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Call of Duty Warzone preload: when can you download the new CoD battle royale?

Everything you need to know about Call of Duty Warzone’s imminent release

The upcoming Call of Duty Warzone

Is there a Call of Duty Warzone preload? A brand new battle royale game is currently hurtling towards the ground, ready to duke it out with the others and show ‘em who’s boss. Call of Duty Warzone introduces a number of innovations to the genre, including buy stations, contracts, and dropping with a pistol – so no more scrambling for a gun while a gloating stranger punches you in the back of the head.

Perhaps the most exciting new feature in Warzone is the Gulag. The first time you’re killed, you’ll be taken to a purgatory of pain where you’ll have to win a 1v1 gunfight to earn the right to rejoin the battle above ground. Alternatively, if you lose the duel in front of everyone, your teammates can purchase another life for you at a buy station – but they can’t buy your dignity back.

After weeks of teasers and leaks, we’ve finally been given a Call of Duty: Warzone release date – and it’s today, March 10. Here’s everything you need to know about the launch of Call of Duty Warzone.

Is there a Warzone preload?

There is no Call of Duty Warzone preload available – but if you own Modern Warfare, installing it in advance will shave a hefty 65-79GB off the Warzone download size, plus it’ll allow you to start the download early.

When can I download Call of Duty: Warzone?

If you own the full version of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, you can start downloading Warzone at 8:00 PDT / 11:00 EDT / 15:00 GMT – there’s a countdown in the classified tab in the main menu. However, if you don’t own Modern Warfare, you’ll have to wait until 12:00 PDT / 15:00 EDT / 19:00 GMT to download the standalone game.

The download times for CoD Warzone

Is Warzone free?

Yes, Warzone is free-to-play – you don’t need to own CoD: Modern Warfare to play it.

How big is Call Of Duty Warzone?

If you’ve already got the most recent version of Modern Warfare installed, you’ll need to download an extra 18-22GB to add Warzone. If you’ve got an outdated version of Modern Warfare, you’re looking at a download of up to 80GB. For brand new CoD players with no existing install, it’ll be an 83-101GB download – oof.

The download is segmented, so once you’ve made it past the first 20GB, you’ll be able to play solo Gunfight matches offline with bots while the game continues to download in the background. This should hopefully get you familiar with the gunplay and keep you occupied until the Call of Duty: Warzone download completes.

Right, that should be everything you need to join the battle – we’ll see you in the Gulag. Don’t expect us to go easy on you – we really want to get some.