CoD Vanguard Season 1 update patch notes: Control mode, new guns, maps, more

Brad Norton

Season 1 of Call of Duty: Vanguard is upon us and Activision is bringing a ton of content for the game’s debut act. This includes the return of Control, new guns, maps, and more. 

Vanguard Season 1 is set to launch on December 8 and we finally have our first look at all the content that will be available.

CDL players everywhere can rejoice as Control is coming back to the game and will likely be the third game mode for competitive play. On top of that, there are two new perks that can certainly shake up the battlefield.

Also, Season 1 will introduce five new weapons that can be unlocked for free. Popular Modern Warfare 3 map, Dome is making a return along with a new one. Here’s everything to know about Season 1 of Vanguard.

CoD Vanguard Season 1 update: Release date & download size

The CoD Vanguard Season 1 update became available to download on December 6 at 9PM PT. However, the content itself does not unlock until December 8 at 9AM PT.

CoD Vanguard gameplay
CoD Vanguard Season 1 is now in focus.

This gives everyone a short window to download the latest update before everything goes live.

That way, you can be ready to go on the dot without having to wait around for a new download to finish installing.

CoD Vanguard Season 1 update: Full roadmap

Warzone and Vanguard Season 1 Roadmap
The full Season 1 roadmap reveals a ton of fresh content on the way to CoD Vanguard.

As seen in the roadmap, there is so much to look forward to with the Season 1 update. With the new features, players can expect to see a change in gameplay as new maps, perks, and weapons are introduced to Vanguard.

Moreover, there’s a new 100-tier battle pass along with prestiges, as season levels will reset and will give exclusive rewards for ranking up. Finally, keep an eye out for the “Festive Fervor” seasonal event later on. You can take a look at the full patch notes here.

CoD Vanguard Multipayer Season 1: New maps & modes

Two new maps and a returning game mode are locked in for Season 1. One map features an original design while the other is a remake of an old classic.

Up first is Paradise, a sunny map set somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. Taking after the new Caldera Warzone map, this smaller battlefield is a medium-sized locale with underground flanking routes.

CoD Vanguard gameplay
Dome is back in Vanguard Season 1 as Radar.

Next is Radar, a remake of the fan-favorite Dome map from Modern Warfare 3. This reimagining brings an incredibly small map to Vanguard, one that will be familiar to veteran players.

Last but not least, Season 1 also gives us Control, a returning game mode. Having been a staple in the past few years, Control was absent at launch but finally makes it mark in Season 1.

CoD Vanguard Multipayer Season 1: New weapons, Perks, & Equipment

Five new weapons are set to debut in Season 1, with three available at launch. We’ve got a new AR, Sniper, and Melee Weapon to grab on day one.

Topping the list is the Cooper Carbine Assault Rifle, an agile AR with “SMG-like properties.” With the right set of attachments, this can be tweaked to one of the fastest-firing guns in Vanguard.

Next up is the Gorenko Anti-Tank Sniper Rifle, described as the most powerful Sniper in the game to date.

Rounding things out is the Sawtooth Melee Weapon, another simple secondary to flex on your opponents.

CoD Vanguard gameplay
New Lethal Equipment can be unlocked through the Season 1 Battle Pass.

In a first for the series, new Perks and Equipment will also be featured directly in the Battle Pass.

First we have Serpentine, a new Perk that reduces all incoming damage by 25% while Tactical Sprinting. Next is Intuition, a Perk that sends a pulse across your screen whenever a target is nearby, even through walls.

Alongside the new Perks comes the Special Incendiary Grenade, also in the Battle Pass. This piece of Lethal Equipment deals damage over time and also covers an area in white fog, similar to a smoke grenade.

CoD Vanguard Multipayer Season 1: Full patch notes

– Multiplayer Heads Across the Pacific. Prepare for Paradise, an all-new map based in the Pacific, and remember your Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 3 Dome strategies for Radar.

– Control Returns, another Returning Mode Dropping In-Season. The competitive mode will arrive in the launch window of Season One, while veterans of the franchise may want to get in the zone for a festive surprise later in season…

– Get Intuition, Serpentine, and Incendiary Lethal Grenade in Battle Pass Free Tiers. Know your enemy’s position, take less damage on the move, and lock down objectives.

Paradise (Launch): A weapons testing site somewhere in the Pacific Ocean hosts all task force Operators for joint exercises. Medium-sized three-lane-style map featuring an underground tunnel and pools of toxic waste.

Radar (Launch): A reimagined version of Dome, the classic Modern Warfare 3 map. This small radar station in the Pacific is built for fast-paced combat. Remember to not camp on the catwalks!

Best known as a popular third mode in competitive Call of Duty, Control will see a return in Vanguard Multiplayer in the launch window of Season One.

Control mixes the limited-life nature of Search and Destroy with the objective style of Hardpoint and the elimination-centered gameplay of Team Deathmatch. Two teams alternate between attacking or defending two fixed capture zones on the map with limited respawns. Attackers either have to capture both zones or completely eliminate the Defenders before the time limit.

Another, more respawn-heavy mode, is set to drop during for Festive Fervor, and any veteran since the Modern Warfare 3 days should be prepared to get in the zone for it…

Ready those Loadouts for some new Perks and Equipment.

