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Vanguard Season Three begins now! Along with new seasonal content dropping in today’s update at 9 AM PT such as new Weapons, Maps, Operators, and more, you can expect to see performance improvements and new gameplay elements such as the addition of the Trophy System Field Upgrade.
Also released globally in this update is Ricochet, the PC kernel-level anti-cheat security driver. To learn more about how Ricochet will impact Vanguard, you can read the full statement from #TEAMRICOCHET in the Call of Duty blog, here.
To kick off Season Three on a high note, MAX 2XP starts today! Earn more XP across the board now through May 2nd.
Now let's get into what's happening in Season Three...
NEW SEASON THREE UPDATES
MULTIPLAYER
Maps
NEW: Mayhem
This 1950s movie set is built for fast-paced combat. Jump into the Mayhem 24/7 Playlist at the start of Season Three!
Bocage
Adjusted the P1 Hardpoint location to prevent players from capturing and contesting from an unintended location.
Eagle’s Nest
Addressed an issue that caused graphical corruption near the Library.
Gavutu
Players can no longer use the Deployable Cover Field Upgrade to prevent other players from climbing the ladder on the LST Ship.
Sub Pens
Attack Dogs will no longer get stuck outside of the playable area.
Footstep audio will now properly play when players walk on the grate floor in the Maintenance area.
Modes
Control
Addressed an issue where the Announcer's voice lines sometimes did not match the current game events.
Arms Race
General
Addressed an issue where players within the blast radius of a Base were not properly notified.
Destructible walls at the Castle Base are now properly damaged by the Demolition Charge Lethal Equipment.
Corrected the capture point boundaries at Base E to prevent players from capturing from an unintended location.
Players will no longer lose a Lethal Equipment after purchasing a Field Upgrade from a Buy Station.
Addressed an issue where Base gates could not be damaged after deploying a Motorbike.
Improved the Tank’s ability to traverse the terrain.
Addressed an issue where Operators would not be aligned with the Motorbike while driving it.
Friendly Base gates will no longer become stuck after a player detonates the Goliath Field Upgrade.
Weapons equipped with the Wreck Proficiency Attachment will now deal increased damage to walls, gates, and vehicles.
Stability & Exploits
Addressed an issue that caused a fatal error crash when players join an in-progress match.
Increased the distance at which enemies can be seen to prevent engagements where a player is seemingly invisible.
Addressed an exploit where players could survive out of the playable area using vehicles.
Addressed an exploit that caused players to become invulnerable when there are no lives remaining.
Addressed an exploit where players could obtain an unintended number of Nebula Crates.
Ranked Play
Ranked Play Leaves Beta
A special note to say THANK YOU to everyone who took part in the Season Two Beta. The data and feedback we collected throughout the Beta resulted in many fixes and improvements and were critical to the success and future of Ranked Play. Keep the feedback coming! - Treyarch
Season 3 Skill Rating Reset
Players' Skill Ratings have been reset at the start of Season 3.
Play 5 Skill Evaluation Matches to earn a Season 3 Skill Rating and get placed into a Skill Division & Tier.
Initial Skill Rating placement has changed in Season 3. Therefore, after their 5 Skill Evaluation matches, some players may find that they get placed below where they were initially placed at the start of the Season 2 Beta.
Win matches after your initial placement to earn SR and advance your Skill Division & Tier over the remainder of the Season.
Season 3 Top 250 Skill Division & Leaderboard
The Season 3 Top 250 Skill Division and Ladder will go live on May 4th, one full week into Season 3, to give players time to earn a Season 3 Skill Rating and advance through divisions.
General
Fixed the "Cricket Glitch" that was causing some players to have reduced performance and chirping noises on some maps.
Fixed an issue where Ranked Play Camo Rewards would occasionally unequip.
Inactive players will now be kicked from Ranked Play matches, making them eligible for Suspension or Ladder and Skill Rating penalties.
Added Berlin Control to the Ranked Play map rotation.
UI Updates
Skill Division Tiers now use Roman Numerals instead of Numbers (Elite V, Elite IV, Elite III, Elite II, Elite I).
Once unlocked, Ladder Event Rewards correctly appear as unlocked on the My Career Rewards screen.
All players can now see and preview the Ranked Legend Solange Operator Skin Reward on the "Division Rewards" tab on the Rewards Screen, regardless of their current Skill Division.
Victory Flames now display behind Rank Icons on the Ladder and Top 250 Leaderboard when earned.
Updated the Top 250 Skill Division icon used in various locations.
Fixed an issue causing Skill Division icons to be incorrectly offset from player Rank icons on some screens.
Restrictions
The Volkssturmgewehr Assault Rifle is now restricted in Ranked Play.
