Beginner's Guide - Basics and Features - Call of Duty: Vanguard Guide - IGN (2024)

Call of Duty: Vanguard is a first-person shooter developed by Sledgehammer Games and published by Activision Blizzard. This Beginner's Guide provides a breakdown of all the features and modes included in the game, as well as an introduction to the game's story, providing everything you need to get started. Call of Duty: Vanguard released on November 5, 2021 for PC/Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

A Beginner's Guide to Call of Duty: Vanguard

Looking for something in particular about Call of Duty: Vanguard? Click the links below to jump to...

• Call of Duty: Vanguard's Story
• How Long Is Call of Duty: Vanguard?
• Call of Duty: Vanguard Gameplay
  • Members of the Vanguard Squad
• Call of Duty: Vanguard Combat
• Multiplayer Game Modes and Helpful Tips and Tricks
• Play Your Way with Combat Pacing
• All Operators in Call of Duty: Vanguard
• Zombies Game Modes
• Weapons, Perks, Tactical Equipment, Revamped Gunsmith, and More

Call of Duty: Vanguard's Story

In the Call of Duty: Vanguard campaign mode, players assume the role of the different members of Vanguard Squad at various points throughout World War II.

The team's secret mission is to discover the secret of "Project Phoenix," and to prevent it from being used by the Nazis.

• View our Complete Walkthrough Index and Guide Here

How Long Is Call of Duty: Vanguard?

The campaign of Call of Duty: Vanguard can take between 5 1/2 and 8 hours. It has a straightforward, linear story with no dialogue choices, branching storylines, collectibles, or pieces of intel to gather, and the nine missions are replayable via "chapter select" once you have completed them.

Call of Duty: Vanguard Gameplay

As a linear, first-person shooter, you will play from the perspective of various members of Vanguard squad, although only five of the six members of the team are playable, and some characters have multiple missions.

Use various weapons, grenades, and vehicles to kill opposing Nazi and Japanese soldiers.

Members of the Vanguard Squad

• Arthur Kingsley: Based on real-world soldier, Sidney Cornell, Arthur is the accomplished, inspiring leader of Vanguard. He carries the powerful Sten assault weapon and has the ability to call out select targets, which his team will focus their fire on. This can enable the team to suppress dangerous targets or even eliminate threats entirely.
• Richard Webb: The British soldier who has been with Arthur the longest, Webb is based on real-life figure Terence Otway.
• Polina Petrova: Polina is an expert sharpshooter from Stalingrad, Russia. Modeled after real-world sniper Lyudmila Pavlichenko, the most successful female sniper in recorded history with 309 confirmed kills. Polina's special ability allows her to climb up specific sections of wall and squeeze through narrow gaps, and she moves much faster when crouching and moving through tight spaces.
• Lucas Riggs: An Australian demolitions expert and member of The Rats of Tobruk, Lucas made a name for himself by being in the right place at the right time. His special ability allows him to hold up to four different types of explosives at once, meaning he always has the right "boom" to get the job done. He is based on real-world soldier Charles Upham.
• Wade Jackson: Wade is a blustery hot-shot pilot from the U.S. Air Force, although he can certainly hold his own on the ground. Based on real-world soldier Vernon L. Micheel, his special ability is "Focus," which allows him to quickly (and automatically) target enemies and take them out in rapid succession during its activation.

Call of Duty: Vanguard Combat

During Vanguard, you will pick up various different types weapons (from small sidearms to massive automatic weapons) and use them in conjunction with the character's specific abilities to reach your objectives and complete missions, which take place in a set order.

Hide behind cover and take advantage of turret emplacements, various types of lethal and non-lethal munitions (grenades, smoke bombs, etc.) and vehicles, and enjoy cinematic cutscenes and dramatic encounters, some of which include light stealth elements or sneaking sections.

Multiplayer Game Modes and Helpful Tips and Tricks

Call of Duty: Vanguard comes equipped with several of the game modes we've come to expect from the franchise and two new modes in the form of "Patrol" and "Champion Hill". Below you'll find a quick description of each game mode in Vanguard's multiplayer.

• Kill Confirmed: Kill enemies and collect their dogtags to score points. Collect your own team's dogtags to deny the other team points.
• Hardpoint: Control one point on the map. The point changes location multiple times throughout the match.
• Team Deathmatch: Kill more enemies than the opposing team to win.
• Domination: Control as many of the three zones as you can.
• Search and Destroy: Take turns defending and destroying an objective with no respawns.
• Free-For-All: Everyone is on their own, kill the most enemies to win.
• Patrol: Control a point that continually moves across the map to earn points. The team with the most points at the end of the match or the first team to earn 200 points wins.
• Champion Hill: Like gunfight, there is a 'buy' phase in between small-scale, bracket-style, elimination matches. This mode can be played in Duos or Trios and once your team's lives run out you are eliminated.

For even more information on the Multiplayer in Call of Duty: Vanguard, be sure to check out our helpful list of over 25 Beginner and Advanced Multiplayer Tips and Tricks. If you're looking for something a little more specific, consider checking out our Tips and Tricks for All Multiplayer Game Modes guide, as well as our Best Loadouts to Use in Call of Duty: Vanguard.

