Warzone was given a new lease of life with the release of Black Ops Royale, featuring a refreshing twist on the battle royale formula. However, you might have noticed that it’s disappeared from the Warzone playlist screen, and Activision has explained all.
Call of Duty: Warzone saw a huge resurgence (no pun intended) in 2025 with the return of Verdansk. It suddenly took everyone back in time five years, and life was good again. A similar thing happened with Black Ops Royale, a new game mode reminiscent of Black Ops 4’s Blackout.
If it’s one of the reasons you keep coming back to Warzone, you’ll want to know why it’s no longer in the menu screen.
Why Can’t I See Black Ops Royale in CoD Warzone?
Black Ops Royale was removed from the playlist options toward the end of Warzone Season 3 in 2026, meaning you can no longer see Black Ops Royale, and you can’t play the game mode moving forward.
If you’ve played any free-to-play or paid Call of Duty game before online, you’ll know that the developers like to switch up the playlist options, giving new modes a chance to flourish, while trying to make you miss other match types in the process.
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As good as Black Ops Royale is, the devs have decided that it won’t be available for a while.
Why Has Black Ops Royale Been Removed From Warzone?
Season 3 Reloaded’s Hot Pursuit mode is essentially replacing Black Ops Royale, and this refresh will give Hot Pursuit the spotlight for now.
As I said, if a new map or mode comes along, something has to make way for it so that it encourages you to enjoy the content the team has worked hard on. Hot Pursuit is the standout addition to Warzone Season 3 Reloaded, and here’s what the devs have said in the recent patch notes:
‘Hot Pursuit takes over the Black Ops Royale playlist for Season 03 Reloaded as a throwback to its Blackout debut back in 2019. Inspired by the original fast-paced, cat & mouse experience, this Limited-Time Mode offers a modern take on vehicle-focused gameplay now on Avalon.
During this time, core Black Ops Royale modes will be temporarily rotated out to make room for Hot Pursuit.’
There you have it; it’s an answer, but probably not the one you wanted. Now, onto the next question you presumably have!
When is Black Ops Royale Coming Back To Warzone?
Activision has said that Black Ops Royale will be ‘back in a future update,’ but it’s unclear when the game mode will return in Warzone.
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Here’s the full statement from the Season 3 Reloaded patch notes:
‘We plan on bringing the standard experience back in a future update, but for now, we’re keeping the playlist fresh by leaning into the spirit of variety.’
In short, Black Ops Royale will be back in maybe Season 4, or Season 4 Reloaded, but Hot Pursuit will be the focus of Warzone’s attention for quite a while.
So, will you be pursuing many matches in Warzone’s newest LTM? Or have the devs made a big mistake removing Black Ops Royale from selection? Let us know your thoughts, as they should be interesting, through our free-to-join Insider Gaming Discord.
For more CoD news, check out the incredible attack on gamers by the Call of Duty movie director, calling war games ‘Pathetic’ and that playing them is ‘Weak.’
Andy is Insider Gaming's Senior Evergreen Editor and has been in the games journalism sphere in one way or another for over 7 years. His video game taste is as…
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