As the launch of the fifth season of Call of Duty: Warzone and Modern Warfare approaches, Infinity Ward has been slowly revealing more about what players can expect. After a round of teasers that confirmed earlier reports of the stadium opening and the arrival of trains, the developer has now given us a first look at a new faction joining the fray, and in the process confirmed the two new weapons coming in Season 5. Shadow Company is its name, and the group was formed to fill the power vacuum the collapse of Armistice created. This is a private military company that’s out for its own gains, even if it’s ostensibly aligned with the Allegiance faction. The new Shadow Company has the same logo as the one from Modern Warfare 2. This likely doesn’t mean much, as Modern Warfare has repurposed and reintroduced plenty of series characters and concepts already. Realistically, the arrival of a new faction also doesn’t have any gameplay implications. Though it does move Warzone’s flimsy story forward, in gameplay terms this amounts to a new set of operators (three), which could have just as easily fit into either of the two existing factions. The real news, of course, is confirmation of the two new weapons coming to both Modern Warfare and Warzone. Though the developer has yet to officially confirm them, they do show up in the trailer and promo images for Shadow Company.
The first is the AN-94 assault rifle, a Russian-made weapon among several considered as a replacement for the AK-47. This will likely fire 7.62mm rounds in the game, joining the AK-47 and last season’s CR-56 AMAX. Then there’s the B&T APC9 (SMG-9), whose existence was leaked months ago when dataminers dug up its 3D model and sounds shortly after launch. The APC9 will likely fire 9mm rounds as standard, but given that it could also be chambered with .45 ACP in the real world, we may see a conversion kit of some description in the final game. It’s worth keeping in mind that though the two weapons can clearly be seen in official material, their names may end up being different, as we’ve seen with other weapons in the past. The assumption is that the two new weapons will be part of the Season 5 Battle Pass, whose 100 tiers will be revealed closer to launch. Season 5 kicks off Wednesday, August 5, so expect more news in the beginning of next week. If you’re looking to finish any remaining Season 4 tiers or ribbon challenges, there’s a double everything promo this weekend. Shipment 24/7 is also returning for the weekend.
