CoD Vanguard Patch Notes Season 2 for Multiplayer & Zombies; Updated Regulary

Experimental Playlist

A primary goal of the spawn system in Vanguard is to prevent players from spawning in a position where an enemy player immediately threatens them. We recognize that this system frequently fails to select a quality spawn point on smaller maps based on analytics and player feedback.

In the new Experimental Playlist, we have modified the spawn system to better determine the quality of a given spawn location on the map. With these changes, players should feel that spawns are less random, especially in objective-based modes. In the first iteration of what will be a reoccurring Experimental Playlist, players will experience a moshpit of the following maps and modes.

• Maps: Shipment, Das Haus, and Dome
• Modes (Core): Team Deathmatch, Kill Confirmed, Domination, and Hardpoint

The Experimental Playlist is available now! Give it a try and share your feedback with us on in our survey.

Attachments

The goal of the following changes is to transition some of the Chariot 18″ Rapid Barrel penalties to the .50 BMG Mags. Players should find that the .50 BMG BAR is now more challenging, while the Barrel Attachment is a viable option on a wider variety of loadouts. Note: These changes were implemented on March 22.

• Chariot 18″ Rapid Barrel (BAR)
  • Decreased recoil while firing.
• .50 BMG 20/30 Round Mags (BAR)
  • Increased initial recoil while firing.
  • Decreased horizontal recoil.

Perks

• Engineer (Perk 2)
  • Players equipped with the Engineer Perk will no longer have their radar scrambled while an enemy Counter-Spy Plane is active.
    • Note: This change was implemented on March 22.

Field Upgrades

• Tactical Insertion
  • Addressed an issue that causes an excessive amount of lights to emit once placed.

Killstreaks

• Spy Plane (4 Kills)
  • Reverted unintentional increase to cruise speed.
• Counter-Spy Plane (4 Kills)
  • Reverted unintentional increase to cruise speed.
  • The following Killstreaks are no longer restricted while an enemy Counter-Spy Plane is active.
    • Counter-Spy Plane (4 Kills)
    • Glide Bomb (5 Kills)
    • Bombing Run (7 Kills)
• Ball Turret Gunner (12 Kills)
  • Increased audio levels while active.
    • Note: This change was implemented on March 22.

Modes

• Arms Race
  • Players can no longer spawn on squadmates who are in a contested base.
  • Lethal and Tactical Equipment is no longer immediately refilled when a Field Upgrade is purchased at a Buy Station.
  • Players will no longer respawn with weapons equipped from the ground.
  • Improved the Victory and Defeat UI at the end of a match.
  • Addressed an exploit that allowed players within the protected area of an owned base to be killed by the Goliath Field Upgrade.

Ranked Play

• Weapon Blueprints
  • Blueprints can now be equipped in Ranked Play and appear in-game with correct visuals.
  • Restricted attachments are flagged in Create-a-Class and automatically removed if the Blueprint is equipped in-game.
• UI Improvements
  • Players using a controller can now cycle through player entries in the lobby list before a Ranked Play match starts.
  • Added various UI fixes.

ZOMBIES

Side Quests

• New addition to the Dig Spots Side Quest for players to discover.
  • Note: This change was implemented on March 22.

Weapons

• Addressed an issue where Magazine attachments on the Welgun SMG could cause reduced reserve ammo in Zombies.

MULTIPLAYER

Stability & Performance

• Stability improvements should result in better connectivity and lower rates of server disconnect errors.
• Scrolling through a large friends list will no longer kick the player out of the Social menu.
• Resolved a bug resulting in Dev Error 604, which was caused by being revived while a melee weapon and tactical equipment are equipped.
• Resolved a bug resulting in Dev Error 5573 when using the “Ace Casual” and “Decorated” Operator Skins for Wade and Daniel.
• Resolved a bug resulting in Dev Error 7272 when using the “Tooled Up” Operator Skin for Lucas.

Gameplay

• Aim Assist
  • Addressed an issue that caused Aim Assist to intermittently deactivate while engaging an enemy player.
    • We appreciate your patience while we worked to resolve this issue. You can find additional insight on this bug on the Sledgehammer Games blog.
• Destruction
  • Addressed an issue that allowed enemy nameplates to be seen through surfaces in various situations.
• Progression
  • Addressed an issue that prevented players from earning XP for some Operators.
  • Addressed an issue that caused the “Hello There” Trophy to not be awarded upon joining a Clan.

