Update: the CoD: Warzone nuke event is underway! Scroll on down to the bottom of his article for footage of the big explosion.

　　Original story: Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and CoD: Warzone Season 3 kicks off this week, and Activision has unleashed a torrent of info on what to expect. Based on the roadmap that’s been released, it seems like Season 3 will be the busiest one yet (click on the image below for full resolution).

　　We don’t have a trailer for Season 3 yet, but here’s what to expect from a storyline perspective…

　　Naga’s forces kept Frank Woods and his CIA strike team busy searching for Russell Adler in the Golden Triangle, buying Stitch the vital time he needed to initiate the next phase of his grand plan. Naga’s distraction may yet turn out to be the pivotal action that determines the course of the Cold War.

　　Meanwhile in Russia, two Perseus operatives travel to Mount Yamantau on a mission to recover top-secret files from a long-forgotten clandestine program for Stitch’s cause. Woods and his team gear up to follow the intel uncovered at Naga’s base of operations in Laos. All signs point to Verdansk, and Adler’s fate is in their hands…

　　The biggest missing piece of the puzzle involves the chaos currently raging across Verdansk in Warzone. While the latest intel is detailed below, Containment Protocol status reports are still incoming from Armistice Central Command.

　　“Hunt for Adler” Event

　　Starting with the launch of Season Three, the new “Hunt for Adler” limited-time event will task Operators with unique in-game challenges in both Black Ops Cold War and Warzone to learn of Adler’s whereabouts. Complete these Intel Challenges to unlock Event rewards, including Weapon Charms, Calling Cards, a new Operator Skin, and more.

　　You can find more details about this event in the Seasonal Event tab on the main menu between Play and Weapons once Season Three kicks off in Warzone. Once you’ve completed a full set of challenges in either Black Ops Cold War or Warzone over the course of the event, you’ll unlock an exclusive Adler skin for use in both games!

　　In addition to hunting for Adler, Season 3 is bringing a ton of new content to CoD: Black Ops Cold War, including four new operators (including Captain Price), five maps, six weapons, Zombies content, and more. Get the full rundown, below.

　　New Operators

　　Price Arrives in Black Ops Cold War

　　The worlds of Modern Warfare and Black Ops are colliding once more, as a Legendary Operator joins the fray in Black Ops Cold War and Warzone. That Operator is none other than Captain Price, propelled into the Cold War era and outfitted in tactical gear suited for the most clandestine of wetwork operations.

　　Those who purchase any version of CoD: Black Ops Cold War at the start of Season Three will receive the Captain Price Operator for use in Black Ops Cold War and Warzone. Plus, anyone who already owns Black Ops Cold War will automatically receive the Captain Price Operator at the start of Season Three.

　　Wraith: Warsaw Pact (Launch Week)

　　This ex-Norwegian Intelligence Services alpine warfare specialist-turned-Perseus-agent makes a grand entrance demonstrating her skills in infiltration and sabotage. A vital asset in winter operations, cold-blooded and intolerant of weakness, she’s the perfect antagonist to fight against the NATO forces. Get access to Wraith for use in Black Ops Cold War and Warzone at Tier 0 in the Season Three Battle Pass, and unlock an additional Legendary Wraith Operator Skin at Tier 100.

　　Knight: Warsaw Pact (In-Season)

　　The second member of the deadly Perseus duo responsible for the events at Mount Yamantau is Roman “Knight” Gray. Born for the kill, Knight is a Dublin-born former MI6 wetworks operative who loves what he does. He joined Perseus to bathe in the glory of the chaos they promise. Happiest when killing in close quarters, he’s a brutal force to be reckoned with.

　　Antonov: Warsaw Pact (In-Season)

　　An ex-hitman, Antonov joined the military in lieu of serving extended jailtime for his crimes. His expertise as a paid killer makes him an extremely valuable and lethal asset. Distrusted by the Warsaw Pact because of his criminal past, he finds himself assigned duties no one else wants: bomb defusal and hazmat work. Get access to Knight and Antonov as part of the new Season Three Store bundle offerings.

　　New Multiplayer Maps

　　Yamantau (6v6, Launch Week)

　　Bury your enemies in an avalanche of firepower as you fight through the crumbled remains of the Soviet observatory on Mount Yamantau. Battle through a massive downed satellite dish, snowy interiors, and broken catwalks, and fast-rope up and over your enemies to get the jump on the competition.

