Activision confirms Call of Duty: Warzone Season 4 Reloaded launches June 25
Activision has confirmed that Call of Duty: Warzone Season 4 Reloaded will officially launch on Thursday, June 25, 2026. This major mid-season update introduces the return of the Champion’s Quest, a visual overhaul for Rebirth Island, and several new limited-time modes.
The patch will deploy simultaneously across all platforms at 9:00 AM PT, 11:00 AM CT, and 12:00 PM ET in the United States, with a 5:00 PM BST release for players in the United Kingdom.
Champion’s Quest returns with new randomized objectives
The update brings substantial changes to the battle royale experience, notably centering on high-stakes objectives and team-based competition. Alongside the Warzone-specific features, the update integrates global content shared with Black Ops 7, including new weaponry and tactical attachments.
This release follows a period of significant industry shifts, including high-profile legal developments involving former CEO Bobby Kotick and the Activision-Microsoft deal, which continue to shape the publisher’s long-term strategy.
The Champion’s Quest makes its return to Warzone, offering players a path to the most prestigious victory in the game: the nuke. To gain access to the Champion’s Contract, squads must first meet rigorous performance milestones within a single season.
This requires either achieving five consecutive Core Battle Royale wins or securing a total of 30 Battle Royale victories. Once eligible, a squad can activate the contract by securing a designated briefcase on the map.
Key details
The quest now features a variety of randomized objectives to ensure every run offers a different experience. Squads may be tasked with transporting a radioactive isotope, recovering a valuable hard drive, or escorting a missile transport vehicle. Rival teams are encouraged to intervene, as they can intercept carriers and steal quest items to disrupt progress.
Public events may also provide an alternative route to the contract, where the first squad to secure a specific airdrop receives a unique mission that leads to a Champion’s Quest Contract.
Golden Ticket mechanic and tier-based rewards
A new Golden Ticket mechanic has been added to the quest cycle, allowing enemy teams to extract stolen objectives. By doing so, these rival squads can earn progress toward their own Champion’s Quest token. This adds a layer of competition for quest items across the lobby, as players who successfully complete the nuke event multiple times can unlock a series of exclusive cosmetics.
The rewards for completing Champion’s Quest wins include:
- 1 Win: “Containment Crew — Alpha” weapon camo and “Axia Animated Grimm” Operator Skin.
- 5 Wins: “Containment Crew — Omega” weapon camo.
- 6 Wins: “Gamma Stick” Flatline MK.II melee weapon blueprint.
- 10 Wins: “Axia’s Wrath — Omega” animated weapon camo.
Additionally, those who manage to defuse an armed nuke will receive a special animated calling card to commemorate the defensive feat.
Rebirth Island summer update and seasonal events
Rebirth Island is shedding its winter theme in favor of a fresh summer aesthetic. The snow introduced in Season 2 has been removed, returning the island to a warmer, greener setting with updated trees and grass.
While the visual landscape has shifted, the structural points of interest (POIs) introduced in the winter update, such as Turbine north of Prison and Outpost east of Stronghold, remain permanent fixtures of the environment.
The update also kicks off the “Summer of Action” event, which includes a daily login rewards program. By signing in, players can earn Battle Pass Tier Skips, Double XP Tokens, and the “Catharsis” X9 Maverick weapon blueprint. This event runs alongside the Nick Cage Event Pass, featuring the iconic actor as a new Operator.
Unlike previous rumors, the Nick Cage event is specifically where players unlock the new AN-94 and Executioner’s Duet weapons.
Squad Gun Game and Buy Back Quads arrival
Season 4 Reloaded introduces Squad Gun Game to the Resurgence experience, bringing the classic mode to Warzone for the first time. In this mode, 30 players are split into 10 squads of three across Rebirth Island, Haven’s Hollow, and Fortune’s Keep. Squads must work together to cycle through a predetermined list of ten weapons.
Every elimination earns a point, and reaching five points advances the entire team to the next weapon tier. Notably, eliminating an operator pings the location of their remaining squad members.
From July 9 to July 13, Buy Back Quads will return as a limited-time weekend mode. Supporting up to 152 players, this mode focuses on cash management rather than traditional Gulag mechanics. Eliminated players who have at least $4,000 in available cash will automatically redeploy.
This shift in gameplay matches the fast-paced innovation seen in other major franchises, such as the online battle features in the recent Star Fox update, emphasizing continuous action over player downtime.
AN-94 hyperburst and new tactical attachments
The weapon pool expands with the arrival of the AN-94 Assault Rifle and the Executioner’s Duet melee weapon. The AN-94 is a fully automatic rifle featuring a signature hyperburst mechanic, which fires the first two rounds of a burst at a faster rate before settling into a standard rhythm.
This rifle is balanced by slower handling and mobility. The Executioner’s Duet offers high-damage output at short range with very fast attack speeds for melee combat.
Three new weapon attachments are also available through Weekly Challenges:
- XR-3 Ion Vulcan Minigun: A side-mounted foregrip that tightens hip-fire spread and improves aiming movement speed, though it blocks optic attachments.
- DS20 Mirage Dual Fire Kit: Replaces traditional ADS with powerful slug rounds, enhancing hip-fire accuracy.
- Velox 5.7 Carbine Chassis: Converts the Velox 5.7 pistol into a fully automatic carbine with increased range but reduced handling.
Multiplayer additions and Black Ops 7 integration
While Warzone is the primary focus of the mid-season patch, Black Ops 7 players will see significant additions to multiplayer. Two 6v6 maps are arriving: Zenith, a new cliffside manor map, and Launch, a remastered classic from the first Black Ops. New modes like Team Blueprint Sharpshooter and Knife Fight will also enter the rotation.
These updates come as fans eagerly await further news on future blockbusters, including the recently confirmed Grand Theft Auto 6 release date scheduled for late 2026.
The update also introduces “Black Ops Classic” as a permanent addition to Black Ops 7. This rotation will include four maps: Launch, Fringe (Black Ops 3), Hacienda (Black Ops 4), and Gridlock (Black Ops 4).
As with previous major patches, pre-downloads for Season 4 Reloaded may become available one or two days before the June 25 launch, allowing players to prepare for the 9:00 AM PT rollout.