Call of Duty: Warzone Season 3 is here and Activision has dropped a hefty slate of patch notes outlining all the changes we can expect in the battle royale’s next season of content.

Coming in Warzone Season 3 is the return of a fan-favorite game mode, a couple of new Caldera locations, two new weapons, and an additional operator. There’s no sign of Godzilla or King Kong yet, but it won’t be long before the megafauna begin stomping about the place.

Scroll down to read the patch notes in full, or read about the highlights right here.

Caldera Iron Trials returns as a bonus game mode. Pitched as a more brutal experience, it reduces the rate of health regeneration, makes legendary weapons harder to find, and doesn’t include any free loadout drops. Plus, buy station prices are increased, although you’ll keep your cash after dying.

There are a couple of new areas on Caldera to explore. The Dig Site is an abandoned excavation zone littered with the ancient remains of massive gorilla-esque and lizard-like monsters. The Peak, Runway, and Lagoon areas have also been updated with new buildings, hangers, and pathways, so they’ll look a little different from what you’re used to.

The Gulag has changed, too. When you kick the bucket, you’ll now be transported to the interior of a ship moored just off the coast of the island.

A nerf to snipers

Two new weapons have been introduced: the M1916 semi-auto rifle and the Nikita AVT assault rifle. A bunch of handling tweaks have also been made to several existing weapons, while sniper rifles have been nerfed. Several snipers will now only one-shot players when fired up to a maximum of 90 meters from their target, and several won’t do so at all.

“The long-standing ‘one-shot rule’ [has] unfortunately diluted the Sniper class into one important metric, speed to click heads,” the patch notes read.

“Snipers may now use damage ranges as a defining characteristic of their one-shot potential. This not only brings more identity to each weapon but means attachments that provide the lighter and quicker sniper rifles the Damage Range stat will increase their ability to one-shot at increased distances.”

A new Operator – Mateo Hernandez – has been introduced, too. He’s available instantly to anyone who purchases the Warzone Season 3 battle pass

On top of that, there are a bunch of new gameplay features to dig into, including a bunch of new contracts, quality-of-life adjustments to deployable gadgets, and some tweaks to the loot that spawns across Caldera. Buy Stations will also no longer ask you to confirm your purchase, which should make buying weapons while the bullets are flying a little smoother.

Finally, Operation Monarch is a limited-time event that will feature Godzilla and King Kong. The monster bash will feature a new Quads game mode and go live May 11 9am PT / 12pm ET / 5pm GMT, which is 2am AEST on May 12.

Read on for the full patch notes, or check out how Activision’s new anti-cheat software is targeting hackers by trolling them .

New Event: Operation Monarch

Operation Monarch, a special limited-time event featuring the iconic Titans of the Monsterverse - Godzilla and Kong, will introduce a new game mode for Quads inspired by several of Warzone’s best experiences to date.

Operation Monarch will go live at 9 AM PT May 11. More information to come soon.

New Mode: Caldera Iron Trials

The fan-favorite mode, Iron Trials, is back. This time on Caldera. Here’s a recap of the Iron Trials experience:

Plunder Adjustments

Players had a hard limit in Plunder of carrying a maximum of $1.6 million. Whilst this is an extremely unlikely scenario, we wanted to make the system more robust for the minority of Players that achieve such a feat.

Rebirth Resurgence Adjustments

New Gulag: Hold

A roughly symmetrical arena is based in the belly of a ship moored just off the coast of Caldera, with identical hallways on the perimeter of an otherwise open space.

New Location: Dig Site

Located between the Mine and the Ruins, Dig Site provides Operators the opportunity to rummage through abandoned excavation equipment, tents, and massive skeletons for Supply Boxes and other items.

New Skybox

A dark storm approaches...

Updated Locations

Peak

New Constructs, Supply Boxes, Contracts, ascenders, and a fresh coat of paint.

Runway

New barracks, hangars, and other structural additions.