　　Diesel (6v6/2v2/3v3, Launch Week)

　　In the lonesome desert, this slice of Americana erupts into a battleground. Gear up for 6v6, as well as 2v2 and 3v3 in Gunfight on this fast-paced and frenetic map. Battle around the gas station and its surrounding buildings, smack dab in the middle of the badlands. Get frying.

　　Standoff (6v6, In-Season)

　　This Black Ops II classic is an icon, and in Season Three, it’s coming to Black Ops Cold War. Compete in 6v6 on this medium-sized map, which features a timeless three-lane feel and plentiful opportunities for outsmarting your opponents. Watch those buildings and mind the van over near the hay bales.

　　Duga (Multi-Team, In-Season)

　　Deploy with your squad to the Ural Mountains in this expansive new Multi-Team environment. Duga offers something for every playstyle, whether you prefer to move through the central admin offices for close-range battles, or work your way around the perimeter through the bus depot to the chemical processing plant for long-range battles. If you can’t immediately decide where to take your skills, try making your way atop the array tower for a fantastic view before parachuting off to your destination of choice.

　　Six New Weapons

　　PPSh-41: SMG (Launch Week)

　　When you need to spit fire, pick up the PPSh-41 SMG, an absolute classic in the series. Though its damage per shot is moderate, its rapid-fire, high-capacity capabilities encourage an aggressive playstyle ideal for leading the charge in objective modes and clearing out tight spaces in Warzone. Obtain the PPSh-41 for free, ready to use in CoD: Black Ops Cold War and Warzone at Tier 15 of the Season Three Battle Pass.

　　Swiss K31: Sniper Rifle (Launch Week)

　　Precision and power. The Swiss K31 Sniper Rifle was made for one neutral country ready to rearm for world war, but will now find itself in the arsenals of the NATO and Warsaw Pact forces. This bolt-action sniper rifle boasts exceptional accuracy, as well as fast rechamber and aiming speeds with a large ammo capacity. Aggressive sharpshooters will be in their element with this new rifle, whether it’s sniping out in the wilds of Warzone or pushing forward on objectives in CoD: Black Ops Cold War.

　　Ballistic Knife: Melee (Launch Week)

　　A versatile weapon first introduced in the original CoD: Black Ops, this iteration of the Ballistic Knife is a rare piece of spy technology developed in the late 1970s by Soviet Forces. Available in CoD: Black Ops Cold War at the launch of Season Three and in Warzone mid-season.

　　CARV.2: Tactical Rifle (In-Season)

　　Carve through the competition with this burst-fire tactical rifle, joining the ranks of the M16 with its high-damage, high-bullet-velocity output. Boasting moderate firepower with solid recoil control and a large ammo pool, the CARV.2 cuts the deepest when used for mid- to long-range engagements.

　　AMP63: Pistol (In-Season)

　　The Secondary category gets even deeper later in Season Three thanks to the AMP63 pistol. Slotting in as the fourth sidearm in CoD: Black Ops Cold War’s arsenal, this personal defense weapon is a cross between a self-loading pistol and a fully automatic SMG. Expect this weapon to output high amounts of damage in a short period of time thanks to its full-auto nature, which makes it highly effective in close quarters.

　　Baseball Bat: Melee (In-Season)

　　A classic bruiser’s weapon of war, and CoD: Black Ops Cold War’s newest addition for one-hit melee fans. Unlock the Baseball Bat in Season Three, and get out there and crack some skulls in Multiplayer, Zombies, and Warzone.

　　Obtain the Ballistic Knife, CARV.2, AMP63, and Baseball Bat during Season Three in one of two ways: complete an in-game challenge to obtain the free base weapon, or pick up a bundle with a Blueprint version when it appears in the Store.

　　New Modes

　　Sticks and Stones Returns at Season Launch

　　It’s every Operator for themselves, with each player deploying with the R1 Shadowhunter crossbow, Ballistic Knife, and a Tomahawk. Earn score with crossbow and Ballistic Knife kills, and eliminate enemies with the Tomahawk to bankrupt their score to zero. The first player to reach the score limit or the player with the highest score when the timer expires wins.

　　Multi-Team Elimination (In-Season)

　　The upcoming Multi-Team Elimination mode brings the last-team-standing experience to CoD: Black Ops Cold War’s biggest maps, where multiple teams of four will fight to survive ever-expanding radiation zones. Redeploys will be limited and loadouts will be restricted, so teams will need to scavenge for weapons, Scorestreaks, Armor, Redeploy Tickets, and more. Emerge as the last team standing or the first squad to board the exfil chopper in the final safe zone to achieve victory.

