Call of Duty Vanguard leaked ahead of official reveal: Cover art, special editions, more

Brad Norton
CoD Vanguard

Call of Duty 2021 is officially Call of Duty Vanguard. The heavily rumored Sledgehammer Games title was leaked ahead of a reveal event, as cover art and special editions confirmed the next release.

After months of speculation, the next CoD title is now officially set in stone as Vanguard. The WWII-era title slipped through the cracks on August 12 as cover art was datamined through the Black Ops Cold War and Warzone Season 5 update.

This leaked artwork revealed Vanguard’s official logo along with a Cross-Gen bundle, an Ultimate edition, and a handful of bonus unlocks ranging from character skins to Open Beta access.

Although Vanguard is now official as the game’s title, the datamined intel failed to include a release date.

Call of Duty Vanguard leaks reveal official cover art

The Vanguard cover art features four characters fighting through an explosive battlefield with WWII-era weaponry in hand. Fire and palm trees are scattered in the background while the assumed main characters sit prominently in the foreground.

The leaked imagery has since been taken offline.

Alternate art for the cross-gen bundle ramps up the heat with even more fire and a noticeably orange touch.

Last but not least, the Ultimate Edition artwork (which has also been copyright-striked) features a different setting entirely. Gone are the palm trees as aircrafts take up space overhead and roughly a dozen soldiers fight on the ground.

CoD WWII gameplay
Activision has been copyright-striking all early Vanguard leaks on Twitter.

Call of Duty Vanguard leaks reveal Ultimate edition skins

Alongside the cover art leaks was an additional file revealing bonus content included in the Ultimate edition. The following is a list of what appears to be included in the premium Vanguard bundle.

  • Lucas – Operator Skin
  • Polina – Operator Skin
  • Wade – Operator Skin
  • Breacher – Assault Rifle
  • Snowstorm – Marksman Rifle
  • Thunderhead – Submachine Gun
  • Night Raid Mastercraft
  • Frontline Weapons Pack
  • Exclusive Emblem
  • Double XP Tokens
  • Open Beta Early Access
wolf bocw season 2
Vanguard will have more “Operator” skins heading into 2022.

Call of Duty Vanguard leaks reveal Open Beta

As the final piece of intel from the early Vanguard leaks, it appears an Open Beta is on the way ahead of the game’s full release.

Purchasing a special edition of the 2021 title provides early access to this Open Beta period. There’s currently no telling when this may start, nor how early you’ll get in with a preorder.

Previous leaks implied a full Vanguard reveal was set for the middle of August during Warzone Season 5.

Despite this info now being public, the official reveal is still likely imminent, following on from last year’s Cold War unveiling inside the popular Battle Royale.

About The Author

Brad Norton is the Australian Managing Editor at Dexerto. He graduated from Swinburne University with a Bachelor’s degree in journalism and has been working full-time in the field for the past six years at the likes of Gamurs Group and now Dexerto. He loves all things single-player gaming (with Uncharted a personal favorite) but has a history on the competitive side having previously run Oceanic esports org Mindfreak. You can contact Brad at brad.norton@dexerto.com