Lagoon

New sandbar, paths, and cover.

New Features

With Season One, we introduced Public Events, like Cash Drops, during Infil to draw Players towards new loot locations. We have been happy with the results of these ‘honeypot’ opportunities but we want to take it a step further. Starting with Operation Monarch, we will be introducing “High Value Loot Zones” to provide new, fruitful opportunities for Players willing to take the risk.

General Adjustments

The Gas Mask remains a continued focus for our Quality of Life efforts. It plays an important role both in gameplay and the visceral Call of Duty feeling, but we felt that we had seen one too many videos of Players jumping from high heights into the Gas and the game incorrectly prioritizing the Gas Mask animation over the parachute… and we all know how that scenario ends.

We reviewed the data for the Most Wanted Contract and we felt that improvements needed to be made to increase its engagement and success rate, whilst still retaining the all important risk/reward that it offers.

Caldera Adjustments

Loot that spawns across Caldera have been adjusted...

We want to further increase the value and rewards of looting during the mid-game. It’s important for both pacing and movement in Battle Royale that there are always new rewards to be found for Players who rotate through locations for greater loot advantages, and our first step on this path is to bring single Perks into loot. From our internal testing, this change has brought a wealth of new Player stories and we will continue to roll out additional Perks in this manner as we review player feedback and data on how it improves the pacing and experience of Battle Royale. These lootable perks will launch first in Caldera, and then to Rebirth Island at a later date.

Rebirth Island Adjustments

Whilst Spawn Protection plays an important role in any multi-life game mode, we felt it needed some extra refinement to make sure it cannot be exploited by Players. We will continue to monitor Player behavior in this area and make further changes throughout the season if required.

Later this season…

The confirmation box when making a Buy Station purchase had good intentions, but we felt that the muscle memory had become so ingrained in Players to double-tap twice in succession. This was causing unnecessary friction in a potentially hostile combat situation, versus the unlikelihood of mistakes being made. We plan to make additional refinements to the Buy Station experience during the Season.

For a list of other known #Warzone issues, please check out our dedicated Trello Board .

New Unlock Challenge Missions

Weapon Adjustments

» Assault Rifles «

» Handguns «

Handgun Charlie (BOCW) has been a truly dominant Secondary Weapon. Due to its substantial headshot multiplier, Handgun Charlie (VG) was able to achieve Primary Weapon TTKs with little downside. We will be closely monitoring the Weapon’s performance and make further adjustments if necessary.

» Light Machine Guns «

Light Machine Gun Charlie (VG) has overstayed its welcome as the go-to long range choice. Its high damage profile paired with the ability to load it out to remove most recoil made for a nasty combination. By addressing some of the major outliers of the weapon, we’re left with a strong choice for those that can control it effectively.

» Sniper Rifles « The adoption of 150 health in Battle Royale resulted in a huge boon to the Sniper category - While all other weapons require an additional shot or two, Snipers remained as they did previously. The long-standing “one shot rule” unfortunately diluted the Sniper class into one important metric, speed to click heads.

As mentioned above Snipers may now use damage ranges as a defining characteristic of their one-shot potential. This not only brings more identity to each weapon but means Attachments that provide the lighter and quicker sniper rifles the Damage Range stat will increase their ability to one shot at increased distances.

Our ultimate goal is to enable a wider range of viable playstyles and really push the potential of each weapon. Keep an eye out as we expect further adjustments to Sniper Rifles as we hone in on the best all-round experience.

The following Weapons will one-shot to the head only while inside of their Max Damage Range:

The following Weapons will one-shot to the head at any Range:

The following Weapons do not have one-shot potential to the head:

Please see below for the full list of changes to Snipers, and keep in mind that attachments that provide Range Bonuses can drastically change the Base Weapons Max Range:

» Submachine Guns «

The VDD 189mm short barrel has been a huge boon for the Submachine Gun Charlie (VG) and would often shred the target's Upper Body far outside of its maximum damage range. The VDD still provides a large bonus against extremities and still increases both the min damage and optimal damage range of the MP40. We expect continued use of this attachment, even with these adjustments.

