Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

It's the first game in the Call of Duty series to be four years in the making. Black Ops 6 from Treyarch and Raven Software is set to be one of the biggest releases of the year. Especially as "Blops 6" will be included in Game Pass for the first time at launch. It will definitely beat Modern Warfare III.

Treyarch and Raven Software are in charge of the sixth instalment of the Call of Duty Black Ops sub-franchise. Treyarch has been responsible for all Black Ops instalments since 2010, most recently Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (2020). Like its predecessors, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will feature a story-based single-player campaign, a multiplayer mode and a zombie mode - all running alongside the battle royale Warzone.

The campaign is being developed by Raven Software in collaboration with Treyarch. Following the events of Black Ops Cold War, players can expect a "spy action thriller" set in the early 90s. Featuring both new and returning characters, such as Frank Woods, who acts as a through-line to the story when a shadowy force has infiltrated the US government and players are forced to go rogue for the first time. The developers insist that players can never be sure who to trust and who not to trust in the campaign. Mission Impossible anyone? So much for the story.

What's more important is that Raven Software is trying to offer a greater variety of missions - from action to stealth to heists. Each mission should have different ways of approaching and completing it. There will also be multiple dialogue options. This should also increase replayability. "This naturally extends to combat, but even affects the conversations you have, as operatives talk, barter, and manipulate their way into a variety of different outcomes, some drastically different and dependent on the choices you previously made," the publisher states. In one mission, for example, players infiltrate a casino in Europe "in stealth mode" through a sewer system. An assault on a palace in the Iraqi desert, on the other hand, is more likely to be a mission that involves large-scale combat. The central base of operations between each campaign mission is a remote manor house overlooking an ocean. The Evidence Board - last seen in Black Ops Cold War - also returns, now with additional information and mission briefings. Here players can view the campaign overview, gain insight into missions and analyse evidence collected during past operations.

Of course, classic multiplayer is an integral part of the game and will include 16 maps at launch, including twelve core 6v6 maps and four strike maps that can be played 2v2 or 6v6. The Omnimovement system is new, giving players the ability to sprint, slide and dive in any direction. This will allow players to seamlessly link movements and be particularly (exaggeratedly) agile on the battlefield - almost in the flow. There are also three intelligent movement presets (sprint, cloak, crouch) that can be turned on or off to suit the player's needs. Speaking of customisation, the player's HUD is also fully customisable.

Once again, Treyarch has taken the lead in this mode, and they have also increased the number of hit zones from four to nine, which should also have an effect on the death animations. Returning multiplayer features include the 'Classic Prestige' leveling system and 'Theatre Mode', which allows you to rewatch multiplayer matches from the perspective of any player, but only on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. In preparation for launch, the entire user interface and file system technology has also been overhauled (Black Ops 6 and Call of Duty: Warzone are separate downloads).

And let's not forget the Zombies mode developed by Treyarch. Black Ops 6 marks the return of round-based Zombies, where players will take on hordes of the undead in two new maps at launch (Terminus and Liberty Falls), continuing the Dark Aether storyline begun in Black Ops Cold War, pitting up to four players against an ever-growing horde of zombies. After launch, players can look forward to even more maps (including multiplayer). Treyarch: "Every Zombies map has a Main Quest that you're left to your own devices to solve, usually after the route to the Pack-a-Punch machine has been completed." New routes through a Zombies map involve accessing blocked areas, either by unlocking doors or removing obstacles, both of which cost Essence. Essence can be used to purchase Perk-a-Colas from the Perk Machine (specific advantages for their operator), upgrades for currently used weapons from the Pack-a-Punch Machine, ammunition or armour, etc. The other main form of 'currency' is Salvage, randomly collected from fallen enemies. This is used for ammo mods, to apply a special elemental power to the current weapon, to increase the rarity of a weapon, and to craft tactical, lethal and support equipment.

"Augments are unlockable gameplay advantages you can apply to every Perk-a-Cola, Ammo Mod, and Field Upgrade in the game, and provide a rich and innovative customization experience, allowing you to invest into research between matches. Learn more about Augments here. The key to unlocking the full potential of your loadouts is Augment Research. This unlocks at Player Level 11. Once you research and unlock individual Augments, they can be chosen before the start of a match for each individual Perk, Ammo Mod, or Field Upgrade," Treyarch writes. "While Treyarch is focused on making their Main Quests for each of Black Ops 6's maps more challenging than those found in Black Ops Cold War, the studio is also adding an all-new guided mode to welcome more players into the world of Zombies."

With this mix of campaign, multiplayer and zombies, Treyarch and Raven Software are looking to push the franchise forward, especially as this is the first Call of Duty to have been in development for four years. Whereby almost all Activision Blizzard studios are also integrated into the production and annual release rhythm of Call of Duty.

Black Ops 6 follows Modern Warfare III (2023), which was not well received by many players. On the one hand, the weak campaign was widely criticised, and on the other, some felt that the game was more of an expansion to Modern Warfare II than a standalone game. It also failed to top the US annual charts, where Modern Warfare III (2023) was beaten by Hogwarts Legacy. In previous years, the corresponding Call of Duty game has always topped the US annual sales charts. This was the case for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (2022), Call of Duty: Vanguard (2021), Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (2020) and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019). Incidentally, Red Dead Redemption 2 was the best-selling game in the US in 2018, and before that it was a Call of Duty title every year with the exception of GTA 5 (2013).

Contrary to the usual sales announcements and (lacklustre) comparisons with other sectors of the entertainment industry following the launch of Call of Duty games, Activision Blizzard did not provide any information on the sales of Modern Warfare III (2023). On the other hand, Black Ops 6's pre-release metrics look pretty strong. The open beta was a huge success for Activision Blizzard. No other beta test for a game in the series has attracted more players. Total hours played, hours played per player, and most played matches all set new records. However, the publisher did not provide specific figures.

"The team is fully focused on 25 October. We are looking forward to everything the game has to offer in campaign, multiplayer and zombies. This year we have decided to give the community all the modes they want at the same time, so we will have another massive global launch on 25 October. That's why there will be no Early Access transition for Black Ops 6 this year, just the countdown to launch." - Activision Blizzard's post-beta statement

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will be available on 25 October 2024 for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 and PC via Battle.net, Microsoft Store and Steam. As with its predecessor, Plaion will distribute the console retail versions. Players with Game Pass Ultimate and Game Pass PC subscriptions will have access to the full Black Ops 6 game.  The game will not be available to Game Pass Standard or Game Pass Core subscribers at launch. Those who still have the (now discontinued) Xbox Game Pass for Console will also be able to access Black Ops 6 on day one. This makes it the first Call of Duty game to be included directly in Xbox Game Pass, albeit not across all tiers.

Conclusion

Treyarch and Raven Software are getting Call of Duty back on track. Black Ops 6 offers the full shooter package and should easily surpass Modern Warfare III (2023).

Features

• A gripping campaign set in the early 90s
• Familiar multiplayer action with a dynamic movement system
• Return of round-based zombies with numerous customisation options