Games keep looking better and better, and Call of Duty: Vanguard is no exception to the rule. The latest addition to the Call of Duty series is gorgeous, both in looks and in function. So what kinda tech is lurking underneath the hood? Does Vanguard use the same engine as Modern Warfare 2019, or did the developers opt for something a little different?
Does Call of Duty: Vanguard use same engine as Modern Warfare 2019?
Call of Duty: Vanguard is powered by the same engine used in Modern Warfare 2019. In fact, Vanguard, Warzone, and Modern Warfare 2019 all run on the engine — IW engine version 8.0.
If you’re a longtime series follower, this detail might have been a little obvious. After all, Activision has doing a lot of work to unify the Call of Duty experience. There are already loads of crossovers with Warzone, including tie-ins with Black Ops Cold War. However, Cold War doesn’t use the IW 8.0 engine; instead, it uses a modified version of the Black Ops 3 engine.
Of course, that’s not to say that the Vanguard engine will be exactly the same as in Modern Warfare. The developers have had plenty of time to tweak the formula, and there’s almost certainly going to be improvements. Press material says Vanguard’s engine has been optimized for proper photo-realistic visuals, namely, but other specific enhancements aren’t mentioned.
Still, this is how the process works. IW 8.0 is an evolution of 7.0, with new lighting, physics, and ray tracing support. Likewise, 7.0 was an evolution of 6.0, with improved AI and NPC behaviors. They’re all the same engine, just improved over time. And it just so happens that the last major revision coincided with the launch of Modern Warfare in 2019.
Yes, Call of Duty: Vanguard is running on IW 8.0, the same engine as Modern Warfare 2019. Some improvements have been made, but it’s still the Infinity Ward engine.