» Marksman Rifles «

» Ammunition «

» Muzzles «

New Operator: Mateo Hernandez

Purchasing the Battle Pass instantly unlocks Mateo Hernandez with two Legendary Operator Skins: the all-black “Chingon” outfit featuring a hooded skull mask and knee-length coat, and the blue and orange “Madcap” Skin for the eccentric fighter rushing madly toward victor

Equip his Favorite Weapon, the new M1916, and level him up to unlock thousands of Player XP and Weapon XP for the M1916, two additional Operator Skins, two Quips, the “No Escape” Finishing Move, and more.

The Season Three update will have a download size of approximately 40 GB for those who own the free-to-play console version of Warzone and are currently on the latest updates.

Note: PC users will also need 13 GB of additional space on their hard drive for the patch copying process; this is only temporary space that is reclaimed upon completion of the patch installation and is not an additional download.

Remember, the Vanguard download is not necessary if you are only playing Warzone, and vice versa.

Furthermore, for a smaller overall file size, Players can choose to uninstall/remove other data packs if they are no longer needed.

What is live chat support and why do you need it for your website?

Live chat software services first emerged in the early 2000s, but struggled to gain traction at first, as customers were more comfortable speaking to a representative directly.

However, the technology has developed rapidly since then and many businesses have adopted this form of communication in an effort to achieve 24/7 customer support with faster response times.

The years of waiting on hold for hours to be connected to a customer service team should now be firmly behind us.

What is live chat?

Live chat gives customers a way to reach you at the exact moment that they have questions or problems they can't solve. This SMS-like service is generally preferred over sending emails to a specific support team, as there’s no telling when you will get a response to your query.

Live chat support is a way for customers to have real-time, back-and-forth conversations with support agents that are equipped with the information you need to solve issues you have with a service.

According to Techjury , 75% of people prefer live chat over any other channel and 63% of millennials prefer to have their basic customer support queries answered by live chat.

For web hosting and website builder services, as an example, we use live chat support regularly to find out if the hosting service offers features not mentioned on their website. And we usually get a reply within minutes.

Why you need live chat support for your website

If you have a website that offers any type of service and you have already tried a help desk software solution, embedding live chat software will help get your customers the answers they need, quickly.

Live chat does not replace human customer service support teams, but rather helps assist them as your business begins to grow and the demand for your services increases.

Some of the best live chat support services take down the customers name and email address, should there be a disconnect in the chat. As a result, your customer support team is able to send follow ups via email, which could lead to a sale if needs are met.

Live chat support also increases your website conversion rates. According to Econsultancy , 73% of customers were satisfied with their live chat experience, surpassing all other channels, including email and phone. In short, using a live chat support software helps you quickly answer your potential customers' questions and convert them into paying customers.

Setting up a live chat function may sound like a time-consuming process, but with the software currently on the market, it’s a lot quicker than you think.

How to set up a live chat feature on your website

Each live chat software comes with its own set of instructions for you to follow. Some only require you to copy and paste one line of code into your website backend.

Others take the form of WordPress plugins that let you manage your chats right inside your WordPress website admin dashboard, which eradicates the need to log into another software tool.

Live chat software solution LiveAgent , for example, simply asks you for your full name, email address and company name to generate a live chat solution for you. Once you are in, you are presented with options to add users, connect to an email account, upload your company logo, add a chat button, and more.

Artificial intelligence lets your live chat support team work with chatbot services that can help guide your customers to the most appropriate solution to their queries. These chatbots collect information from customers or ask customers questions to help see the bigger picture and provide appropriate answers.

Using a chatbot can be useful when there’s nobody available on the customer support team to help with a customers’ question.

Most live chat software solutions have five simple steps for you to follow to set up live chat on your website, which includes creating an account, configuring your live support chat, customizing it to make sure it is unique to your business, adding the HTML to your website, and finally, logging and handling incoming chats.

