equipment Rework
A long list of changes — here are the highlights:
New Loot-Only Additions
- Needle Drone — kamikaze drone with 4.5m blast radius
- Point Turret — mini auto-sentry
- Phantom Signal — tracking virus device
- Pinpoint Grenade — wall-hack tracking
- Psych Grenade — hallucination effects
Utility Adjustments
- Stim Shot now clears flash/stun AND boosts sprint
- Smoke Grenade can extinguish fire effects
- Flash & Concussion durations reduced for fairness
Returning Favorites
- Claymore, Drill Charge, Frag, Proximity Mine, Thermite & more
Expect more counterplay and tactical decision-making.
🛡️ Perks & Lootable Perks System
Perks can now be found in-match, adding power-spike moments mid-game.
Some perk highlights:
- Sprinter — unlocks Tactical Sprint + reload mobility
- Reactive Armor — regenerates plates if you avoid damage
- Adaptive (new) — speed buff or handling buff depending on plate status
- Ghost — now only active when moving
- Tempered — 2-plate efficiency returns
Lootable perks differ between Battle Royale and Resurgence, encouraging exploration.
💵 Economy & Buy Station Updates
Buy Station pricing has been rebalanced:
- Redeploy: $4,000
- Armor Plate: $300
- UAV: $6,000
- Precision Airstrike: $5,000
- Napalm Strike: $5,000
- Loadout Marker pricing varies by squad size
Additional improvements:
- Faster buyback availability after Gulag elimination
- New, more strategic Buy Station placement across Verdansk
🧠 Final Thoughts
Warzone Season 1 is a gigantic refresh that pushes the game toward:
- Faster pacing
- Fairer combat between input types
- More grounded movement
- Higher loot value and smarter perk usage
- Map variety that keeps every match feeling new
Whether you’re diving into the fresh chaos of Haven’s Hollow or rediscovering Verdansk’s reworked hotspots, the meta is about to shift fast — and staying informed is your best advantage.