CoD: Warzone's New Purgatory LTM Can't Be Won, And That's Why It's Great

As a seasoned gamer with decades of experience under my belt, I must say that Purgatory in Warzone’s Season 6 is a breath of fresh air. It’s like stepping into a spooky Halloween party where you can let loose and have fun without any strict rules. The atmospheric changes on the map are enough to get me in the spirit, even if I’m not usually one for such things.


In Season 6 of Warzone, the traditional Halloween event The Haunting from Call of Duty occurs, offering one of the battle royale’s most captivating limited-time modes. Purgatory offers a unique twist on Warzone gameplay, making it an enjoyable change for this last season of Modern Warfare 3. This mode is particularly relaxing and entertaining, which makes us hope it stays permanent.

10 teams, each consisting of 4 players, engage in a battle on the Purgatory mode, which is set on the Hellspawn version of Rebirth Island during Season 6. The map has undergone a sinister transformation for this event, featuring a haunting sky, crimson-tinted water, zombified non-player characters, and walls adorned with flesh – all elements designed to immerse you in a spooky atmosphere fitting for Halloween.

Initially, it’s not immediately apparent what you should be doing in Purgatory as there isn’t a clear-cut goal guiding gameplay. Instead, it offers a sandbox-style mode with personalized equipment setups and endless respawns, allowing for flexibility in how you choose to engage. This makes it an enjoyable experience to play with friends, where conversations can flow freely while tackling challenges together. Purgatory is ideal for wrapping up your camo collection, completing daily or weekly tasks, or achieving the seasonal Warzone Rewards objectives.

In Warzone, Purgatory introduces some unusual features that might seem odd, but they contribute to the distinctive feel of this mode. There are enigmatic orbs, resembling balls, which allow you to teleport across the map, and colossal balls of destruction called “Terriballs” that roll about. You can attack opponents with these Terriballs, causing them to burst upon impact and knock down their assailants.

In this game, the multiplayer map named Shipment appears to be an airborne island suspended above the realm of Purgatory. Not only can you engage in battles on the island and combat opponents, but you also have the unique ability to steer the island itself! Imagine piloting a helicopter, except the map is your vehicle. This may sound absurdly amusing, but it’s exhilarating to commandeer the island and explore for fights. Additionally, it’s downright funny to watch players maneuver Shipment in mid-air, performing loops and spirals!

CoD: Warzone's New Purgatory LTM Can't Be Won, And That's Why It's Great

This mix of fresh mechanics brings about plenty of peculiar amusement, such as the awkward instance when you both discover that you and an adversary are chasing after the same Terriball. The ensuing situation turns into a frantic race to ensure you’re not the one knocked unconscious by the bouncing Terriball. While some matches in Purgatory can be tense, with players relentlessly pursuing you for kills, others offer a pleasant camaraderie as some players utilize the in-game chat function to collaborate and assist each other in completing challenges. You can largely play most of a match at a relaxed pace without much pressure, but you also have the choice to play more assertively and increase your Torment level.

In this game I’m playing, the Torment level is displayed beneath the minimap as a skull-shaped meter with five slots. Every kill I make fills one of these skulls, with each slot representing a level from 1 to 5 skulls. As my kill count rises and my Torment level increases, so does the amount of XP I earn. However, this higher difficulty also makes the match more challenging – for instance, reaching Torment Level 5 makes me visible on the map to all opponents and even summons an attack chopper to track me down. Losing your entire Torment level can happen when you die or enter a safe zone, which could either be intentional or unintentional. It’s another exciting feature that adds some variety and gives extra XP opportunities, but it’s not mandatory – there’s no pressure to ramp up the Torment if you don’t want to.

The hardest part of Purgatory might just be convincing your friends to play a full match. One of my biggest gripes about the mode is Purgatory’s two-hour match timer. This makes it longer than a Zombies or DMZ match, yet you don’t have a way to exfil and bow out early. On the positive side, leaving early doesn’t seem to tax you with any penalties. There’s usually a warning for attempting to leave a standard Call of Duty match early, reminding you that you’ll sacrifice the match XP if you exit early. I didn’t get that warning when I needed to leave a match of Purgatory, which is nice because two hours is a lot of time to commit to one match of Call of Duty.

CoD: Warzone's New Purgatory LTM Can't Be Won, And That's Why It's Great

A more enjoyable experience would be had if there was an early exit option or a choice to end the game at will. Continuing for the full duration results in the map being destroyed, with no winners announced or extra prizes awarded; it simply concludes without fanfare.

It’s important to mention that some players claim certain games end prematurely with a nuclear explosion animation instead of following the game timer. However, I haven’t encountered such an issue in any of my own matches, and as far as I know, there hasn’t been a secret nuke challenge unveiled yet.

A slight criticism is that all the contracts shown on the map are just the regular Warzone type. Introducing something themed around Halloween, or even adding unusual contracts like zombie-slaying missions with a creepy atmosphere would have been exciting. Perhaps special bounty contracts similar to HVT contracts in Zombies mode, where you’d need to eliminate specific types of zombies, could be introduced. It seems like a wasted chance not to incorporate enemies from Zombies, such as the Mangler, Mimics, and Disciples, into Warzone. Even the massive Abomination enemy from Zombies would add an exciting element if it were to roam around Rebirth Island.

Despite its imperfections, I’ve invested considerable effort in earning XP within Purgatory since Season 6 debuted, and it strikes me as an idea worth considering to maintain or even make recurring, perhaps in the form of a sandbox mode. Call of Duty offers a wealth of events and challenges that may not be straightforward to grind in Warzone, particularly in the intense playlists with minimal respawns. Such a mode would cater well to those who don’t own the annual Call of Duty releases. It needn’t always be set on the Hellspawn version of Rebirth Island; Warzone’s expansive Urzikstan map could also accommodate a more extensive sandbox-style experience and seasonal events.

The Haunting event continues through October 16th, and I wholeheartedly suggest experiencing this if you’re seeking a thrilling, enjoyable means to boost your level and complete any remaining tasks before Season 6 concludes. Keep in mind that there’s no actual victory in Purgatory, but you can gather numerous rewards tied to the Purgatory Island event theme, such as some visually stunning animated weapon finishes.

2021 marks the end of Modern Warfare 3’s run, as the new installment, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, is set to launch on October 25th for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC.

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2024-09-24 22:40