Presented in partnership with Polaris

Polaris isn’t a stranger to military applications. After all, the brand’s lightweight capable off-road vehicles lend themselves to the rigors of dynamic operations. However, Polaris is extending beyond the dunes, dirt, and divots it calls home to reach gamers in Call of Duty: Warzone. It’s true; A version of the Polaris RZR Pro R 4 in its game-specific livery will be a playable vehicle in Call of Duty: Warzone Season 1 this year following the launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.

The Polaris RZR Pro R 4 is a real-life side-by-side that players will be able to use in Call of Duty: Warzone Season 1

Sure, we’re all accustomed to seeing cars we can drive in games like Forza and Gran Turismo out in the wild. But it’s not every day that you get to play a unique, one-off custom off-road monster in a tactical, first-person shooter. Fortunately, that’s exactly what players are going to be able to do in Call of Duty: Warzone Season 1 later this year.

It’s the one-of-a-kind Polaris RZR Pro R 4 in its Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 livery. Delightfully so, the four-wheel drive side-by-side (SxS) off-roader wears a properly sinister mix of eye-watering orange, black, and gray. Needless to say, the athletic and hellacious aesthetic of the RZR Pro R 4 will look the part in Call of Duty: Warzone Season 1.

I met the game-liveried RZR Pro R model in the National Building Museum of Washington D.C. during CODE Bowl V. If you haven’t been to the National Building Museum, it’s a Parthenon-esque collection of columns and cavernous arches. A relic of pre-automobile America. However, the dichotomy of old-school political Americana and modern technology made CODE Bowl V a visually stunning affair. 

As visitors approached the event, they were greeted by a classic, first-generation Dodge Challenger. If the Challenger wasn’t enough of a draw, Senior Director of Partnerships for Call of Duty Will Gahagan reminded me that the old Mopar has a classic CoD connection. Specifically, the Challenger was the ride of choice for “The Replacer,” a character played by actor Peter Stormare. 

The Replacer would show up in the noir Mopar and keep life’s obstacles, like adulting, from interfering with your Call of Duty: Black Ops time. He’s the sort of guy who would make sure you have time to play Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. Unfortunately, The Replacer himself wasn’t at the event, but “Abby,” a massive, moving reminder that Zombies will return for the Call of Duty faithful, was an unmistakable welcoming presence.

Upon crossing the threshold of the iconic Washington D.C. venue, the Polaris RZR Pro R 4 in its Call of Duty livery welcomed creators, competitors, and visitors ahead of a massive banner reading “The Truth Lies.” Oh yeah, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is going to be dark, readers. 

But the custom RZR Pro R model was less evil than it was eye-popping. I mean, it has to be. After all, players are going to get a chance to flog the four-door SxS online soon enough. Consequently, Polaris is excited for players to get their hands on the dark, dune-ready ride.

Vice President of Corporate Branding and Partnerships for Polaris Holly Spaeth had this to say about a Polaris SxS reaching players in Warzone Season 1. “At Polaris, we are passionate about creating possibilities for work and play in the outdoors. Our partnership with Call of Duty brings that real-life passion to the virtual world to help enhance the player’s experience and ability.” 

It should be said that the one-off game-ready RZR Pro R model I met a few times is mechanically similar to the 2025 Polaris RZR Pro R. It’s a four-door model, with the RIDE COMMAND system accessible through a seven-inch touchscreen. Now, I’m no stranger to the Polaris RZR Pro lineup at this point. I’ve driven the Polaris RZR Pro R, Pro S, and Pro XP for the 2025 model year.

The latest model year brings more than a handful of improvements to the fan-favorite off-roader. For starters, the 2025 Polaris RZR Pro lineup reintroduces the fang lights in the reimagined front fascia, this time with unique animations. Further back, the new RZR Pro models incorporate fresh air intakes into the cabin at the footwell level, removing some of that residual heat and dust from previous models.

Taking the comfort level that much further, the Ultimate-trim models offer heated and ventilated seats, a segment first. It is also equipped with the RZR Pro R’s preferable stereo option, a Rockford Fosgate audio system. 

However, the SxS and its video game paint scheme take everything a bit further with its striking style. A glance at the four-door RZR Pro R reveals pops of bright orange on a base of black and gray. However, a closer look reveals easter eggs, not unlike what you’d find in a video game.

Fortunately, I was able to catch up with Ryan Buchta for a chat about the RZR Pro R. Buchta was instrumental in the design of the game-ready SxS. He is a color and graphics designer with Polaris, one of the minds behind the Call of Duty-liveried RZR Pro R 4. Needless to say, the young designer was seriously excited to be on the project. 

“I wanted to retain the kind of feel of a Polaris-branded vehicle.” Buchta was understandably stoked for the game-ready RZR Pro R 4. “The dark redacted lines give a downward, aggressive stance while also calling back to the redacted lines for the game. The Cerberus logo creates a really good color break with the pop of orange.”

Buchta told me that the battlefield paint job concept was instrumental in the design process. “A big part of the design was making it look as though an operator on the battlefield were to come down to the vehicle and spray-paint it.”

When I asked him how long it took to execute the sinister SxS, he had this to say. “It was a couple of months. I was given the opportunity and it was pretty awesome. They were asking who wanted to take on the project. As a CoD fan, I was like ‘Me!’”

The young designer then told me that he has a long-running connection to Call of Duty. “I started playing when MW2 came out– I’m only 25.” Eh, I suppose getting old is a gift. Then again, I have fond memories of taking a D.C. area Burger Town from paratrooping Russians myself. Still, Buchta seemed stoked to see his fondness for Polaris and Call of Duty come together in an unforgettable ride.

Tragically, I wasn’t able to take the promotional model out for a run. However, that didn’t stop Polaris from sending creators out in a 2025 Polaris RZR Pro R. Better yet, they launched with GoPros to capture smiles, screams, and (in my case) full-bodied laughs as they crushed terrain. It’s exactly the kind of grin-inducing shenanigans fans expect of both Polaris and Call of Duty. 

“Through our partnership with Call of Duty, we are introducing more people to Polaris by highlighting the off-road riding experience to new audiences and showcasing the real-world capabilities of our RZR Pro R vehicle in a virtual world,” Holly Spaeth said of the integration. Players can expect the Polaris RZR Pro R 4 in Call of Duty: Warzone Season 1 later this year.