Call of Duty leaks suggest rumored Ural Mountains map was actually made for Blackout

A leaked image has revealed our best look at the long-rumored Ural Mountains Warzone map, however, it comes from a now-scrapped project that planned to follow up Blackout.

Now more than a year into the lifecycle of Warzone, players have been clamoring for any scrap of news regarding a brand new map. Early rumors pointed towards an enormous Ural Mountains location that would bump lobbies up to 250 players. More recent leaks suggest a simpler 1980s Verdansk makeover is coming instead.

All eyes are fixated on the start of Season 3 as the current timeline is all set for a catastrophic finale. What comes after, we’ll just have to wait and see. Though a new leak has just surfaced, revealing what could have been.

Ural Mountains was indeed in the works, according to the leaks. However, it might not have been for Warzone; the newly revealed image showcased a giant ‘Ural Map’ featuring elements of Blackout’s HUD, not Warzone’s.

The supposed battle royale map tied together a number of diverse locations, including Black Ops Cold War’s Sanatorium in the Fireteam playlist. Previous speculation hinted Ural Mountains would be Warzone’s follow-up to Verdansk, though that doesn’t appear to be the case.

Instead, this leaked image could stem from a canceled version of “Blackout 2,” according to VGC reporter Andy Robinson.

Prior to the release of Warzone, there was no guarantee it would be implemented in future annual releases. As a result, a new iteration of Treyarch’s battle royale “was likely a thing for a while and plans changed.”

So while Ural Mountains was real at one point in time, there’s no guarantee it’ll ever see the light of day in Warzone. Perhaps certain elements will be copied over into a different build in the future, but a completely different map remains off the cards for now.

• Read More: Dr Disrespect says Warzone needs more than just a new map

An unfinished trailer recently spilled online, revealing an earlier version of Verdansk. The Stadium was under construction, the Dam was nowhere to be found, and lush forests were more prominent than ever.

This potential refresh appears to take us back to the 1980s.

Warzone Season 3 is all set to kick off on April 22. Therefore, we won’t have to wait long to find out what Activision has in store for Verdansk.

• Read More: Leaker claims WWII-era Warzone map won’t arrive until 2022

As Zombies continue flooding the map, a leaked Plague event should send us into new territory. We’ll be sure to keep you updated on all the latest.