Verdansk is back in Warzone, and while fans are excited to revisit their favorite locations, few realize just how deeply the map was inspired by real history. From the airport battles to destroyed buildings and even specific mission details, Verdansk is more than just a fictional warzone—it mirrors the actual conflict between Russia and Ukraine starting in 2014.
What’s even more shocking is how accurately the game predicted future events. Long before the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Call Of Duty’s storytelling had already laid out nearly the same series of events in its campaign and Warzone intel drops. This isn’t just a coincidence. The entire storyline of Verdansk is a reflection of real-world history, from the 2014 Donetsk battles to the downing of flight MH17 and the capture of key airports.
Let’s break down the real history behind Verdansk—and how Call of Duty may have predicted a war that is still happening today.
The fall of Barkov sparked a fictional power vacuum
Verdansk’s story kicks off in *Modern Warfare 2019. Roman Barkov’s chemical plant is destroyed, and he is killed by Farah. This sets up a power vacuum in the region. In-game, we’re told that Victor Zakhaev, son of the original Call of Duty villain Imran Zakhaev, is using terrorist forces to take control of Verdansk.
To stop him, Price and Laswell form Armistice, an international team designed to fight the spread of Al-Qatala and Zakhaev’s growing influence. This forms the core of Warzone’s first season of narrative content.
Verdansk is modeled after Donetsk, Ukraine
The map of Verdansk is based heavily on Donetsk, a city in eastern Ukraine at the heart of the real-world war that began in 2014. The most obvious comparison is the Donbas Arena, which Call of Duty recreated as Verdansk Stadium. Even the layout and open-roof design in-game match the real stadium that became a war-torn landmark.
The airport in Verdansk also mirrors the actual Donetsk airport, which was a major battleground during the first Russia-Ukraine conflict. After Russian-backed separatists took control of it, Ukrainian forces launched airborne attacks and paratrooper landings—which is exactly what happens in the backstory of Warzone’s first season.
It doesn’t stop there. Verdansk’s Superstore matches a real Ukrainian shopping center named Metro, down to the parking lot covers and building colors. Even downtown Verdansk looks identical to parts of Kyiv and Donetsk.
Learn more about Verdansk’s story from Inkslasher on YouTube.
The airport attack and flight crash mirror real events
One of Warzone’s first pieces of in-game intel involves an emergency broadcast from a news station (BCH4) warning citizens of Verdansk to evacuate. But they can’t—because the airport has been taken over.
This is nearly identical to the real-life timeline. On May 26, 2014, Russian paramilitary forces captured Donetsk International Airport, and Ukraine responded with airstrikes and troop drops. The airport was destroyed and never fully rebuilt.
Later in Warzone, players discover a crashed civilian aircraft near Verdansk. According to intel, the plane lost contact with the airport, descended to try to reestablish communication, and was shot down by a surface-to-air missile launched from a hostile military base.
This is almost exactly what happened on July 17, 2014, when Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine by pro-Russian separatists using a BUK missile system. The crash site was in Donetsk, the same area Verdansk is based on.
Call of Duty didn’t just borrow ideas—it recreated the scenario piece by piece.
The 2022 invasion of Ukraine started like Warzone predicted
In the game, the first major goal of the invasion is to seize the Verdansk airport to prevent escape and assert control. In real life, on February 24, 2022, Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine by attacking Antonov Airport, located just outside of Kyiv.
Again, the first target was the airport.
This level of accuracy is impossible to ignore. The writers of Call of Duty used events from the 2014 war as a blueprint for their story, but by doing so, they effectively predicted the structure and tactics of the 2022 invasion almost exactly.
Even TV stations and small locations are based on real places
The TV station in Verdansk, known as BCH4, is based on Russia’s Channel One (Rossiya-1), the state-run network that aired reports during the 2014 conflict. In Warzone, it’s the location of one of the first intel missions, where broadcasts warned citizens to evacuate.
Another surprising parallel is the Quarry. In real life, Ukraine is known for mining exports, especially in the eastern region, making the Quarry not just a filler location, but a reflection of the area’s real economy.
Downtown Verdansk also includes a capital building that looks nearly identical to Ukraine’s government building in Kyiv. The architecture, layout, and even statue placements were all clearly inspired by real infrastructure.
Activision acknowledged Verdansk’s real-world connection
In 2022, Activision released an in-game event titled “Treaty of Verdansk”, referencing peace efforts between the two nations. It was the clearest sign yet that the developers knew exactly what they were referencing.
While Call of Duty has always been fictional, the politics, military strategy, and locations of Verdansk are directly pulled from modern Eastern European conflict. And now, with the war still ongoing, the map feels more real than ever before.
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FAQ: Is Verdansk based on real places and events?
Is Verdansk a real city?
No, but it is heavily modeled after Donetsk, Ukraine.
Did Call of Duty predict the Ukraine war?
The game used the 2014 conflict as a model, which unintentionally lined up with events in 2022.
What is Verdansk Stadium based on?
The stadium is a nearby replica of the Donbas Arena in Donetsk.
What about the crashed plane in Verdansk?
It mirrors the real-life tragedy of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, which was also shot down in Donetsk.
Has Activision confirmed Verdansk is based in Ukraine?
Not directly, but references like the Treaty of Verdansk and real building parallels confirm the inspiration.
Verdansk is more than just nostalgia. It’s a digital recreation of real war zones, inspired by one of the most serious conflicts of our time. As the map returns to Warzone, players may look at it with fresh eyes—realizing that this battleground was never just make-believe.