The Sledgehammer melee weapon is restricted in Ranked Play.
This weapon can be selected in Loadouts but will unequip/appear restricted upon entering matchmaking and replaced with the Ratt in-game.
Season 3 Ranked Play Rewards
Players can earn the following rewards in Ranked Play during Season 3:
Blueprints
Pro Issue Automaton - Finish Top 5 in a Ladder Event
Pro Issue SMG Charlie - Win 50 Ranked Play Matches
Camos
Season 3 Ladder Champion - Finish 1st in a Ladder Event
Season 3 Ranked Veteran - Win 100 Ranked Play Matches
Charms
Good Game - Finish Top 10 in a Ladder Event
Dap Up - Win 25 Ranked Play Matches
Spray
Defuse You Lose - Win 10 Ranked Play Matches
Sticker
Season 3 Ranked Competitor - Complete 5 Skill Evaluation Matches
Emblems
Earn an Animated Skill Division Emblem at the end of Season 3 to reflect your highest Season 3 Skill Division
Ranked Play Matchmaking
Updated Ranked Play matchmaking rules to reduce the likelihood of receiving a high-ping match with players from a different region.
Operators
NEW: Mateo Hernandez (Harpy)
Mateo was born into a large immigrant family in Texas, dreaming of becoming a civil engineer. He joined the Navy during World War II, fighting as a tail gunner in the Pacific. After witnessing growing prejudice and racism against his people following the war, Meteo threw himself into campaigning for his people, speaking out against these injustices as well as helping reunite families across the Mexican border.
NEW: Florence Carter (Harpy)
Born and raised in Alabama, Florence dreamed of representing her country as a fighter pilot since she was a little girl. During WWII, she was determined to make those dreams come true, but was turned away from those opportunities due to both her gender and her race. After the war, the SOTF recognized her talent and passion for being in the sky and Florence has flown as a rescue helicopter pilot for them ever since.
Bug Fixes
Snoop Dogg’s body will no longer float after death.
Beatrice, Constanze, and Padmavati are no longer silent while mantling, landing, and performing other movements.
Addressed an exploit that caused Operator heads to disappear when using the Top Break Pistol with certain Attachments.
Weapons
NEW: Nikita AVT (Assault Rifle)
Accurate and reliable with best-in-class fire rate, this AR can be outfitted to exceed in CQC or long-range combat scenarios.
Unlocked with Battle Pass at Tier 31.
NEW: M1916 (Marsman Rifle)
A semi-automatic rifle with a combination of power and fire rate. Impressive at any range in the hands of a capable marksman.
Unlocked with Battle Pass at Tier 15.
NEW: Sledgehammer (Melee)
A tool designed for breaking stone, though it works equally well on enemy bones in a punch.
Unlock Challenge: Get a Multikill with a Melee Weapon in 15 different matches.
NEW: Skål Crusher (Melee)
A tool usually used to chop apart wood; it can also chop apart enemies or be thrown at them.
Unlock Challenge:Get 5 Melee Weapons kills in 15 completed matches.
STG44 (Assault Rifle)
Konstanz Tactical (Stock)
Decreased ADS move speed benefit.
Volkssturmgewehr (Assault Rifle)
Decreased aim walking movement speed.
Shells will no longer cease to eject from the Weapon after sustained fire.
VDD 287mm (Barrel)
Decreased aim walking movement speed benefit.
Reisdorf 22V Adjustable (Stock)
Decreased aim walking movement speed benefit.
Type 100 (Submachine Gun)
Sakura 196mm Light (Barrel)
Decreased aim walking movement speed benefit.
Warubachi 134mm Rapid (Barrel)
Slightly increased accuracy penalty.
Warubachi Grip Folding (Stock)
Decreased aim walking movement speed benefit.
.30 Russian Short 30 Round Mags (Magazine)
Increased fire rate penalty.
PPSh-41 (Submachine Gun)
Increased accuracy.
Decreased hip fire accuracy.
Kovalevskaya 230mm BO3P (Barrel)
Decreased hip fire accuracy benefit.
ZAC 300mm (Barrel)
Decreased accuracy benefit.
Increased aim walking movement speed penalty.
Armaguerra 43 (Submachine Gun)
Imerito 180mm Short (Barrel)
Decreased aim walking movement speed benefit.
Imerito TA Skeletal (Stock)
Decreased aim walking movement speed benefit.
Welgun (Submachine Gun)
Decreased damage ranges.
Increased initial recoil while firing.
320mm SA Shrouded (Barrel)
Decreased accuracy benefit.
G-43 (Marksman Rifle)
Fitzherbert Short (Barrel)
Decreased aim walking movement speed benefit.
