Activision shut down a fan-made Classic Warzone revival just as players started dropping back into 2021 Verdansk.
For years, Call of Duty fans asked for one thing: take us back. Back to Verdansk. Back to Rebirth Island. Back to that 2021 sweet spot before map swaps, weapon overhauls, and seasonal resets changed the rhythm of Warzone.
A small team of community developers listened and they quietly rebuilt a 2021-era version of the battle royale, restored matchmaking, and opened the doors through Discord. Players could queue up, level weapons, unlock Battle Pass rewards, and revisit Superstore like nothing had changed.
But shortly after came a letter from Activision Publishing.
Classic Warzone revival hit with cease and desist
In a Discord announcement, the team behind the project shared what appeared to be a formal cease-and-desist notice from Activision. The message made it clear: the publisher, as owner of the Call of Duty franchise and Warzone, had not authorized the use of its content.
An Activision spokesperson confirmed the move in a statement: “We love the passion and creativity our community brings. That energy matters to us, but when COD content is used without permission, we unfortunately need to step in — not only to protect our developers’ work, but also to keep our games secure.”
Screenshots circulating from the project’s Discord showed stunned reactions from members. One user wrote, “It’s joever.” Another questioned why smaller fan efforts were targeted while larger modding communities seemed untouched.
The Classic Warzone team had previously said they weren’t charging money and simply wanted to “bring the game back” for players who missed it. But nostalgia doesn’t override intellectual property law. Activision owns Verdansk, Rebirth Island, and every asset tied to them.
Second StarCraft shooter reportedly being developed by Arc Raiders owner