Move over, Blackout, there's a new Modern Warfare battle royale in town, and its release date is soon.

While Fortnite conquered the mainstream battle and continues to dominate most of the conversation, PUBG - the game that really started the battle royale craze - quietly chugs along as one of Steam’s most played games. If Call of Duty Warzone can capture the gritty realism of PUBG and combine it with the polished mass-appeal of Fortnite, then the Modern Warfare battle royale could be the new winner winner chicken dinner.

Warzone is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare's new standalone battle royale title, which is due to release in early March. The big change in delivery is this part of Modern Warfare will be free-to-play - like the majority of battle royale titles on the market. What's more, current Modern Warfare players will be able to bring their months of progression and unlocks into the new mode, while the Modern Warfare Season 2 Battle Pass is said to also factor into Warzone progression.

If you've grown tired of Fortnite and Apex Legends, but love asserting your superiority by winning battle royale matches, then Warzone might be right up your street. With that in mind, let's take a look at everything we know about Warzone.

Modern Warfare battle royale release date

It looks like the Modern Warfare battle royale release date is March 10, as first reported by VGC. Content creators are supposedly being flown in to test it out before launch, which usually means an announcement is on its way. We'd expect a reveal stream to happen imminently, so we'll keep you informed about any potential start times and what to expect in Warzone, so check back soon.

Modern Warfare battle royale map

The Modern Warfare battle royale map leaked earlier this month and it's twice as big as the Blackout map from Black Ops 4.

While this sounds like an interesting iteration, a huge map makes movement a much bigger consideration. With the base Modern Warfare experience centred around "boots on the ground", it'll be interesting to see how the development team approach the issue. Warzone is rumoured to be in development at Activision-owned studio and long-time Call of Duty assistant developer, Raven Software - with help from Infinity Ward.

We know there will be a bank where you can deposit your Plunder and a gulag where you can 1v1 opponents for the chance to respawn, and it looks like there's an airstrip, sports arena, and a hydro dam on the map, too. It'll have 15 zones and six points of interest, which is just as well when you're finding for a vantage point or a place to hide against 199 other players.

Modern Warfare battle royale player count, gameplay, and killstreaks

Oh, did we not mention? Where in a standard battle royale match you're usually up against 100 or so players, Warzone pits 200 players against one another as they scour the map looking for gear. There are also supposed to be squad and duo playlists alongside the option to play solo. It'll borrow Apex Legends' ping system, too, so you won't need to suffer whiny piss babies screaming down the mic - unless that's your jam. To keep the action moving, there will be the usual closing circle, except the (fire)storm has reportedly been replaced by chemical gas you'll want to avoid a lungful of.

You'll be able to find various weapons and items during a match, as well as different levels of gear to protect yourself with, such as armour and helmets. You'll also be able to use Perks during a match and we have a rough idea of what those Perks could be.

• High Alert: Grants vision when an enemy looks at you from outside of your FoV.
• Spotter: Enemy equipment within a small radius is visible and highlighted to you, even through walls.
• Tracker: Enemies leave footprints as they move, and increased crouch movement speed.
• Stalker: Faster movement while aiming down sight.
• Marksman: Allows you to identify enemies from farther away by showing their names at a greater distance.
• Sleight of Hand: Reload your weapons 50% faster than normal.
• Armorer: You use armor plates 20% faster, and they supply 10% more armor.
• Artisan Tastes: Weapons you pick up have a chance to automatically upgrade.
• Deep Pockets: Any usable equipment you pick up has an extra use.
• Grenadier: Any throwable equipment you pick up has an extra use.
• Healer: Your medic items continue to heal for an additional 25% of their value over the next 20 seconds.
• Thief: When you Harvest, generate 20% more plunder.
• Ammo Scavenger: Enemies you kill always drop some ammunition.
• Armor Scavenger: Enemies you kill always drop some armor plates.
• Medic Scavenger: Enemies you kill always drop some medic items.
• Plunder Scavenger: Enemies you kill always drop some Plunder.
• Bounty Hunter: If you kill someone with more Perks than you, gain enough points to match them, and then you can replace this perk.
• Ghost: You are invisible to drones and sensors.
• Sneaky: Your Footsteps are invisible, and enemies are not warned when you track them.
• Explosive Ordnance Disposal: Explosive Resistance, and you can capture enemy claymores and mines.

There's also a respawn option, but you'll need to battle it out with other players for the chance to be revived. Downed teammates will be placed in the gulag with other opponents and you'll need to 1v1 another player to get back in the game. To respawn a teammate, you'll need a Respawn Token, then you'll have to drop their body near an Ambulance. After that, it's off to the gulag.

Killstreaks will also factor in and you can gather Plunder - the in-game currency - during a match, but be warned: if you die, your Plunder can be looted. You can also bank your Plunder, but you risk giving away your position.

You'll also be able to set up a Drop Kit, meaning that you can select your loadout pre-match, similar to how you select emotes and accessories in Fortnite. You'll need to use your Plunder to purchase a Drop Kit Marker, then you'll be able to call one in during a match. Drop kits are the only way to have three perks active at a time.

You'll also be able to spend Plunder on killstreaks such as Precision Airstrike, Cluster Strike and a UAV – all of which are killstreaks in the main game. You’ll also be able to buy gas masks, armour plates, an ammo box, and a Marker for the aforementioned Drop Kits.

Alongside trying to win a match, there will be various missions and challenges available. A recent datamine showed that there could be a Scavenger Hunt, a Domination mode and Assassination, where you'll need to kill a specific player.

There's also the option to host a private match with your friends if LAN parties are still your thing.

For more on the base game you can actually play: did you know Modern Warfare's haunting Clean House mission was originally supposed to be three times bigger?