Warzone is a perfect Switch 2 launch title that we’re not getting

Aside from a few juggernauts like Doom: Eternal and multiplayer staples like Overwatch, the Nintendo Switch’s FPS library is severely lacking one key franchise: Call of Duty. The obvious outlier is the limited hardware under the handheld’s hood, but the Nintendo Switch 2 looks set to be a different beast. One powered by DLSS tech, capable of supporting Cyberpunk 2077 and the next James Bond adventure. Call of Duty: Warzone is an easy win for Activision, but it doesn’t seem to be eager for this victory.

The Nintendo Switch 2 is already certifying itself as a third-party titan, collecting triple-A ports like Infinity Stones. Beyond titles we already know, developers like FromSoftware are embracing the handheld with new Switch games exclusive to the system. Despite a promising agreement between Microsoft and Nintendo in February 2023 to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo’s audience, nothing has materialized. I’m not blissfully unaware of why, though.

Last year’s Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has an ice cube’s chance in hell of running on the current Nintendo Switch model. Yet, it does run decently on rival portable gaming consoles like the ROG Ally. All the logical signs should point toward the Nintendo Switch 2 ushering in this exciting era for the multi-decade FPS game series, with this year poised to be the start of Call of Duty’s reign beyond PlayStation, Xbox, and PC. Call of Duty: Warzone is the ideal launch pad, more so than 2025’s COD entry.

As a free-to-play shooter, the barrier of entry is already lower than scaling up the Switch 2’s library $70 at a time. With cross-progression across the Call of Duty ecosystem, players leaping in from console and PC counterparts don’t need to worry about starting fresh. The biggest draw is Warzone’s definitive reason for playing: Verdansk. The removal of this highly beloved map has always baffled me. You can throw all the ridiculous lore reasons at me, but the fact is that none of the map’s successors measure up to its glory.

Nostalgia is undeniably a huge contributing factor to Verdank’s popularity. Compared to Fortune’s Keep or Caldera, though, Verdank POIs and flow can easily become second nature. It’s a map cruising the line between simplicity and flashiness, with areas like the wet, dingy Castle grounds or the cluttered halls of the Superstore providing unique spaces to fight. Now that Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile is officially six feet under, core Warzone is the only place to pass through Verdank’s borders.

Beyond the strength of its most iconic location, Warzone is Call of Duty’s testing ground for gauging interest and teasing the future. Interactive events for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Call of Duty: Vanguard reveal what the franchise is attempting to try next, for better or worse. We all know there’s another annual entry on the horizon, heavily rumored to be Black Ops 7.

Some leaks even claim the original Zombies crew is back, a prospect I’m cautiously optimistic about. Bringing the Nintendo Switch 2 into these moments is a vital shot in the arm that Warzone needs to consider, rather than banking on Verdansk’s presence to do all of the heavy lifting.

Call of Duty NEXT is likely where Activision is to reveal all the answers. August has become the destination for everything Call of Duty, with Activision’s dedicated showcase covering everything from campaign and multiplayer to eSports. By then, the Nintendo Switch 2 will have been around a couple of months – if the demand can keep up, that is.

Activision’s a money machine, so of course it can wait to launch a new title in November for Switch 2 owners, but why has it already overlooked the first win it could grab?

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