CoD: Warzone 2.0 Overhauls The Gulag -- Here's How It Works

The sequel to Call of Duty: Warzone was officially revealed during Call of Duty Next on September 15, featuring the brand-new Al Mazrah map and a reinvented Gulag. Here we highlight everything we learned about Warzone 2.0's updated Gulag experience.

The Gulag, Warzone's home for second chances, was originally a 1v1 arena for eliminated players to go head-to-head for the chance to return to the match. The arena itself received a few different map layouts since the original Gulag Showers arena was introduced with the launch of Verdansk, but now the rules are completely changing for Warzone 2.0.

Al Mazrah's Gulag is no longer a 1v1 arena, and eliminated players will be transported to a larger Gulag, which is set at a prison's live fire training complex. This is a multi-level arena played out in 2v2 matches, so players are temporarily paired up with another eliminated player. Players no longer spawn into the fight with a gun in hand. Everyone spawns in with their fists, weapons must now be looted, and the surviving duo will return to the match. There will be proximity chat for Al Mazrah, so players can communicate with their temporary duo partner.

The Gulag is usually a safe place to wait until a player's scheduled fight begins, but this arena will prove more dangerous for spectators, and the developers teased that players leaving the safety of their holding cell can be damaged and even killed before getting the chance to fight for their freedom.

Additionally, Al Mazrah's Gulag comes with an optional objective, which is hunting for an AI enemy known as "the Jailer." The Jailer is a bullet sponge, but eliminating him will drop a key that allows the surviving players to exit the Gulag with their newly looted gear.

Infinity Ward game director Jack O'Hara confirmed during the Call of Duty Next livestream that all four players can exit the Gulag with their lives, assuming they manage to team up to take down the Jailer together instead of fighting each other, but that sounds like some really serious communication and trust skills will be involved.

Al Mazrah's Gulag is even less friendly than the original, as an interview with The Washington Post teased that additional AI threats lurk inside the prison. "If a little bit of time goes by [in a Gulag match] and you haven't been eliminated or been eliminated by the other team, the people running this really cruel prison get frustrated," Infinity Ward co-studio head Patrick Kelly said. This described a possible scenario where a door opens in the Gulag, and a Juggernaut AI opponent enters the arena to attack all the participants. It will likely take all four players in the arena to team up, but they can try to kill the Juggernaut and win their release.

For more on Warzone 2.0, check out our highlight of the Al Mazrah map details and features. Here we list all of the biggest announcements from Call of Duty Next. Warzone 2.0 is set to release on November 16 as a free-to-play battle royale for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.