　　Zombies Content

　　New Field Upgrade: Toxic Growth

　　Mother Nature bites back with this new Field Upgrade in round-based maps and Outbreak, guaranteed to slow down the undead masses. Enemies moving through it have their movement speed halved and suffer toxic damage until they exit the affected area. Through the use of Aetherium Crystals, Operators can upgrade Toxic Growth to give it more charges, double its damage, and even cause enemies who perish from the growth to explode!

　　New Outbreak Region: Duga (Launch Week)

　　The Dark Aether story comes to a fever pitch in Season Three as Requiem expands its operations in Russia. Keep the hordes at bay as you and your squad fight through the massive new Duga region set in the Ural Mountains, packed with new documents, audio logs, radio transmissions, and artifacts hidden throughout the Outbreak Zone. Uncover new secrets of the Dark Aether as the stage is set for the events yet to come...

　　New Outbreak Vehicles: FAV and Cargo Truck (Launch Week)

　　Hit the road with two new vehicles for Outbreak, and take down some zombies while you’re at it thanks to their built-in armaments. The high-speed Fast Attack Vehicle (FAV) is ideal for gunning down zombies while racing for the next objective, while the Cargo Truck is big enough to fit the whole squad as you hunt down those Special and Elite zombies.

　　New Outbreak World Events and Features (Launch Week)

　　Experience new interactive events throughout the Ural Mountains to earn in-game rewards! For the first time in Outbreak, gain access to upgrades for the D.I.E. Machine Wonder Weapon, unlock the powerful Aether Tool item by destroying Fury Crystals, discover the secret to warping ahead to higher difficulty regions even faster, and more.

　　Expanded Outbreak Objectives (Launch Week)

　　Outbreak objectives are now active in more locations than ever before in Season Three. Encounter the Defend, Retrieve, and Holdout Objectives in more regions for even more variety in every Outbreak match.

　　New Onslaught Content (PlayStation) (Launch Week)

　　PlayStation players can take on the undead to earn Bronze, Silver, and Gold Chalices in Onslaught on the new Yamantau map at launch, and on Standoff mid-season. Look for a new limited-time mode in Onslaught later in Season Three, as well.

　　Phew! That’s a lot of stuff! But that’s not all – after a few weeks of zombies appearing in Warzone, Activision is teasing that things are finally reaching a tipping point, and that the long-rumored nuking of Verdansk is going to finally happen, bringing big changes to the map. You can watch the big event happen in real time by logging into CoD: Warzone at 12pm PT on April 21. Here’s a little teaser for the explosive events to come…

　　After a doomed cargo tanker ran aground in Verdansk near the Zordaya Prison Complex, all hell broke loose. At first, it seemed that the zombies only moved from area to area and that no spread was occurring… until, in the most recent Containment Protocol, it was found that contamination stayed within zones, triggering clouds of gas. Fortunately, plenty of Gas Masks can be found within these Corruption Zones, but if an Operator dies within one, they perish and turn into one of the slavering undead.

　　The situation in Verdansk has hit a critical level. It seems the combat zone has become too dangerous for even a Tier 1 Operator to survive in. Is a conflagration imminent? The answer is still unknown, though it is recommended you clear your schedule for the week and ready yourself for a crescendo of utter chaos within the Warzone. Be certain you’re available for Operation Rapid Sunder throughout Wednesday, April 21 and beyond.

　　Update: The Call of Duty: Warzone nuke event is in full swing! Well, partial swing, as a lot of players are having trouble connecting and completing the event. If you're having troubles, you can check out the big boom below, courtesy of Call of Duty Warzone News.

　　#Verdansk has officially been nuked!

　　Here's a better look at the nuke in Warzone:pic.twitter.com/OFLY9myuVE

　　— Call of Duty Warzone News (@BattleRoyaleCoD) April 21, 2021

　　Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is available now on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, and PS5. Warzone is available on PC, Xbox One, and PS4, and playable on next-gen consoles via backward compatibility. Season 3 launches on April 22, although you can start downloading the updates tonight – the patch for Cold War is around 8 GB on last-gen and 12 GB on current-gen, and the Warzone patch is around 25 GB regardless of platform.