Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Global Multiplayer Reveal
The next generation of global combat is here with the iconic Black Ops multiplayer experience, defined by Treyarch’s signature combat, deniable operations, and a connected experience across platforms and console generations.
Deniable Operations. Signature combat. A connected experience that features a deep commitment to robust, ongoing content, and a deep integration into the next evolution of Warzone for what will be the most united community yet.
Welcome to Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War multiplayer.
Deniable Operations: Meticulously Crafted Maps
The global scale of the Cold War lent itself perfectly to Treyarch’s signature map design. Rooted in the game’s realistic and historical setting, the world is brought to life with a visual art style that immerses players into the unfolding early 1980s geo-political narrative.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War drops operators into Deniable Operations around the world. From desolate regions like the Angolan desert (map name: Satellite), to the tundra of Uzbekistan (Crossroads), the vibrant cultural epicenter of South Beach (Miami), to the vast waters of the North Atlantic (Armada), and even to the heart of the U.S.S.R. (Moscow). Here’s a quick rundown of some of the maps you can expect to infiltrate into:
Armada
Based on Operation Azorian, U.S. and Soviet forces arrive in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean in search of a prototype nuclear submarine. The scale of the Cold War could be tipped in favor of whoever salvages it, whether it be the Soviets reclaiming it or the U.S. intercepting it. Zipline from ship to ship or command gunboats to turn the tide of the fight.
Crossroads
At a pivotal route to Afghanistan deep in Uzbekistan, NATO forces are mobilized to ambush a large Soviet military convoy comprised of mobile ICBM launchers. With the backdrop of a frozen Soviet Wilderness, an MI6 Squadron are ready to combat any Spetsnaz forces to secure the top-secret intel held on the convoy, as well as any necessary supplies for future operations. Use tanks to blow up enemy positions or snowmobiles to zip behind the enemy and break their lines.
Miami
Through hired DGI forces, Perseus ambushed and assaulted a prison transport in Miami’s famed South Beach to free a trusted ally. Amid the cover of night amongst vibrant art-deco architecture and neon lights, CIA special forces have been dispatched to eliminate remaining DGI forces and identify clues to Perseus’ whereabouts.
Moscow
In the heart of the U.S.S.R, a Spetsnaz squad was sent to a compromised CIA safe house in order to secure the area, capture any remaining CIA operatives, and acquire further intel on NATO’s future plans. Initial reports indicate that the area has gone hot and fighting has spilled out into the streets, prompting a second CIA-JSOC team to arrive at the scene as reinforcements.
Satellite
Deep in the deserts of Angola, Central Africa, a top-secret, American-made reconnaissance satellite known as the KH-9 has been grounded, potentially by Perseus. Hired DGI forces are searching for the sensitive intel it holds, while NATO’s MI6 Squadron have been dispatched to secure the site and eliminate DGI stragglers.
While just a sample of the broader array of maps that will be available at launch, these five maps are meticulously designed and based on authentic, real-world sources, as Treyarch’s visual research department visited real-life locations, photo-scanning thousands of physical objects, terrains, environments, and materials.
All those assets aided developer designers and artists to deliver an immersive virtual world that’s rich in ambience, further pushing the visual fidelity of environments through photometric lighting, and the game engine’s “Contour terrain system.” This sets an incredible stage for multiplayer combat set through a high-dynamic-range true 4K experience.
Declassified Intel: Multiplayer Modes Overview
The signature Black Ops combat experience will see players jump into fan favorite core modes, such as Domination, Team Deathmatch, Hardpoint, and Kill Confirmed alongside new ways to experience Call of Duty with modes like VIP Escort, Combined Arms, and Fireteam.
VIP Escort
In this new 6v6 objective core game mode, teams either protect or subdue a randomly selected player who becomes a VIP. This Very Important Player only gets a kitted-out pistol, a smoke grenade, a UAV for team intel, and the satisfaction of having up to five other squadmates defend them.
These protectors must escort the VIP to an extraction point as they fend off the attacking team, whose goal is to neutralize the VIP before they escape. A non-VIP who dies during the round is out until the next one, but a downed player at zero health can defend themselves in Last Stand or be revived by a teammate to get back into the fight.
Combined Arms
A 12v12 battle that combines infantry and vehicular gameplay, Combined Arms is a larger-scale mode where the action is tailed to the environment it takes place within.