Play Your Way with Combat Pacing

Combat Pacing is an all-new filter that has been introduced to the Call of Duty franchise, which allows players more of a choice when it comes to building a multiplayer experience that's more geared towards their preferred style of play. So whether you're a fan of high action and chaotic battles or prefer something more epic in size and slower-paced, there's a combat pacing option for everyone.

For those curious, here's a short breakdown of Combat Pacing and how it works in Call of Duty: Vanguard.

• Tactical:Described as a lobby that veterans of the franchise will know all too well, Tactical Combat Pacing will be what most players are most familiar with as it will always feature a maximum 12 players, for a traditional 6 vs 6 games.
• Assault: Described as a balanced experience between Tactical and Blitz Combat Pacing, Assault will aim to give you enough room and time to navigate each map, all while still having a lot of targets to kill. Assault will also feature matches between 14 to 36 players (7 vs 7 to 18 vs 18), however, this is entirely dependant upon the size of the map.
• Blitz:If you're up for complete and utter chaos, Blitz may just be the Compact Pacing for you. In this category, you'll be constantly on the move, with players firing in every direction. To put it simply, Biltz Combat Pacing will test even the most experienced of players, so make sure you're well prepared before jumping in. Biltz will also feature matches between 16 to 48 players (8 vs 8 to 24 vs 24), however, as we mentioned before, this will depend on the map size.

All Operators in Call of Duty: Vanguard

Equip with 12 playable Operators at launch, Task Force One, codenamed Vanguard, was the very first Special Operations Task Force. With a background explained throughout the main story campaign, the leaders of Task Force One consist of the following members - Arthur Kingsly, Polina Petrova, Wade Jackson, and Lucas Riggs.

Each Operator will also have a ton of customizable features that range from their attire (or Skin), new comments for the Quip system, finishing move, infiltration pose, MVP pose, and more.

Be sure to check out our slideshow above for a quick glimpse at each character or check out our Operators guide to learn even more.

Zombies Game Modes

The dead rise again in this year's Zombies experience in Call of Duty: Vanguard, as players are welcomed to Der Anfang, which sees the Dark Aether story continue in the WWII setting. While a traditional Zombies storyline and Easter Egg won't be available at launch, the new Der Anfang mode experience from Treyarch will see you battling the otherworldly entity that's raising the fallen as you fight back against the undead army.

Der Anfang will also have you visiting new and old locales such as the undead enclave of Merville, as well as the classic swamps of Shi No Numa, and many more as you travel through the Aether Portal. Throughout each game, you'll need to complete objectives, upgrade your skills via Covenants, and survive the incoming horde of Zombies before exfiltrating Stalingrad alive.

To keep things as fresh as possible, Treyarch has designed this mode to be as unique as possible, as no two matches will be alike, thanks to its objective-based gameplay and randomized upgrades that are made available by the Altar of Covenants.

For even more on this year's Zombies game mode, be sure to check out our Zombies Tips and Tricks for more details.

How to Set Up Split-Screen in Call of Duty: Vanguard

So you're probably wondering, does Call of Duty: Vanguard have split-screen Multiplayer and Zombies? Well, you may just be in luck as Vanguard does feature split-screen but not in all modes - at least, not yet.

Much like previous games in the Call of Duty series, Vanguard does have split-screen on the multiplayer game mode, however, this feature is not currently available for Zombies. It is worth mentioning that split-screen is only available on PS5, PS4, Xbox S|X, or Xbox One.

In order to set up split-screen in Multiplayer, you'll need to first turn on your second controller and sign in to a separate account. If the second player does not have an account, logging in as a guest will work too.

Once you have signed in, have the leader of the lobby select a game mode and then proceed to start searching for a game. There you have it, once your game starts, you'll be all set up with splitscreen.

Is There Intel or Collectibles in Call of Duty: Vanguard?

Unlike many previous Call of Duty games, Intel (or other types of Collectibles) do not return for Vanguard, at least in the campaign mode. There IS intel that can be gathered in Zombies mode, so if you are a completionist, that’s the place to be.

Since you don’t need to hunt for collectibles, just relax and have fun shooting your way through the campaign!

My Vanguard Campaign Is Locked, What Do I Do?

If you booted up Call of Duty: Vanguard and there is a lock next to the Campaign mode, have no fear! This is an easy fix.

The lock is there because Call of Duty: Vanguard has downloaded the Multiplayer and Zombies modes first. Simply hover over the “Campaign” mode on the title screen and press the button to “Start Install,” (you’ll see “Start Install” at the bottom of the screen).

The “Start Install” button on Playstation is Square by default and the X button on Xbox.

Weapons, Perks, Tactical Equipment, Gunsmith System, and More

With over 36 weapons available to select from at launch, you'll be happy to know that almost all of these weapons can be completely overhauled in the newly revamped Gunsmith, as well as outfitted with up to 10 unique attachments.

In addition to the all-new weapons and attachments, players will also find that no two weapons will share the same selection of attachment options. This is all possible due to the 200 plus unique weapon attachments that can be used to customize the weapons to fit your playstyle.

That's not all though, as Call of Duty: Vanguard has introduced a number of new features and items across Perks, Tactical Equipment, Attachments, and even more.

So be sure to check out our Weapons and Create-a-Class guides for more details.

Our Call of Duty: Vanguard Wiki guide is a work-in-progress, so be sure to check back soon for even more information.