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Vanguard Season 5 patch notes

Image showing Vanguard players firing guns on dark street
Credit: Activision
By Jon NicholsonFPS Editor

Image showing Vanguard players firing guns on dark street
Credit: Activision

After four seasons of post-launch content, the fifth and final season for Vanguard is finally here. While many have already turned their attention to the launch of Modern Warfare 2, Sledgehammer Games' latest title aims to end the cycle on a positive note with the arrival of the EX1 energy rifle and a wealth of new content.

Prior to most updates, the developer will unveil more information on what's in store through the Vanguard Season 5 patch notes and with the release date fast approaching, it won't be long before the community finds all of the changes included in the update.

Before we share our expectations of the Vanguard Season 5 update, check out our Warzone page containing the best Warzone guns to use in the battle royale.

Vanguard Season 5 patch notes

Ahead of Season 5, Sledgehammer Games has unveiled the full patch notes for the new season. There are plenty of map adjustments in addition to bug fixes improving the experience for all dropping into the action.

Vanguard Season 5 patch notes

Maps

  • NEW: Beheaded
    • Navigate a war-torn Times Square in this post-apocalyptic small map, built for fast action. Look for the Beheaded 24/7 Featured Playlist at the launch of Season Five.
  • Berlin
    • Debris pile in the Destroyed Room no longer allows players to obstruct view of their Operator.
    • Enemy nameplates are no longer visible through walls in the Office.
    • Players can no longer reach an unintended vantage point in the Destroyed Room.
    • Players can no longer capture the Office Hardpoint from an unintended location.
  • Castle
    • Addressed an exploit that allowed players to reach unintended locations beneath the playable area.
  • Decoy
    • Field Upgrades will no longer fall through geometry when placed in the Exhaust Monitor or Switch Station.
    • Players can no longer reach unintended vantage points near the East Courtyard.
    • Mantling a wooden crate in the Barracks Yard will no longer kill the player.
    • Adjusted spawn location near the Administration Road to prevent players from spawning out of bounds.
  • Desolation
    • Players can no longer reach unintended vantage points near the Central Ruins Overlook and Temple Ruins.
    • Players can no longer capture the Comms Towers Hardpoint from unintended locations.
    • Improved Guard Dog Killstreak AI pathing near the Village Creek.

Progression

  • NEW: Season Five Seasonal Challenges
    • Earn cosmetic rewards upon completing each of the twenty Season 5 Mastery challenges.
  • NEW: Season Five Clan Challenge
    • Earn cosmetic rewards upon completing each of the four stages of the Season Five Clan Challenge.
      • Get 500 ADS Kills
  • Addressed an issue that caused players to lose access to previously unlocked items.

Ranked Play

  • Season Five Skill Rating Reset
    • Players' Skill Ratings have been reset at the start of Season Five.
    • Play 5 Skill Evaluation Matches to earn a Season Five Skill Rating and get placed into a Skill Division & Tier.
    • Win matches after your initial placement to earn SR and advance your Skill Division & Tier over the remainder of the Season.
  • Season Five Top 250 Skill Division & Leaderboard
    • The Season Five Top 250 Skill Division and Ladder will go live on August 31st, one full week after Season Five starts. This release time will allow players time to earn a Season Five Skill Rating and advance through divisions.
  • Season Five Ranked Play Rewards
    • Players can earn the following rewards in Ranked Play during Season Five:
      • Blueprints
        • Pro Reissue SMG Automaton - Finish Top 5 in a Ladder Event
        • Midnight's Edge (Combat Knife) - Win 50 Ranked Play Matches
      • Camos
        • Season Five Ladder Champion - Finish 1st in a Ladder Event
        • Season Five Ranked Veteran - Win 100 Ranked Play Matches
      • Charms
        • Locked Down - Finish Top 10 in a Ladder Event
        • GOAT - Win 25 Ranked Play Matches
      • Spray
        • Chalked - Win 5 Ranked Play Matches
      • Sticker
        • Season Five Ranked Competitor - Complete 5 Skill Evaluation Matches
      • Emblems
        • Earn an Animated Skill Division Emblem at the end of Season Five to reflect your highest Season Five Skill Division

Operators

  • NEW: Raul Menendez (Tyrants)
    • Raul Menendez was born in Nicaragua, where his childhood was clouded by the brutal revolution of US-backed Contras. His father founded the Menendez Cartel and was assassinated by the CIA at the height of his power, leaving Raul in charge. But it was the death of his sister Josephina that focused his rage, driving him to become a hostile political activist. His charisma and ruthlessness propelled him to leadership of the social movement turned terrorist organization Cordis Die.
    • Unlocked via purchase of the Season Five Battle Pass or related Bundle.
  • NEW: Khaled Al-Asad (Tyrants)
    • Khaled Al-Asad grew up in Urzikstan amid political strife. He was drawn to the words of Omar Sulaman, and joined the Al-Qatala terrorist group. He was imprisoned, but escaped after Sulaman’s death to take control of Al-Qatala. His leadership transformed the militants into an army, as he acquired an arsenal for the invasion of Verdansk. Committed to the demise of Western power, Al-Asad launched gas attacks in Verdansk, breaking a fragile armistice between nations.
    • Unlocked via digital pre-order of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II.
  • T-800 and T-100 (Terminators)
    • Reduced Mastery Challenge requirements from both Operators to just one.