Depending on the map, vehicles such as Tanks, Snowmobiles, Attack Helicopters or Wakerunners will amplify and advance the action alongside traditional gunfights, allowing for jaw-dropping moments right in the middle of an intense engagement.
At launch, expect to play multiple Combined Arms Maps across a handful of Combined Arms Modes, including Domination, which places multiple flags around a given map for teams to capture and defend.
Fireteam
Fireteam is a new 40-player category of Black Ops multiplayer with up to 10 teams of four, where the action is centered around not just the operators in the field, but also the environment they battle in. The first available Fireteam game type is called Dirty Bomb, which we’ll have more information on as we get closer to launch!
Signature Combat: Initial Gameplay Information
The fluid, grounded combat style of Black Ops Cold War is built upon the perfected feel of Black Ops movement and gunplay. Black Ops Cold War also innovates on a variety of key gameplay elements and introduces new changes to bring the combat experience a fresh and different feel.
It begins with the weaponry. A new weapon sound engine brings further understanding of enemy and friendly gunfire, giving players a sense of what is being fired at them and where it came from through three-dimensional and directional sound.
New to Black Ops, Field Upgrades are in-game items that either help your squad or hinder your enemies, earned solely on time in-game with a cooldown that lasts after death.
Those looking to further tinker with their primary weapon, or some secondaries, can head to the Gunsmith. Each primary weapon can be customized with up to 54 attachments across eight different nodes, or attachment points, with at least six options per attach point. The benefits and drawbacks of each attachment are shown via exact percentage change, which allows operators to precisely understand the data behind how each weapon configuration will feel out in the field, along with further conversations between developer and community about weapon tuning.
Scorestreaks make a return with several significant changes. In this new system, earned score is kept through death, giving all players a chance at earning these visceral and fun tools that can turn the tide of battle.
However, these Scorestreaks, especially higher-end rewards, must still be earned through earning plenty of score via elite gameplay. Those who string together multiple kills before a death will earn streak score bonuses, which can aid significantly in earning the game’s most powerful Scorestreaks.
Scorestreaks also have cooldowns, preventing players from “spamming” Scorestreaks repeatedly, and some even exist to counter other Scorestreaks outside of traditional anti-Scorestreak measures.
With more points of motion and physics effects, operators movement will feel more lifelike than ever before. On top of these visual advancements, expect four new refinements in movement to be introduced in Black Ops Cold War:
- Sprint Take Off – Operators automatically receive a burst of speed when starting a sprint, then settle down to a normal sprint speed.
- Sliding – Slides start and end in a crouched position for a more believable movement pattern.
- Footstep Control – Faster movement makes more noise, while slower movement doesn’t make as much sound. Players can further reduce the sound of their footsteps with the return of the classic Ninja Perk.
- Jumping – Expect more natural height in jumps, which briefly slows an operator down as they land.
A Connected Experience
Black Ops Cold War is set to support cross-platform and cross-generation play as well as cross-progression, breaking ground for the Call of Duty franchise as it introduces the next generation of global combat.
The game also ushers in the next evolution of Call of Duty: Warzone, continuing and expanding the blockbuster battle royale free-to-play experience. Treyarch, Infinity Ward, and Raven Software, with additional support from other studios, are all collaborating to preserve continuity within Warzone while also incorporating elements of Black Ops Cold War.
For more information on crossplay, as well as our commitment to robust, ongoing post-launch content, additional intel is available here.
Open Beta Date Announced – Pre-Order Now on Xbox Store to Get Early Access
As announced during the multiplayer reveal, the Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War open beta early access begins October 15 for players on Xbox One. The beta opens for all platforms on October 17, where players can experience Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War before launch on November 13.
Multiple options for the game are available to choose from, including the Standard edition, Cross-Gen Bundle edition or Ultimate edition. All digital editions come with early access to this open beta.
Pre-order now on the Xbox Store, and check out which edition is right for you in this detailed blog.
Stay Connected to Additional Intel
Be sure to check back at the Activision Games Blog and Xbox Wire in the coming days and weeks for the latest information. Players can also visit Treyarch’s Blog for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War announcements and content. Follow @CallofDuty and @Treyarch on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for additional information.
Call of Duty®: Black Ops Cold War – Standard Edition
Activision Publishing Inc.