Maps

• Berlin
  • Addressed an exploit that allowed players to reach unintended locations near the Train Yard.
• Bocage
  • Players will no longer spawn in the sight of enemies near the Water Wheel in Assault pacing Free-for-All.
• Casablanca
  • Players will no longer spawn in the sight of enemies near the Hotel in Free-for-All
  • Addressed an issue that prevented the Patrol capture point from progressing near the Bridge.
• Castle
  • Addressed exploits that allowed players to reach unintended locations in the Courtyard and Garden.
• Desert Siege
  • Addressed exploits that allowed players to reach unintended locations near the Destroyed House, Train Station, and Courtyard.
  • Improved collision to prevent players from obstructing the view of their character near the Trench, Ammo Dump, and Destroyed House.
  • Improved collision to prevent an unintended line of sight near the Train Station.
• Dome
  • Adjusted spawns to prevent players from facing interior walls upon respawn.
  • Improved spawn logic to avoid spawning players in locations where a teammate was recently killed.
• Gavutu
  • Addressed an exploit that allowed players to reach an unintended location near the Arched Rock.
• Gondola
  • Corrected lighting that caused a blue tint to be applied to the environment in certain locations.
  • Adjusted the capture point in Control to prevent players from capturing it from an unintended location near the Fire Watch Tower.
• Oasis
  • Addressed an exploit that allowed players to reach an unintended location near Ruins East.
• Paradise
  • Improved spawn logic to avoid spawning players near enemies in Team Deathmatch.
  • Players will no longer spawn in the sight of enemies on the Cliff Path.
  • Improved collision in several locations to prevent players from obstructing the view of their character.
  • Improved the pathing of the capture point in Patrol.
• Radar
  • Addressed an issue that caused players to spawn out of bounds in Patrol.
  • Improved the pathing of the capture point in Patrol.
• Sub Pens
  • Addressed an issue that caused players to spawn out of bounds near the Utility Room in Team Deathmatch.
  • Addressed an exploit that allowed players to reach unintended locations near the Dry Docks.

Modes

• Kill Confirmed
  • Addressed an issue that caused server disconnect errors. Kill Confirmed has returned to the quickplay filter and featured playlist rotations.

Operators

• Thomas (Yeti)
  • Thomas’s Date of Birth has been corrected in his Operator Bio.
• Halima (Hellhounds)
  • Halima will no longer be invisible during her Highlight Intro.

Weapons

• NEW: Armaguerra 43 (Submachine Gun)
  • Very high rate-of-fire SMG. Effective at short to medium range engagements.
  • Unlock the Armaguerra 43 through an SMG-based challenge or via Store Bundle.
• Sten (Submachine Gun)
  • Stock attachments will no longer display incorrect textures.
• Welgun (Submachine Gun)
  • In Gunsmith, ammo attachments that decrease reload quickness will now properly communicate this change.
• KG M40 (Light Machine Gun)
  • Addressed an issue where the firing audio would not be affected by suppression attachments.
• Type 99 (Sniper Rifle)
  • Decreased ADS time from 498ms to 400ms (-20%).
  • Decreased weapon sway while walking by 80%.
• 3-Line Rifle (Sniper Rifle)
  • Decreased weapon sway while walking by 50%.
  • Decreased flinch intensity by 50%.
• Kar98k (Sniper Rifle)
  • Decreased ADS time from 595ms to 500ms (-16%).
• Sniper Rifles and Marksman Rifles
  • Decreased flinch intensity by 30%.
    • This change does not apply to the SVT-40, 3-Line Rifle, or Gorenko Anti-Tank Rifle.

Attachments

• Shiraishi Short Barrel (Type 99)
  • Decreased ADS time multiplier from -10% to -5% (-50%).
• Empress 514mm F01 (3-Line Rifle)
  • Decreased over-penetration range from 40m to 15m (-63%).

Killstreaks

• Ball Turret Gunner (12 Kills)
  • Ball Turret Gunner usage is now properly tracked in the Barracks and on the scoreboard.

User Interface & Experience

• Improvements
  • Added subtitles when previewing Operator Quips.

• Bug Fixes
  • Barracks
    • Addressed an issue that prevented players who reached Level 1,000 in Season One from entering the Barracks menu.
  • Accessibility
    • Added the Menu Readability option to the Settings > Interface menu.
  • Social
    • An error will no longer be displayed when attempting to view the Social tab in the Clans menu.
    • Addressed an issue where the View Invite prompt would not function as intended.
  • After Action Report
    • Addressed an issue where the Scoreboard tab was missing from the After Action Report.
  • Customization
    • Completionist camos will now properly display current progress.
    • Calling Card Frames, Titles, and Killcam Themes can now be unequipped.

