Activision has released a new Call of Duty game every year since 2005, and that streak will continue in 2024 with the next entry in the main series. But 2024’s Call of Duty game, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, will be the most notable in years. That’s because it’s the first new entry since Microsoft acquired Activision Blizzard and the Call of Duty franchise in October 2023.
The game will come to both Xbox and PlayStation consoles, as part of a multi-year agreement (but no word yet on Nintendo Switch). Additionally, Game Pass subscribers will be able to grab Black Ops 6 at launch as part of their membership. The game also includes a beefy Zombies mode developed by Treyarch.
Here’s everything we know so far about Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. We will continue to update this story as new information comes to light.
When will Black Ops 6 release?
Activision historically launches new Call of Duty games in October or November, and that trend continues in 2024. Black Ops 6 launches on Friday, October 25.
Black Ops 6 platforms
Black Ops 6 is coming to PlayStation and Xbox consoles, as well as PC. Microsoft now owns Activision, the Call of Duty franchise, and all of its developers, but the company is not planning to make Call of Duty exclusive to Xbox. Instead, Microsoft and Sony inked a 10-year deal to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation beyond 2030. Microsoft has also discussed bringing Call of Duty to Switch and has made a deal with Nintendo to potentially do this. But it remains to be seen how the Call of Duty franchise could appear on Switch and what trade-offs the Switch version could have compared to the other console platforms given the relatively lower specs of the Switch. Switch 2 is on the horizon and may release by March 2024, though it’s unclear if the new CoD would appear on that system, either.
Will Black Ops 6 be on Xbox Game Pass?
Black Ops 6 will launch on October 25 and Game Pass subscribers will get access to the full game as part of their membership. The Game Pass Core subscription tier, however, does not include Black Ops 6, nor does the new Game Pass Standard tier.
Some industry observers have theorized that Microsoft could miss out on serious money if it puts Call of Duty on Game Pass. Others have posited that having Call of Duty on Game Pass could help drive Game Pass subscriptions and make Xbox a more desirable platform on which to play Call of Duty.
Black Ops 6 trailer, story, and characters
This year’s new Call of Duty game is Black Ops 6, and the game takes place during the Gulf War. Call of Duty games are known to be globetrotting affairs that travel through numerous locations–and time periods. The game’s live-action reveal trailer showed real-world political leaders like Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, Margaret Thatcher, and Saddam Hussein–check it out below.
Black Ops 6 is described as a spy thriller, featuring a “bind-bending” story that will have players wondering who they can trust and what is real.
“With the campaign occurring in the years after the Cold War, longtime fans will recognize that this timeframe is directly connected to the 1980s flashbacks revealed during Black Ops 2–the aftermath of which has left our heroes in dire circumstances,” Activision said.
“The Black Ops 6 campaign takes place at a time of great change and turmoil. The Soviet Union was crumbling after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War. The US was the only remaining Superpower. The Gulf War dominated headlines. There was a growing mistrust in government–reflected everywhere across the music, television, and pop culture of the time,” Activision said.
Against this backdrop, the campaign will delve into a “tangled web of illicit activities, clandestine operations, and off-the-record missions.”
In terms of returning characters, Frank Woods is back–but he’s now in a wheelchair after his battle with Raul Menendez. He’s no longer working in the field but is still assisting the CIA. Woods’ protege is a man named Troy Marshall, who is described as a “methodical leader” who is driven by a “strong moral compass.” The game also features a new CIA handler, Jane Harrow, who is described as a “born leader, fearless, and brilliant.”
The wildcard Russell Adler is back as well, and he’s as dodgy as you remember. “While his allegiances and motivations remain unclear, this former ally may have become a new and daunting enemy,” Activision said.
Black Ops 6 also features a central base of operations known as The Manor. Players will visit this place to partake in many activities, including target practice, adding to your evidence board, accessing missions, and meeting with Woods, who is stationed there.
Multiplayer updates
Of course, Black Ops 6 supports multiplayer, and one of the key new features is the Omnimovement system that allows players to sprint, slide, and dive in any direction. Players can also go prone and spin around 360 degrees. There is also a broader “Intelligent Movement” system in the game that aims to “drastically reduce” how many buttons or keys players need to press to perform movements.
“The spark of the idea behind Intelligent Movement was wanting players to focus on what they wanted to achieve with movement, rather than how to achieve it. Every player, regardless of skill level, input, or experience with Call of Duty, can engage in Omnimovement and become an action hero in Black Ops 6,” Activision said.