Wyvern Skeletal (Stock)
Decreased aim walking movement speed benefit.
Gorenko Anti-Tank Rifle (Sniper Rifle)
22mm ZAC Rapid (Barrel)
Slightly decreased rate of fire.
Ice Axe (Melee)
Addressed an issue that prevented throwable Melee Weapons from being thrown while the Aim Down Sights button is held.
General
Camo Challenges that require Headshots or Longshots are now properly tracked.
Progress toward unlocking the Plague Diamond Camo in Zombies is now properly tracked.
Added unlock challenges for the Season Two Battle Pass weapons.
Equipment
S-Mine 44 (Tactical)
Addressed an issue that caused the S-Mine 44 to jitter and repeatedly play sound effects upon placement.
Perks
Fortified (Tactics)
Bomb site explosions in Search & Destroy will now kill players who have Fortified equipped.
Field Upgrades
NEW: Trophy System
Deployable autonomous defense system that destroys up to three nearby pieces of equipment and projectiles.
Available to all players upon logging in for the first time during Season Three.
More on Trophy System
When we released Vanguard last year, our initial tuning on Lethal Equipment deemphasized their lethality in combat, focusing our combat on gun skill. With new explosive equipment added in Seasonal updates and clear player feedback indicating its appeal, it became apparent that the Trophy System should make its debut.
Upon deployment, the Trophy System will protect its immediate radius from the following incoming and pre-established items for a limited time. Notably, the Throwing Knife is an exception to these defenses due to the high-risk, high-reward nature of this Lethal Equipment.
Incendiary Grenade
Sticky Bomb
MK2 Frag Grenade
Gammon Bomb
Thermite
Demolition Charge
Molotov Cocktail
No. 69 Stun Grenade
MK V Gas
S-Mine 44
Decoy Grenade
Ammo Box
Trophy System
Jammer
Field Mic
User Interface & Experience
Party member Operators will now hold the correct showcase Weapon during the lobby walk sequence.
Proximity indicators are no longer displayed on the HUD for the Sticky Bomb Lethal Equipment in Hardcore modes.
Arms Race, Control, and Patrol are now properly tracked in the Combat Record.
Improved the scrolling functionality of the Friends and Recent Players lists.
Corrected the challenge descriptions for the NZ-41 Survivalist and Type 11 Death Artist Camo Categories.
Addressed an issue that caused player microphone indicators to disappear.
Bundles & Cosmetics
General
VFX and Animation pass completed for Weapon Blueprints, Finishing Moves, Charms, and other Bundle items.
Addressed issues with some Attachment cosmetics that prevented the Attachment from being equipped.
Addressed instances of Operator skins and Blueprints blocking scope visibility. When aiming down sights.
Tracer Pack: Snoop Dogg Operator
Cigar light will no longer disappear at the end of the “Hit This, Fam” MVP Highlight animation.
Operators equipped with the "Finishizzle Movizzle" Finishing Move will no longer observe hands clipping through face.
Snoop Dogg's nose no longer clips through his mask in the “Tactical Toke” Highlight Intro animation.
Mecha Menace Mastercraft
Addressed an issue with the Mechanized Blueprint in which Reactive Inspect did not function properly.
Forbidden Sacrifice
Corrected the positioning of Operator hands while the Spinebuster Blueprint for the Sten SMG is held.
ZOMBIES UPDATES
Weapons
Season Three
M1916 and Nikita AVT available in Zombies loadouts once unlocked in the Season Three Battle Pass.
New Weapon Unlock Challenges added to Zombies for the KG40, Whitely, Sledgehammer, and Skål Crusher.
Covenants
Addressed an issue where the Deadshot Covenant was not always moving weapon crosshairs to an enemy headshot location.
Challenges
Season Challenges
New Season Challenges available at the start of Season Three.
General
Addressed an issue where an incorrect icon was appearing when completing the Amaguerra 43 unlock challenge.
Side Quest
Addressed an issue that allowed a player already equipped with the Ray Gun to acquire a second Ray Gun from the digging side quest on Terra Maledicta.
Stability
Addressed various stability issues related to using Artifacts at higher rounds.
Gameplay
Addressed an issue where players equipped with a melee weapon and lethal equipment would be holding the equipment like a weapon after being revived.
Addressed various visual and animation issues with thrown melee weapons in Zombies.
Dedicated Server Pause
Addressed an issue where accessing certain menus could unpause the game.
SEE YOU ONLINE!
As always, we’ll continue to collect feedback from all the corners we can find it. Have constructive feedback? Please let us know your thoughts!
You can also report a bug or leave feedback about Call of Duty: Vanguard in this survey.
Best of luck out there!
Sledgehammer Games
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03.31.23