To "expand the knowledge base of the gaming industry" and for non-commercial use and education, Activision has made the giant Caldera map from Call of Duty: Warzone open-source. The publisher and developer says this is a first-of-its-kind "data" release for Call of Duty and gaming, available in OpenUSD. It includes the geometry from the map plus "time samples showing how players move around the map."
Okay, so at this point, you're probably wondering what unlimited access to a giant Call of Duty battle royale map brings to the table. Well, for one, it's a great tool for machine learning, research, and education in various fields while also helping to advance game development.
"In an era where AI training and the evolution of authoring tools are pivotal, the availability of production-proven maps is crucial," Activision explains. On that note, the Call of Duty: Warzone Caldera map is the most extensive and complex bits of environmental geometry ever released as an open-source data set.
The announcement continues, "By releasing Caldera as an open-source asset for non-commercial use, the technology teams at Activision aim to empower developers and educators with high-quality, production-validated, and accessible resources. This is about collaborating with the gaming and research community to build a foundation for responsible innovation and learning across the industry."
Naturally, students and even experienced game developers will immediately benefit from being able to dissect, analyze, and even play around with something so polished and a massive digital location that has housed millions of players.
The big thing, of course, is generative AI and being able to create tools that would allow smaller teams to create densely populated and detailed maps or environments for games.
"By contributing assets to the open-source community, the Activision technology teams encourage the development of robust tools that can handle complex geometries and environments," the publisher adds. "This collaborative approach will drive innovation, making it easier for developers to create immersive experiences."