Call of Duty: Warzone Confirms Departure of Ashika Island, Likely Forever

Raven Software has recently confirmed that Ashika Island, one of the resurgence maps on Call of Duty (COD) Warzone, will be taken out of the game later this month. The removal leaves fans wondering if Verdansk will return soon.

Having only been introduced to Warzone in February 2023, the Ashika Island map leaves the scene just after over a year. Raven Software, in a post on X (formerly Twitter) made known its intentions to focus development efforts toward other map-mode combinations for future updates in the playlist. 

The Departure of Ashika Island 

Ashika Island, regarded as a favorite among Warzone fans since February 2023, proved to be a valuable addition to the game. Nevertheless, Raven Software stated that Ashika Island would be removed from the Call of Duty map selection starting May 23rd, 2024.

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High Moon Studios, the developers of Ashika Island were compelled to close the Japanese-inspired map. In their goodbye message, they thanked all users for the kind response and assured them that they were working on even more exciting content for the future.

It’s a bittersweet moment seeing Ashika Island make its departure. Our team loved working on this Japanese-inspired map and have so many good memories from this past year. We’re excited to take everything we’ve learned forward into future projects.

That said, we still have one… https://t.co/FbVQoJNIC5

— High Moon Studios (@HighMoonStudios) May 21, 2024

Speculations on Verdansk’s Comeback

Now that Ashika Island is set to leave Call of Duty, fans wonder if Verdansk, the original Battle Royale location in Warzone, will return soon. There have been rumors since the end of 2020 championed by Tom Henderson of Insider Gaming that Verdansk will return by the end of 2024.

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Since Raven Software changed course, fans are of the opinion that the studio could be working on reviving Verdansk. This speculation gains further momentum as the gaming community eagerly awaits the unveiling of the next mainline Call of Duty game, rumored to be titled “Call of Duty: Black Ops Gulf War” or “Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.”

COD Fans Anticipate Next Xbox Event

Reports indicate that Microsoft and Activision are set to hold another Xbox event next month with the new iteration of the Call of Duty likely to be released. Speculation as to the game’s environment and plot has been rife for half a year and most have predicted a Gulf War-based story.

If the speculations regarding Verdansk getting back are true, then this map could be returning with the new release of the next Call of Duty game, probably in October or November this year.

Cryptopolitan reporting by Chris Murithi.