Weapons

  • General
    • Corrected various mismatched Magazine Attachment names and capacities.
    • Added missing inspection sound effects for Sniper Rifles, Pistols, and Melee Weapons.
    • Addressed an issue where players could not raise their Weapon after climbing a ladder.
    • Improved performance of the Gunsmith UI on legacy hardware.
  • NEW: EX1 (Assault Rifle)
    • A prototype energy rifle effective at long range and highly customizable.
    • Base Weapon unlocked at Tier 15 of the Season Five Battle Pass
  • NEW: RA 225 (Submachine Gun)
    • This SMG has a high fire rate and a very mobile compact frame.
    • Base Weapon unlocked at Tier 31 of the Season Five Battle Pass
  • NEW: Valois Revolver (Pistol)
    • A combination knife and revolver that acts as both a lethal melee weapon and a pistol.
    • Base Weapon unlocked via Weapon Unlock Challenge.
      • Get 15 Melee Kills
  • KG M40 (Assault Rifle)
    • Mk. 3 Reflector Optic Attachment will no longer be invisible when equipped.
  • Marco 5 (Submachine Gun)
    • Added Weapon Unlock Challenge.
      • Get 15 Hipfire Kills
  • UGM-8 (Light Machine Gun)
    • Added Weapon Unlock Challenge.
      • Get 15 Bullet Penetration Kills
  • M1916 (Marksman Rifle)
    • Removed duplicate Mk. 8 Reflector Optic Attachment.

Perks

  • Engineer (Intel)
    • Friendly Attack Dog and Guard Dog Killstreaks are no longer highlighted in red.

Killstreaks

  • Flamenaut (9 Kills)
    • Addressed an issue that resulted in DEV ERROR 5573 upon use.

Bundles & Cosmetics

  • Players that have purchased both Terminator Bundles will begin to receive the following additional rewards starting in early September. Please note that some Players may receive their items later than others.
    • Target Acquired Legendary Whitley Blueprint
    • Endoskeleton Skull Legendary Weapon Charm
  • Metal Etched Blueprint for the 1911 Pistol will no longer grant an invalid Muzzle Attachment.

ZOMBIES

Maps

  • "The Archon"
    • Available starting August 24th at 9 AM PT / 12 AM ET / 5 PM BST.

Main Quest

  • New Main Quest and Boss Fight available in "The Archon."

New Intel

  • New Dark Aether narrative intel available to discover in "The Archon."

Wonder Weapons

  • Decimator Shield
    • Reduced cooldown on the Decimator Blast ability from 60 to 30 seconds.
    • Increased Decimator Blast damage against Sturmkriegers and Zaballa the Deceiver.

Weapons

  • Season Five
    • EX1 energy rifle and RA 225 SMG available in Zombies loadouts once unlocked via the Season Five Battle Pass.
  • Unlock Challenges
    • New Weapon Unlock Challenges added to Zombies for the Marco 5 SMG and UGM-8 LMG.

Gameplay

  • Round Based
    • Altar of Covenants
      • Covenant selection now refreshes with each round at the Altar of Covenants instead of every three rounds.

Challenges

  • Season Five
    • 20 new Zombies Season Challenges available at the start of Season Five.
  • Season Four
    • Addressed an issue that prevented the "Broken Communications" challenge from tracking properly.

Vanguard Season 5 bug fixes

As expected there are a few bug fixes within the Season 5 update. Here are all the notable changes:

  • Corrected various mismatched Magazine Attachment names and capacities.
  • Added missing inspection sound effects for Sniper Rifles, Pistols, and Melee Weapons.
  • Addressed an issue where players could not raise their Weapon after climbing a ladder.
  • Improved performance of the Gunsmith UI on legacy hardware.
Image showing Menendez and Al-Asad in Call of Duty Vanguard
expand image
Credit: Activision

Vanguard Season 5 weapon balancing

One thing that rarely appears in a Vanguard update is a dose of weapon balancing. For four seasons, the MP40 and Automaton have dominated the meta and continue to do so heading into the final season.

Can the arrival of new weapons shake things up resulting in some much-needed buffs and nerfs?

Is Vanguard Season 5 worth playing?

Although Vanguard continues to receive a mixed reception from the community, the start of a brand-new season is always exciting. With a new multiplayer map, new additions to the weapon arsenal, and an all-new zombies map for players, Season 5 will contain plenty of new content for all sections of the community.

With the Modern Warfare 2 beta on the horizon, it wouldn't be surprising to see numbers dwindle near the halfway point of the season but this happens with the end of any Call of Duty cycle. If you're a fan of Vanguard, it's definitely worth dropping into the action in Season 5.

That's all there is to know about the Vanguard Season 5 patch notes. Check back soon to find the full list of additions and changes. In the meantime, head to our Modern Warfare 2 page for the latest intel on Infinity Ward's upcoming release.