Call of Duty finally explains Verdansk nuked event in Warzone

Call of Duty finally has an explanation for Verdansk having gotten nuked in Warzone. For those unaware, the original map of Verdansk was destroyed by a nuke back in 2021. After that, the game switched to the 1984 version of the map. But in Season 3 of Warzone (2025), the iconic map returned to the game, and this had many fans questioning how the map survived the nuke. Speculations ran wild, and fans posed numerous theories online that suggested how the map survived.

One of the most widely accepted hypotheses suggests that the current iteration of the map is based on the 90s, and hence, it hasn't been nuked yet. However, this theory did not hold its ground for long, as later, when the map was released, fans found several remnants of the nuke that had been dropped. So what exactly happened, and why wasn't the map destroyed?

Well, we finally have an explanation. Read on to learn more about what happened to the map after the nuke event in Warzone.

Call of Duty finally sheds light on Verdansk nuked event in Warzone

The mystery surrounding OG Verdansk's nuking in Warzone seems to have finally been solved. In the Season 3 Reloaded update, the developers added a lot of Easter eggs on the map. One of them in particular is a secret note that explains the entire event, and to be frank, it is quite humorous, to say the least.

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Right outside the Stadium POI, there is a crashed missile that carried the nuke. It could be seen in Season 3 as well. However, in the latest update, the developers left a tiny note on the crash site that reads:

"Don't forget to tighten the screws! Otherwise, the missile might not detonate, resulting in a catastrophic non-explosion that won't be the end of Verdansk. - Ms. L (Supervisor)"

As seen above, the note hints at the fact that the nuke never went off. The screws on the missile were loose, and as a result, the map was never destroyed. This was also supported by the fact that the missile carrying the payload is still there, buried just outside the Stadium.

Also read: All Verdansk secret room locations and codes in Warzone

Simply put, the missile was dropped, but the nukes never went off. Although this is the canon explanation at the moment, there are still a few holes in the story. There is still the question of the zombies that had infiltrated the map. The nukes were supposedly dropped to eradicate them, but they are nowhere to be seen. On top of that, in the actual destruction of Verdansk event, players were shown how the map was blown to pieces.

Furthermore, we don't know who Ms. L is. Some fans are speculating that it could be Laswell from the rebooted Modern Warfare series.

Nevertheless, it now seems like Call of Duty is trying to rewrite the storyline of the map, tying up all the loose ends. So, based on the official story, it can now be said that the map was actually never destroyed. Although a missile was dropped, it didn't end up destroying the map, as technically it was a "catastrophic non-explosion."

That covers everything you need to know about the "nuking" of Verdansk in the battle royale title.

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About the author

Rishabh is a gaming journalist at Sportskeeda who mainly covers Call of Duty and Valorant content. After completing his post-graduation in Finance, he went off the beaten track and decided to build a career in video game journalism. The opportunity to interview Valorant Pacific franchised teams back during VCT 2023: Pacific was a career highlight for Rishabh.

Rishabh prioritizes diving into the game himself and figuring out the specifics to ensure authenticity of content. He also tracks the social media accounts and blogs of developers and publishers to learn about official announcements and press releases, and cross-checks all facts even if they are derived from reputed sources.

Rishabh embarked on his video game journey in 2002, playing Contra and Mario, and his first AAA title was Max Payne 1. Currently, first-person shooter games engage him the most.

Rishabh regards streamer and esports athlete Michael "Shroud" Grzesiek as an inspirational figure since he rose from a humble background to become one of the biggest CS players and streamers in the world through sheer hard work and dedication.

Rishabh likes to keep himself updated on the latest trends in technology and listens to progressive rock music in his spare time.

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Edited by Niladri Roy