Boost your business with live chat

If you have danced around the idea of getting live chat support embedded into your website, the aforementioned benefits should help you come to a conclusion much faster.

Some of the best live chat support software solutions even offer free plans or 30-day free trials for you to test it out on your website and see whether it’s something you truly need.

In order to not get snowed under with customer queries that can’t be answers by a simple FAQ page on your website, live chat support is there for you to show your customers that you are willing to go the extra mile to make sure they are getting the help they need, which helps with customer satisfaction overall.

If your business has a smaller team, live chat support could also help you deliver great quality customer service without causing too much strain on your business, which will, in turn, improve business productivity and boost sales.

Some live chat solutions even offer video functions that enable your support team to offer a face to face service online, for higher satisfaction rates across your business channel.

Invincible star gives big update on season 2 development

Invincible star Steven Yeun has revealed he's started recording lines for the animated show's highly anticipated second season.

In the most significant Invincible season 2 development yet, Yeun – who portrays Mark Grayson/Invincible in the R-rated superhero  TV series – has confirmed he's back in the recording booth to conduct work on the Prime Video show .

In a 20-second long video posted on the official Invincible Twitter account, Yeun can be seen and heard saying "Can't wait to make more..." before the footage cuts to the show's iconic title card and musical accompaniment. There's a brief but amusing clip after that involving Yeun, but we won't spoil it for you before you watch the video.

So, what are you waiting for? Check it out below:

The rest of the video doesn't tease us about which of Yeun's lines were being recorded, nor does it provide us with any evidence of a potential season 2 release date. However, the footage officially confirms that Yeun will be spending the next few weeks and months recording his lines for Invincible's next instalment, which is exciting in itself.

At the time of writing, it's nearly been 12 months since Invincible's season 1 finale aired – the brutal, gruesome showdown between Mark and his dad Nolan Grayson, aka Omni-Man, landed on Prime Video on April 29, 2021.

Since that time, fans have been eagerly awaiting the animated series' next two instalments. Seasons 2 and 3 were greenlit by Amazon Studios on the same day that the first season's final episode was released , but the wait for season 2's arrival is likely to continue for a while yet.

Still, it's pleasing to see that Yeun is finally recording dialogue for Invincible season 2. In January 2022, the former Walking Dead star confirmed that he hadn't started work on season 2 yet, so we're glad he's finally doing so now. Hopefully, the rest of the cast won't be too far behind if they haven't returned to record their own season 2 lines already.

Understandably, Amazon Studios hasn't confirmed a release date for Invincible's next outing yet. But, if you're after more Invincible-based content while we wait, check out our thoughts on why the season 1 finale is the blueprint that seasons 2 and 3 should follow .

Analysis: when will Invincible season 2 be released?

That's hard to predict. In March 2022, showrunner Simon Racioppa exclusively told TechRadar that the crew was "working hard" on delivering Invincible season 2 as soon as possible. Given the sheer amount of work that goes into animated productions, though, we don't think it'll air on Prime Video for some time yet.

We're delighted to see Yeun back in the recording booth, and we're sure his return means that plenty of work has already been conducted on the pre-production side of things. However, there's still a fair chunk of the development cycle that needs to be completed after the voice cast have recorded their lines.

In traditional 2D animation pipelines, voice-over work can take place during the pre-production and/or full production phases. Regardless of which stage of the process Yeun is recording his lines at, though, there's bound to be a ton of work that still needs to be carried out before season 2 launches. Development steps include, among others, line testing, scene/sequence clean ups, compositing, addition of the show's musical score, editing, and final checks, so Invincible season 2 still has a way to go before it's ready to be released.

Our guess? Don't expect Invincible season 2 to premiere on Prime Video until early 2023. As long as the series' next batch of episodes are as good as (if not better) than what came before, we're more than happy to wait. And we suspect you, dear reader, will be as well.