When does the new Warzone Urzikstan map release? To celebrate the launch of MW3, the Call of Duty battle royale is also throwing a party by releasing the new Warzone Urzikstan map. As you’d expect, there’s lots of exciting new locations and points of interest to uncover in this diverse setting, especially if you’re looking to score an early win on the new Warzone map. From towering skyscrapers to sprawling seaports, here’s all you need to know about Urzikstan, the new map coming to Warzone.
Thanks to CoD Next 2023, we’ve already got a lot of information to go over about the new Warzone map. If you’ve got a competitive edge, keep up to date with the Warzone meta, as it will be drastically different by the time we’re dropping into Urzikstan. However, it’s also worth digging into this new map if you’re interested in any of the big multiplayer MW3 modes, Zombies, and the MW3 campaign, as this setting should feel familiar to you, though more on this later.
Warzone Urzikstan release date
The new Warzone map Urzikstan will be released in December 2023, as part of the Season 1 content update for Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3. This means it will not be available at the launch of the sequel.
When the MW3 release date rolls around, all eyes will be on the game’s campaign and multiplayer action. As such, Activision likely doesn’t want to divert player’s attention by also significantly updating Warzone with new content at the same time. Therefore, the slightly delayed release of the new Warzone map to launch alongside Season 1 in December will give players plenty of time to experience MW3 without having to worry about falling behind in learning the new Warzone map.
With a suite of popular changes in MW3 multiplayer, a show-stopping campaign, and even an ambitious MW3 Zombies mode, we can certainly see why. There will be plenty of new content for players to get used to in MW3 before Warzone sees its first big update of the new cycle. In fact, both Zombies and the large-scale multiplayer MW3 maps and modes like Ground War will use Urzikstan.
However, this also means that players will have enough time to learn the ins and outs of the MW3 guns and the unique MW3 Aftermarket Parts system, both of which will also be available in the battle royale. Importantly, the influx of new weapons and loadout opportunities means that the meta will undoubtedly see a shift, with a new list of best Warzone guns to take the spotlight, just in time for Urzikstan to arrive.
Warzone Urzikstan points of interest
There are 13 key locations and points of interest (POIs) in the new Warzone Urzikstan map:
- Hadiqa Farms
- Levin Resort
- Low Town
- Old Town
- Orlov Military Base
- Popov Power
- Quadri Shopping Centre
- Seaport District
- Shahin Manor
- Sorokin Industrial
- Urzikstan Cargo
- Zaravan City
- Zaravan Suburbs
Set in Western Asia on the eastern border of the Black Sea, Urzikstan borders with the Republic of Adal, which you may recognise as the location of Al Mazrah, another Warzone map. However, Uzbekistan offers an environment more akin to the iconic Verdansk, the original map of Warzone. As such, many will see it almost as a spiritual successor, so hopefully we’ll see it become one of the most popular maps too.
Perhaps most exciting for long-time fans of the series, however, is that the Warzone Urzikstan map seemingly features sneaky remakes and callbacks to other maps in the series, including Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare. You read that right. Urzikstan calls back not only to Verdansk, one of the most popular Warzone maps, but the 2007 classic.
Compared to Al Mazrah and Ashika Island, two other Warzone maps, Urziksan is quite a return to form more closely resembling Verdansk instead. Most obviously, Urzikstan returns to more “Middle East meets Eastern Europe” style, as a Call of Duty blog puts it. There’s significantly more forested environments that offer more cover, despite being large areas you’ll need to cross. The architecture is also often more rundown and makeshift compared to the often more lavish stylings of Ashika Island or even Al Mazrah at times.
Many fans have noted the resemblance to Verdansk as well, hoping it coincides with more changes that bring the game back to, arguably, the best moments of the game to date.
As for the setting and story of this new map, it’s been detailed that Urzikstan, until recently, was under the control of General Roman Barkov, a dictator. However, following a joint operation between the CIA, SAS, and the Urzikstan Liberation Force – founded by the one and only Farah Karim, one of the MW3 characters – he was ousted.
While General Barkov’s influence has ended, the remnants of his rule remain, shown through various statues and general poor conditions for much of the population. Moreover, Urzikstan now faces new threats in the form of the Allegiance and the ultranationalists commanded by Viktor Zakhaev. In fact, both factions are supported by Barkov’s remaining soldiers, now seeking vengeance.
Hadiqa Farms
If you’re looking for an escape to the countryside, we don’t recommend Hadiqa Farms. Sure, you’re away from the tight alleys and tall buildings of Zaravan City and Low Town, but Hadiqa Farms is a little too open to let your guard down. With fewer buildings and large, open areas, you can expect to be spotted from quite a distance away. We’d recommend carrying a long-range weapon with you if you venture through Hadiqa Farms as you never know when it will come in handy.
Levin Resort
Levin Resort is the northmost POI in the new Urzikstan map and is (more likely was) a major tourist destination for the region. With poolside seating and plenty of shops, this location was once packed with tourists and business travelers. However, since the rise and fall of dictator General Roman Barkov, Levin resort is now a shadow of its former self. Nearby, the statues of General Barkov still stand, giving strong vantage points for those looking for a good angle.