Our attention to detail in Black Ops 6 doesn’t stop with just animations. Our Art team is thrilled to show off the best-looking characters we’ve brought to the Black Ops series at a bar that only Call of Duty can bring. pic.twitter.com/eEl37FqI62
— Treyarch Studios (@Treyarch) June 9, 2024
Enemy hit zones in Black Ops 6 are expanded as well, rising from four to nine.
“With more than twice the number of regions to target, you can expect a much wider variety of visual takedowns across Campaign and Multiplayer modes. Now it can be determined, for example, if an enemy was shot in the left or right leg and play a bespoke death animation related to the shot,” Activision said. “Or, if an Operator takes a high caliber sniper round to the right arm as they’re sprinting, that appendage will snap back and spin them around as the weight of the body carries forward as they collapse to the ground.”
Additionally, Black Ops 6 has a new system called Corner Slicing. When players round a corner or enter a doorway, their weapon will automatically rotate in the same direction.
There are changes to the HUD, too, as players can now change it up based on their own personal preferences. For example, you can move the location of the mini-map or make a variety of other tweaks. Check out the video below to see this in action.
New updates to the HUD are coming in Black Ops 6
For the first time in Call of Duty, players will be able to change their HUD in preset ways that suit their needs 📡🎯 #BlackOps6 | #XboxShowcase pic.twitter.com/OH7OjnxT5I— Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) June 9, 2024
Players have also complained in recent years that Call of Duty’s menus are a hassle and confusing to navigate. So in Black Ops 6, Activision is promising that accessing the lobby is more straightforward, with the aim of generally reducing the time it takes from accessing the lobby to getting into a match.
There will be 15 all-new multiplayer maps at launch, including 12 core 6v6 maps and four “Strike” maps for 2v2 or even 6v6. Also of note is that the classic Prestige system is back in Black Ops 6. When players reach max level, they can choose from 10 different Prestige systems, each with their own set of rewards. Those who clear all 10 Prestiges will move up to “Prestige Master,” and this unlocks an additional 1,000 levels to move through, along with a “classified” reward for those who make it all the way to the end.
No footage of Black Ops 6 multiplayer has been released yet, nor do we know about modes, but more information will come during the Call of Duty Next event in August.
Finally, Activision also confirmed that weapons, cosmetics, and other purchases from Modern Warfare III will not carry forward to Black Ops 6. This is a change from last year’s Modern Warfare III, which supported purchases players made in past games. Activision said it’s doing this so that all players are on a similar playing field.
“Allowing everyone to experience the Black Ops universe the way it’s meant to be played, learning the era-specific weapons and gear, learning the gameplay innovations like Omnimovement, and keeping that signature Black Ops style is important,” Activision said.
Zombies
Naturally, Zombies will return in Black Ops 6. And in a welcome change from past years, Black Ops 6 brings back the traditional round-based experience where players battle against waves of increasingly difficult enemies. There are two maps at launch, Liberty Falls and Terminus, and presumably more will come over time via DLC.
“Hordes of the undead are set to rampage through these brand-new locations, each offering countless hours of fast-paced action where power-ups are plentiful, but you’re never more than a few seconds away from being overwhelmed and devoured,” Activision said.
On August 8, Activision announced a massive amount of information about Black Ops 6’s Zombies mode, and there seems to be a lot to be excited about. Check out GameSpot’s video preview below to get up to speed with all the notable changes. And if you’re in the mood for a very, very deep dive into what’s new, check out Activision’s 10,000-word blog post covering all the major details.
When’s the beta?
A multiplayer beta for Black Ops 6 takes place starting in August, and it’s spread across two weekends. People who preorder or subscribe to a higher-tier of Game Pass can start playing on August 30, while everyone can jump into the open beta beginning September 6. The multiplayer beta begins the same day on all platforms, and that’s a notable change since Sony used to pay Activision to make the beta exclusive at first to PlayStation users. But Microsoft now owns Call of Duty entirely and is calling the shots.
Who’s making Black Ops 6?
Raven Software is developing the game’s campaign, with Treyarch–the creator of the Black Ops series–handling multiplayer and Zombies. Activision is known to recruit teams from across its entire network of Call of Duty studios to contribute to each year’s new release in some fashion, and that formula is expected to continue this year. Beenox, for example, is developing the PC edition of Black Ops 6.
Pre-order
Pre-orders are available now for Black Ops 6. Due in part to Game Pass, things are a little more involved this year, so you may want to consult GameSpot’s in-depth Black Ops 6 pre-order guide to help make your purchasing decision.