Bundles & Cosmetic Fixes

• Blueprints
  • The “Shootout” and “Pawn Shop Special” Top Break Blueprints will now use the correct models for barrel, trigger action, magazine, and optic attachments.
  • The “Imperator” and “Run It Back” BAR Blueprints will now use the correct models for the CGC 27” 2B and Chariot 18” Rapid barrel attachment.
  • Adjusted the positioning of the ZF4 3.5X Rifle Scope on the “Ymir Curse” Volkssturmgewehr Blueprint.
  • Addressed an issue that caused the iron sights to be obstructed when the optic attachment was removed from the “Wasp” RATT Blueprint.
  • Fire Tracers will now be properly displayed when using the “Helm of Darkness” and “Blacksmith” Blueprints.
  • The Welgun Submachine Gun is now unlocked upon purchase of the “Heliox” Blueprint.
• Other Items
  • Padmavati will no longer be invisible during her Highlight Intro when using the “Astrakhan” Operator Skin.
  • Addressed an issue that caused the camera to go out of bounds when using the “Trifecta” Highlight Intro.
  • Corrected the audio that is played when using the “Quicker They Fall”, “Asshole”, and “Badass” Operator Quips.
  • Several issues with Watches have been resolved including placement, invisibility, and animation.
  • Fixed the alignment of several Weapon Charms.
  • Corrected the alignment of Thomas’ cigar when previewing the “Smoked Out” Highlight Intro.
  • Corrected the alignment of Halima’s bottle when previewing the “Nice Shot” Highlight Intro. 

RANKED PLAY

Top 250

• Skill Division
  • New 8th Skill Division added above Challenger to feature the 250 highest-ranked players in the world.
• Leaderboard
  • New Top 250 Leaderboard added to track the top players in Ranked Play, visible to all players in-game.

New Rewards

• New Season Two Ranked Play rewards can be earned by completing Win Challenges and earning Ladder Placements.
  • Each new season of Ranked Play will introduce a new set of Season Rewards. Season Two rewards can only be earned in Season Two.
  • All rewards can be used in both Vanguard and Warzone once unlocked.
• Season Two Rewards:
  • Two “Pro Issue” Weapon Blueprints
  • Two Weapon Camos: “Season Two Ladder Champion” & “Season Two Ranked Veteran”
  • Two Charms: “I Got Bomb” & “Mano-a-Mano”
  • “Don’t Be Salty” Spray
  • “Season Two Competitor” Sticker
• Skill Division Rewards:
  • Exclusive “Ranked Legend” Solange Operator Skin awarded for winning 25 games in the Master Skill Division or higher
  • Animated Emblem awarded at the end of the season based on the player’s final Skill Division
  • Each Skill Division has a Charm that can be earned by winning 10 games in that Skill Division

Expanded Party Skill Restrictions

• Players in Master & Challenger can now form parties with players up to one adjacent Skill Division away (previously only within 500 SR).
• Players in Elite can now form parties with players up to two adjacent Skill Divisions away (previously only within 1,000 SR).
• Players below Elite can continue to party up without restrictions, and can now party with players who haven’t yet completed their Seasonal Skill Evaluation matches.
• Party Restriction rules are now determined by the highest Skill Division represented in the party.
• Players are now less likely to get matched with other players who are outside of their current Party Skill Restrictions.

UI Updates

• My Career & Rewards
  • Added new My Career & Rewards menu, where players can access their Rank, Rewards, and Skill Division screens for additional information.
    • Rewards Screen: Preview your Season Two & Skill Division Rewards and track your progress toward your next unlock.
    • Skill Division Screen: See where you stack up in the Skill Divisions with information on your current Skill Division, as well as your progress toward your next Tier promotion.
• Progression
  • The player’s current Rank number is now displayed above their Rank Icon in the Ranked Play lobby.
  • Players without a Rank will now appear as Unranked.
  • XP and Weapon XP summary screens are no longer shown after Ranked Play matches.
• Ladder Events
  • The Ladder screen now defaults to the player’s current position when opened.
  • Stars for previously earned Ranks now correctly appear as filled in on the Ranks screen.
  • Ranks 10-29 now display the correct number of Stars needed on the Ranks screen.
• Restrictions
  • Create-a-Class, Killstreaks, and Field Upgrades menus now correctly display all restricted Ranked Play content as restricted. These restricted items can no longer appear to be equipped to Ranked Play loadouts.
• How to Play Menu
  • Maps & Modes tab now displays accurate Ranked Play maps.
  • Added information about Victory Flames to the Ladder Events tab.