Low Town
Resembling MW2’s Favela map, Low Town is a poor, urban area with lots of verticality. From compact housing blocks to tight dirt alleyways, you’ll have to stay on your toes when traveling through Low Town, particularly due to all the open windows – you never know who’s watching. This is crucial as Low Town is towards the center of the map, so many players will be crossing through to escape the zone. In other words, it’s the perfect place to ambush opponents, but you can’t be sure you’re the only one with that thought.
Old Town
As the name suggests, Old Town was once the beating heart of Warzone’s Urzikstan region. Now, however, the location has certainly seen better days. You can expect to battle through collapsed buildings, whether that be smaller houses or large buildings with domed roofs and pillars. In fact, we’d bet on this location being home to some of the most chaotic action on the map as there’s room for high vantage points and close-range skirmishes in the streets.
Orlov Military Base
Orlov Military Base is perhaps one of the most promising POIs in the Urzikstan map; it’s a somewhat subtle nod to Countdown, an iconic Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare map. With several missile silos around the facility, as well as many bunkers and buildings built into the nearby mountain, Orlov Military Base will likely be a hot drop location. With so many people bound to set their sights on this location, you’ll be pleased to know that there are plenty of barricades to provide cover.
Popov Power
Popov Power to the north is the workhorse of Urzikstan, supplying power to the growing region. This POI will offer a great deal of different engagement ranges and surroundings, from the massive cooling towards to the various containment structures and dense buildings.
We’ve no doubt there will be some intense firefights in this area, especially with the many buildings and alleys offering great flanking routes. You could say many players will land here looking to pop-off at Popov at the start of the match.
Quadri Shopping Centre
Quadri Shopping Centre is a very close-quarters area packed with low, regimented buildings. It looks like it will take quite some time to search through the many small rooms of this location and provide lots of sneaky hiding spots, so don’t get caught out while running through here.
Seaport District
The Seaport District POI is set to offer up diverse combat as players can use the many buildings and even the water to their advantage. Rusty boats dot the docks which can be used as cover to push or to reposition by leaping into the Black Sea.
Shahin Manor
Shahin Manor is a compact but exquisite manor away from the chaos of Zaravan City. That doesn’t mean it will be easy though, as Shahin Manor features a double staircase in the foyer where enemies could be waiting to jump you. There’s even a rooftop that will give you a great view of the surrounding area.
Sorokin Industrial
Echoing the verdant hills of Verdansk once again, Uzbekistan’s Sorokin Industrial POI is an industrial plant backed by a mountain. This makes venturing into Sorokin Industrial a risky journey as snipers could be hiding in wait overlooking the area. Likewise, there’s also a large tower at the center of this location that would be prime for sniping, especially with a large open road nearby.
Sorokin Industrial will provide some very intense combat thanks to tight, close-quarters environments as well as lots of verticality. You’ll have to stay on your toes at all times here.
Urzikstan Cargo
Urzikstan Cargo keeps the region going, acting as the main site of imports and exports. Thanks to the unique environment, you can expect diverse firefights as players wage war from cargo cranes or close-quarters amidst shipping containers. While it’s not confirmed, we think it’s possible that we could even see a nod or two to Shipment, one of the most iconic maps in CoD history, given the similarities in setting.
Zaravan City
Zaravan City is the most urban location of the map, echoing the Downtown and other urban areas of Verdansk. With vacant skyscrapers looming over chaotic streets, if you’re looking to revisit the thrills of Verdansk, then Zaravan City will be the closest you’ll get. From the trailer of the new Warzone Urzikstan map, Zaravan City certainly looks like the largest location on the map. In fact, it’s possible that the sprawling city is the largest POI out of any of the maps, at least when taking the suburbs into account. Thankfully, you’ll not only have access to vehicles to get around as usual, but some of the skyscrapers are also joined together by ziplines.
As always in Warzone, highly urban areas like Zaravan City are the favorite landing spot for many players looking to get right into the action. If you’re not fully confident in your abilities, we’d recommend something a little less busy and smaller in scale, like Hadiqa Farms and Levin Resort.
Zaravan Suburbs
Just outside of Zaravan City in the south you’ll find the Zaravan Suburbs, an affluent area with rooftop gardens and solar panels, representing the lavishness of this location – at least before it turned into a warzone. Key locations include a concert hall and community center, both of which will likely attract players in search of quick loot and an even quicker start to the action. Given its proximity to the city, the Zaravan Suburbs are the perfect location to land before heading into the city, or to get just a taste of the intense urban action without jumping in at the deep end.
Well, that covers all there is to know about the Warzone Urzikstan new map coming to the popular battle royale. Hopefully this map will hit the same notes as Verdansk but either way, Warzone will likely remain one of the best battle royale games on the market. Be sure to keep an eye on the best Warzone loadouts as we’re in store for some major meta shifts. If you want to make it to the top, you’ll need the strongest setup you can get.