Through the Season One Battle Pass, you can unlock three new options across all Vanguard Loadouts, which are set to rival the already stiff competition between the Lethal Equipment and Perk 1 and 2 slot choices:

Serpentine — Perk 1, Tier 21 of Season One Battle Pass

Sprinting reduces incoming damage.

Breaking out into a regular sprint slightly reduces all damage from ballistics and explosives, while Tactical Sprinting can cut damage by more than a quarter of its normal value.

Intuition — Perk 1, Tier 44 of Season One Battle Pass

Your vision pulses when enemies are nearby, even through walls.

Similar to High Alert in previous games, but with shorter range, Intuition allows you to perceive threats before they round corners or burst through doors. This is done without the need to suppress them like Piercing Range, making it a more passive option for those looking for more close-range engagements.

Special Incendiary Grenade — Lethal Equipment, Tier 39 of Season One Battle Pass

Obscures an area in a white fog and burns those who come close.

A handheld and extremely limited version of the Firebombing Run Killstreak, the Incendiary Grenade deals a small burst of damage within a large radius at the detonation point, then deals burn damage every second to those who stay within its range. This damage scales the longer someone is within the area and lasts for a longer time than its rivals, the Thermite and Molotov Cocktail.

Season One launch is the kickoff for the Festive Fervor celebrations to come, as well as all the pulse-pounding free content when the new year arrives.

Expect more intel about Festive Fervor later this month. And as you prepare for the holidays, remember that the season of Prestige is upon us!

At the start of Season One, your Season Level will refresh to Level 1 and your progress will resume from the highest Prestige Level you achieved previously — three, if you reached the top level during the pre-season.

Starting with Season One, every 10 levels within Prestige offers a new Zombies and a Multiplayer/Warzone Pacific Challenge to complete for XP and a Calling Card. Complete all 20 within a seasonal set for that game mode to unlock an incredible animated Calling Card that shows off your elite abilities.

This season offers four additional Prestiges to achieve across the first 200 levels, as well as a new Weapon Blueprint:

– Level 50: New Prestige, Emblem, Weapon Blueprint, and Battle Pass Tier Skip

– Level 100: New Prestige, Emblem, and Battle Pass Tier Skip

– Level 150: New Prestige, Emblem, and Battle Pass Tier Skip

– Level 190: All Season Challenges Available

– Level 200: New Prestige, Emblem, Battle Pass Tier Skip, Master Prestige Calling Card

– Levels 250–1,000: Ability to earn additional Prestige Levels, if they were not reached during the pre-season.

Remember: Your Prestige-leveling journey is synchronized between Vanguard and Warzone Pacific, meaning you can progress through Season Levels and increase your Prestige Level by earning XP in either game!

  • Did an overall pass on Mounting. Players reported issues regarding mount height and objects not appearing mountable.
  • Gunsmith
    • Custom Mods: players can save custom builds.
    • Adjusted the camera position when selecting specific weapons or attachments. Players reported the weapon preview was cut off for a handful of attachments.
  • In-Game
    • Bug where players would load into game with an invisible weapon has been fixed.
    • Combat Shields now correctly display skins while stowed.
  • Progression and Camos
    • XP
      • XP rates have been increased for Snipers.
    • 3-Line Rifle
      • Bloodthirsty Challenges have been changed to Prone Challenges.
  • .

    • Flamenaut
      • Added damage direction indicators for players using Flamenaut.
    • Fire Bombing Run
      • Fixed issue where players did not see where the fire VFX started, resulting in players taking damage though they were not standing in the flames.
    • Attack Dogs
      • Fixed a missing VFX path when the whistling animation plays.
    • UI
      • Performance pass on Killstreak decals to reduce flickering.

    • Dead Drop
      • Fixed a bug where players were continually awarded their top killstreak when using Dead Drop.
      • Charge time has been doubled.
    • Goliath
      • Made it easier to determine if a deployed Goliath is friendly

    • Fixed an issue with “Grizzled Veteran – Get X Eliminations in Hardcore Mode” not tracking properly.

    • Fixed bug preventing some players from unlocking reticles.

    • Demyansk
      • Fixed an exploit where players could exit the map.
    • Oasis:
      • Fixed exploits where players could exit the map.
    • Tuscan
      • Fixed a rare issue where players spawn outside of the map.
    • Numa Numa
      • Fixed a rare issue where players spawn outside of the map.
    • Shipment (Dec 9)
      • Adjusted spawn logic to prevent spawn traps

    • UI/UX
      • Fixed a bug where player names were blank in “incoming clan requests” if the request was received while in the Clan Request menu.

    • Players will see a warning when equipping 2XP tokens while a global 2XP event is running.

    • Improved stability when connecting to lobbies.
    • Fixed bug resulting in “Server Snapshot Error,” where players would get kicked out of matches and into MP menus. (Dec 9)

    CAMPAIGN UPDATES

    • Stalingrad
      • Fixed bug where the game would crash when Polina picked up an NPC.
    • Battle of Berlin
      • Fixed a bug that would cause the game to crash after a cutscene.
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