“I never want to be in a forest again” CoD Pro Jukeyz on why Warzone 2.0 Al Mazrah is a step above Caldera

Al Mazrah is the shining jewel at the center of the Warzone 2.0 launch, a massive map filled with distinct points of interest and new geographic features that mix things up in a major way. So far, we’re loving it, but what does one of the best players in the genre think?

To find out, we spoke to Redbull’s Jukeyz ahead of Warzone 2.0’s public release to get his thoughts. Having played the map long before much of the public, they came to an early and informed conclusion to the map. His conclusion is that he is good, and his kind of map.

“I don’t want to be in a forest ever again. I like buildings and windows that you can jump out of, stairs, buildings that you can climb all the way to the top,” says Jukeyz. There has been a drastic change in the environment with Warzone 2.0 as the series moves away from the jungles and dangerous wilderness of Caldera. Instead of presenting these vast, wildlife-covered landscapes that often led to surprise gunfights, Al Mazrah presents a vast urban sprawl within its borders.

Those are still those places where fights can happen in the open, of course, but it’s much less of a burden for players like Jukeyz, who like to run and gun charges at close range. If the map could be compared to any previous landscape Warzone has taken us to, it’s Verdansk, a map that’s been sorely missed by players ever since the games pushed it back in time.

“When Warzone first came out, we had no idea what to expect. Initially there were too many high-rise buildings, things like that. Then, when Caldera came out, we would have done anything to come back.” He would go on to claim that it’s this stark difference to Caldera, a map he believes turned many players away from Warzone, that has resulted in a wave of enthusiasm around the new release.

Then there are the new features with Warzone 2. One of the weaker additions to Caldera was the water game (no, not that). Back then, crouching through streams hid you from UAVs and the like, which you were meant to play in this map-bound stalking game. It didn’t really work out like that, however, Al Mazrah is going all out with more complicated underwater movement and combat.

For Jukeyz, this is a great opportunity for both fun players and to outplay opponents, bringing them back to OG Blackout mode. Whereas back then, any weapon would work, now it’s just pistols, so players will have to play smart or get killed from the edge. This, in addition to the improved vehicle mechanics, leads Jukeyz to believe that Al Mazrah is ready for “out of the box plays”, something Caldera has lacked for the past year.

“In Caldera, there was one building all the way, and another building in the other direction, and just one rock and one tent. I’m like, what can I do here? But I would try and finesse, right? I would rush into a tent to try to throw people off, but I would get shot when Combat Scout was all the rage. So a squad of guys carrying LMGs would blow me through this store. It was horrible. With Combat Scout up and running and having more buildings… I’m so sure how I’ll perform.”

However, there is one aspect of the map that has caused the Jukeyz to physically back up when asked. Strengths. AI-packed PVE buildings that players will need to break and clear to ensure an early loadout. “AI! It’s the AI. Reminds me of Caldera and getting shot in the back. It’s going to piss me off. I’ll turn around, smoke them, and start yelling at an AI.” Resigned to his fate of having to do facing these computer controlled enemies for the foreseeable future, he finished the interview excited for the full release and what it has in store.

And we pretty much agree with him. It’s only been a day, and we’re sure some silly thing is going to knock our teeth out in the next few weeks, but for now we’re having a lot of fun playing Al Mazrah and experimenting with what’s out there. Let us know what you think below!

For more Warzone 2.0 content, check out our best meta gear page and tier list, as well as our breakdown of the Modern Warfare 2/MW2 patch notes.