Activision Launches 2026 Warzone Resurgence Series With Online and LAN Finals

Activision created Call of Duty: Warzone Resurgence Series (COD:WRS) as a 2026 competitive circuit combining open COD:WRS Online Qualifiers and COD:WRS LAN events, with ESL FACEIT Group named as the Tournament operator and a claimed combined $1.2M+ prize ecosystem across the circuit. The operator line in the rules states, “The Tournament operator for COD:WRS will be ESL FACEIT Group (‘FACEIT’),” and Activision frames the program to “showcase some of the best Call of Duty®: Warzone™ players in the world in a series of tournament events featuring the Game.”

COD:WRS will run on the Game’s Ranked Play mode under a “COD:WRS Trios Ruleset” that “will utilize a competitive Resurgence trios ruleset,” locking teams into three-player squads. The official rules specify a points framework called Call of Duty®: Warzone Resurgence Series Points (“COD:WRS Points”), and they spell out that “Kills: A Participant will receive one (1) COD:WRS Point for every kill made by such […]” The rules also make clear the Administration can change gameplay and scoring: “The Administration reserves the right to update the COD:WRS Trios Ruleset at any time,” and Administration may “modify COD:WRS Point distribution and introduce new point systems at any time” with notice provided “prior to the start of the next impacted Tournament.”

The first live COD:WRS LAN stops at DreamHack Birmingham at the NEC in Birmingham, England, where Activision says, “Call of Duty®: Warzone Resurgence Series kicks off its first live event of 2026 in Birmingham, England as a part of DreamHack Birmingham on Saturday and Sunday, March 28 – 29 at the NEC.” COD:WRS will be staged in the Call of Duty League Challengers Pit of DreamHack Birmingham, according to event copy, and plays inside the larger DreamHack weekend that runs March 27–29.

DreamHack Birmingham’s COD:WRS LAN final carries a $100,000 prize pool and explicit qualification stakes: “COD:WRS kicks off its first live event at DreamHack Birmingham with a $100,000 prize pool and qualification slots to the COD:WRS Championship at Esports World Cup!” The LAN final payout is listed 1st $30,000, 2nd $12,000, 3rd $9,000, 4th $7,000, 5th $6,250, 6th $5,750, 7th $5,250, and 8th $4,750. DreamHack confirms, “The Top 4 teams from Call of Duty®: Warzone Resurgence Series at DreamHack Birmingham qualify for the $1,000,000 Call of Duty®: Warzone Resurgence Series Championship at Esports World Cup.”

The documents present an arithmetic reconciliation: the Birmingham $100,000 plus the $1,000,000 Championship equals $1,100,000, while the circuit is promoted as a “combined $1.2M+ prize ecosystem,” implying additional prize money from DreamHack Atlanta and COD:WRS Online Qualifiers not broken out in the supplied materials.

Event copy highlights on-site programming at the NEC including creators, talent and fan activations—“An exclusive Saturday takeover by the Sidemen,” meet-and-greets with creators and pros, open tournaments, EWC qualifiers and freeplay—with the note that some experiences are “Often included with your event ticket, but some may require an extra pass.” The official rules also underline governance and dispute handling, with a multi-section document that includes a “Resolution of Disputes” header and the statement that the Rules “ensure the integrity of all Tournaments, protect the image and reputation of COD:WRS and the Franchise, and create a consistent and high-quality experience for spectators of the Tournaments and related events.”

Missing from the released fragments are DreamHack Atlanta dates and prize details, the full COD:WRS Points distribution beyond kills equaling one point, Championship prize breakdown by placing, and the schedule and slot allocation for online qualifiers. Teams aiming for the Esports World Cup should prepare for trios Ranked Play competition at the NEC on March 28–29, mindful that FACEIT will operate the circuit and that the Administration retains the right to update rules and point systems with advance notice.