Call of Duty: Warzone may be gearing up to introduce a Casual playlist for Black Ops Royale, as developers begin testing bots in select regions to see how they impact the overall player experience.
The regional test was confirmed by Activision, which revealed that bots may start appearing in some Warzone Black Ops Royale matches across two regions beginning next week. While the rollout is limited for now, it suggests the devs could be laying the groundwork for a more relaxed, Casual-style experience in the Blackout-inspired mode.
Black Ops Royale Casual seen as possibility as bots set to be introduced
In an update on March 12, Activision explained that the new test builds on lessons learned from earlier Casual mode experiments in Battle Royale and Resurgence. According to the devs, those earlier modes helped the team better understand how different types of players interact with Warzone’s large-scale matches and what changes could make the experience more accessible.
With Black Ops Royale arriving in Warzone Season 2 Reloaded, the developers now want to apply those insights through a new matchmaking test. As part of the experiment, bots may appear in certain matches, but only in the Europe and Middle East regions for the time being.
“We will, as always, gauge success based on player data and player feedback,” Activision assured.
Activision also confirmed that the global Battle Royale Casual playlist will be temporarily disabled while the trial runs. “We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause near term. We simply are striving to always put forward the best gameplay experience possible,” the devs said.
Although Activision hasn’t officially confirmed a dedicated Casual playlist for Black Ops Royale, the introduction of bots is often tied to Casual-style modes in Warzone. Because of that, many players believe this test could be the first step toward a wider rollout depending on how the test performs.
Content creators and CoD fans react to addition of bots in Black Ops Royale
Several prominent content creators already expressed concern about the idea of bots entering Black Ops Royale, including TimTheTatman, Swagg, Xclusive Ace, and more.
Many players echoed the creators’ sentiment, saying bots could dilute the competitive integrity of Black Ops Royale. Others, however, believe bots could make the mode more approachable for newer players or those who just want to enjoy, especially if they’re restricted to a dedicated Casual playlist.
Personally, I’m not against the addition of bots as long as it is for a dedicated Black Ops Royale Casual playlist. Not everyone jumping into Warzone is looking for ultra-competitive matches every session. For those who still enjoy FPS games but want a slightly more relaxed pace, a Casual mode could make Black Ops Royale more inviting. It could also serve as warm-up before queueing into lobbies filled with real players.
For now, the test will be limited to Europe and the Middle East, and its future will likely depend on the data and community feedback collected during the trial. If the results are positive, a Black Ops Royale Casual playlist could eventually be added to Warzone.
