Call of Duty: Warzone is rolling out Iron Gauntlet, a new competitive mode described by Raven Software as “an evolution of Iron Trials,” which first hit in 2021.
Starting with a beta launch, Iron Gauntlet sets itself apart from the usual Battle Royale by putting the spotlight on survival and raw combat skill. This mode features scarce resources, faster circle collapses, slower time-to-kill (TTK), and revamped loot to make every encounter intense. If you’re a veteran who wants to relive the Iron Trials hype or a newcomer eager to dive in, here’s everything you need to know about Iron Gauntlet in Warzone.
Table of contents
Warzone Iron Gauntlet release date and time
Iron Gauntlet releases in beta on Thursday, March 5, at 12pm CT / 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm GMT, with the first event window ending on Monday, March 9, at the same time. Do note that during this period, Ranked Play Resurgence will be temporarily disabled.
Iron Gauntlet mode overview
- Map: Verdansk
- Squad size: Duos
- Player count: 150
- Win condition: Last squad standing
- Respawn mechanic: Gulag
- Match duration: Around 20 minutes
Iron Gauntlet is built specifically for duos to crank up the tension, and build trust between you and your teammate. Winning depends heavily on how you communicate and coordinate your actions.
Iron Gauntlet ruleset and gameplay adjustments explained
Player health and TTK
- Base health: Increased to 300, up from 150
- Health regeneration delay: Increased to 8 seconds, up from 6
- Health regeneration rate: Reduced to 40 per second, down from 50
- Default perk: Mountaineer
These adjustments are made to extend survivability and TTK, giving you more room to think about how you position and engage enemies instead of just rushing in. Having the Mountaineer perk by default plays a big role in that. It lets you climb ladders faster, reduces fall damage, and grants a Combat Roll when you drop from high ground. With those effects, you can be more creative and more confident in how you approach vertical gunfights.
Loadouts and restrictions
- Free Loadout Drops have been disabled
- Loadouts are only available via Loadout Drop Marker at Buy Stations, which costs $20,000
- Ranked Play restrictions applied with additional limitations
With free loadouts removed and the price of loadout drop marker cost doubled in Duos setting, you probably won’t be rocking the usual meta loadouts every match. Instead, you’ll need to make the most of whatever weapons and resources you find while looting. It shifts the focus from chasing the perfect build to adapting on the fly and playing smart with what you’ve got.
Meanwhile, here are the restricted weapons and items to maintain competitive balance:
| Category | Restricted |
|---|---|
| Weapons | Shotguns Launchers |
| Attachments | Underbarrel launchers Explosive launchers Dragon’s Breath ammunition |
| Perks | Tracker Alert |
| Lethal Equipment | Point Turret Claymore Proximity Mine |
| Tactical Equipment | Pinpoint Grenade |
| Loot Items | Lootable perks Specialist Napalm Strike |
| Vehicles | All except for ATVs and Dirt Bikes |
The biggest change here is the removal of lootable perks. In standard or casual modes, you can pick up perks around the map and almost end up with a full Specialist setup. In Iron Gauntlet, though, that’s not the case. You’ll need to be more careful with the perks you choose in your loadout, and coordinate with your duo so you’re not doubling up on the same ones.
Loot, economy, and buy stations
- Ground loot primarily features Black Ops 7 weapons
- Grappling Hooks have been added to loot
- Common weapon attachments include extended magazines
- Most weapons spawn with iron sights
- Epic and Legendary weapon drops reduced by ~30 percent
- Large cash piles are rarer
- Killstreak drop rate significantly lowered
- Perks removed from loot entirely
- Prices at buy stations increased between 30-50 percent across most items
- Self-Revives have been removed
- Gas Masks are only available via Buy Stations
The devs tweaked loot and buy station prices to push players toward scavenging and completing contracts instead of just stacking cash and buying everything outright. They’ve also adjusted drop rates, so gunplay takes priority over relying on equipment. That means more scrappy engagements in the early game where positioning and aim matter most. Then, as the match goes on, those who play smart and survive longer can start building stronger setups.
Gas circle collapses
- The gas circle collapses approximately 12 percent faster
This adjustment cuts about two minutes off each match, and forces engagements to happen much earlier across the map. Combined with the loadout and loot changes, this means you will often jump into combat before you get a chance to grab your weapon loadout. You’ll need to make early fights count with whatever you loot, and proceed to build an arsenal that can help you close out the match.
Activision says they’ll be listening to player feedback on everything from the mode’s pacing and in-game economy to survivability and more, using it to fine-tune Iron Gauntlet and figure out how it fits into the competitive setting. If Raven Software nails it, we might even see Iron Gauntlet and Resurgence rotating as Ranked Play modes in Warzone.