• General
  • Addressed an issue that was causing the player’s Operator to occasionally not appear in the Ranked Play menu.
  • Addressed an issue where players in their 5 Skill Evaluation matches would occasionally appear as being already placed in a Skill Division in some locations.

Rank Progression

• Increased the number of Stars earned for each Ladder Placement to make progression through the 50 Ranks slightly faster:
  • 1st Place = 7 Stars (previously 5)
  • Top 5 = 6 Stars (previously 4)
  • Top 10 = 5 Stars (previously 3)
  • Top 25 = 3 Stars (previously 2)
  • Remaining players = 2 Stars (previously 1)

Disconnect Penalties

• The first player to disconnect or quit a Ranked Play match in progress will receive a timed suspension from Ranked Play matchmaking, with increased suspension durations for repeat offenders.
• Players receive SR and Ladder Point penalties if they quit or disconnect from a match in progress. These penalties are applied after their next completed match.
• The first player to disconnect from the match receives a larger penalty than players who disconnect afterward.

Match Cancelation

• Players will now see “Match Canceled” whenever a match is canceled due to uneven teams.
• MVP Voting no longer displays after a match that was canceled after it started.

General

• Resolved Dev Error 5476, which was occasionally displayed for some players when trying to access Ranked Play from the main menu.
• Addressed an issue where players would occasionally not earn SR for a win after the entire enemy team had quit.
• Addressed an issue where players could be automatically returned to the Lobby when scrolling on the Ladder screen.
• Addressed an issue that was causing a small number of players to have empty Ranked Play classes and no ability to create Custom Classes.

ZOMBIES

Dedicated Server Pause

• Server Pause implemented for players in Solo and single-player Private matches on dedicated servers.
• Players can pause for up to 2 hours collectively per match, and can continue to pause indefinitely in Offline/Local matches.

Inactivity Timer

• Inactivity kick timer extended for players in Public matches.

New Covenants

• Critical Expertise
  • Non-critical hits have a chance to become critical hits. Critical kills with Death Blow equipped will return ammo.
  • Rare: Non-critical hits have a 10% chance to be critical.
  • Epic: Non-critical hits have a 20% chance to be critical.
  • Legendary: Non-critical hits have a 30% chance to crit for 50% bonus damage.
• Explosives Expert
  • Your explosions do more damage to the enemy and less damage to you. Splatterfest & Energy Mine explosion damage is increased. Ray Gun splash damage is not affected.
  • Rare: Your explosions do 50% more damage to the enemy and 50% less damage to you.
  • Epic: Your explosions do 75% more damage to the enemy and 75% less damage to you.
  • Legendary: Your explosions do 100% more damage to the enemy and 100% less damage to you.

Maps

• “Terra Maledicta”
  • Addressed multiple issues where zombies could spawn in unintended locations.
  • Addressed multiple issues where zombie corpses could fall through the floor.
  • Addressed an issue where the Ray Gun could still be seen floating in space after acquiring it via Side Quest.
• General
  • Closed various exploits in “Terra Maledicta” and “Der Anfang.”

Objectives

• Sacrifice
  • Sacrifice Objective now available in all maps.

Wonder Weapons

• Decimator Shield
  • Reduced the Decimator Blast ability cooldown from 90 seconds to 60 seconds.
• Ray Gun
  • Addressed an issue where the Ray Gun was not always used when the player was downed if they had it equipped.

Weapons

• Added Weapon Unlock Challenge for the Armaguerra 43 SMG in Zombies.
• Weapon Blueprints with custom visual effects will no longer lose these custom effects when upgraded at the Pack-a-Punch Machine.
• Addressed an issue where players were not receiving Butcher Medals when getting five rapid kills with certain melee weapons.

Enemies

• Addressed an issue where Brain Rot-controlled zombies were not attacking Strumkreigers and Zaballa the Deceiver.
• Addressed an issue where Zaballa the Deceiver could fail to path to and attack players in some instances.
• Addressed an issue where the Sturmkrieger’s weapon could clip into its body during stun animations.

Season Challenges

• Adjusted one of the Season Two Zombies Challenges to be completable with 75 Molotov kills.

Sprays

• Addressed an issue where visual effects were not displaying correctly when using sprays in Zombies.

Stability

• Fixed various stability issues related to Zaballa the Deceiver, Sturmkriegers, and Artifacts. 

CAMPAIGN

Bug Fixes

• Lady Nightingale
  • Addressed an issue where the player could not perform a takedown on Steiner which halted progression.