Black Ops 6 is bringing the foundation players love from the Black Ops franchise back with some new (and old) features that will define the future of Call of Duty as a whole. Treyarch has set out to build the best Black Ops game ever made, not with gimmicks or controversy for the sake of it, but with purposeful intent at the helm of their development mindset – and so far, they’re right on the money.
We were recently flown to Los Angeles, California to visit the Treyarch studio and talk all things Black Ops 6; what’s new (like the game-changing Omni Movement system) and returning, the action packed campaign, multiplayer fun and yes, even a little bit of zombies. So let’s dive into everything you need to know about the Multiplayer and Zombies experiences in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.
THE RETURN OF MULTIPLAYER FAVES (AND SOME NEW THINGS)
Black Ops 6 is set to bring back a ton of features that Call Of Duty fans have been missing since the good ol’ days of Black Ops 2, but it is also carving the way for some pretty neat features and settings we hope carry on throughout the entire COD franchise.
First and foremost, the signature Black Ops multiplayer experience has very much been cemented into the new Black Ops 6, with approachable and engaging gameplay, action packed opportunities and the ability to support all play styles. Players will be able to take control of operators from two opposing factions; one being the Rogue Black Ops with street wear operators such as new squad leader, Marshall (introduced in the BO6 campaign), and the second faction being Crimson One donning more of the military default skin look. There will be 16 brand new maps at launch – 12 classic, three-line maps for 6v6 modes, and 4 strike maps of all-new designs favouring more of your close quarter team modes as well as gunfight. These multiplayer maps will be set after the events of the campaign, giving players another way to interact and witness the aftermath of those events.
LOADOUTS: THE NEW AND THE RETURNING
One of the first things players will notice with loadouts is the return of beloved items such as Wildcards, Detailed Weapon Stats, Shared Optics, Gunsmith, Favourite Classes, Showcase Weapons and Shooting Range, with the ability to create 10 custom classes, test gear out with 5 default classes as well as have 1 dedicated quick pick.
In terms of new loadout elements, players will be introduced to items such as Combat Specialties, a Dedicated Melee Weapon Slot (where if you hold the melee button, you’ll put away your gun and hold your knife to run faster… and that’s whilst still having a dedicated primary and secondary weapon, mind you), mastery badges and more. Players will also once again be able to engage with loadout perks, highlighting the three play styles: Enforcer, Recon and Strategist. Choosing a perk from the same category for all 3 slots will unlock your specialty buff, giving players the ultimate extra advantage. Oh and I should also mention that the beloved Theatre Mode is making its return.
SHOW OFF YOUR SKILL IN MULTIPLE WAYS
Treyarch wanted Black Ops 6 to be the most rewarding Call Of Duty ever built, and we think it’s safe to say that it’s indeed looking that way, in particular, with the classic Prestige progression system coming back!
The feedback was well heard by the development team, and they’ve brought back the best version of classic Prestige players have ever seen. As per usual, players will begin in the Military levels – the standard 55 levels of progression. Once maxed, players will be given that all-too-missed choice of staying at the current level cap or going Prestige (with unlocks being locked back up, but gaining access to the initial 10 Prestige levels). But wait… there’s more! Once players have completed all 10 Prestige levels, they can choose to enter Prestige Master – the ultimate Prestige levelling system with 1000 levels to work through (yes, you read that correctly). Word on the street is that there’s also a super special reward for those that reach level 1000. With all that said, it’s also important to note that Treyarch has not implemented any seasonal levelling system, something I’m sure the majority of players will be thankful for come launch.
Prestige levelling won’t be the only way to show off your skills to your friends and lobby, however. Black Ops 6 will also bring back the favourite Best Play and Winners Circle scenes post-game. For those who missed it, Best Play is a version of Final Kill Cam, where the lobby gets to watch the best play of the game in all of its cinematic glory, with Winners Circle showcasing the top 3 players of the winning team, where they can emote and peacock all they want. Their triumphant return shall surely be welcomed by returning players, and potentially lead to some interesting post game comms.
EVEN THE MENUS ARE GETTING AN UPGRADE
It’s not just the gameplay and mechanics getting an overhaul in Black Ops 6’s multiplayer experience, the UI, UX and HUD are all getting reworked and extra settings added to make things more customisable and streamlined for players.
First of all, the general UI/UX of the menu system is getting a rework, making it fast and responsive, approachable, and content-focused. That’s everything from the moment players launch the game to being able to get into a match as fast as possible. More information will be coming out later in the year, but Treyarch did say that this rework includes the initial launcher screen, hopefully meaning a cleaner and less cluttered experience to choosing campaign, multiplayer, warzone and more. They also mentioned the launcher update will also be improving and optimising things like file size (woohoo!), but again, more to come. The UI/UX upgrade will also bring a cleaner look to the lobby visuals, with a more simplistic Challenges menu and a Quick Join list to easily squad up with friends without having to go into a socials tab.
But if you thought that was neat, wait ’til you hear about the new HUD presets. Traditionally, players haven’t been able to move elements of the HUD or remove elements (say if they wanted a more Hardcore HUD in standard mode) but that all changes in Black Ops 6. HUD presets will be a new way for players to customise the HUD to what they need – allowing them to choose from a number of presets that will move HUD elements to different parts of the screen – which is a first for Call Of Duty.
We were given a glimpse at some of the presets Treyarch have been playing around with, everything from the mini map in different corners, game type widgets in the bottom centre, ammo and weapon info on the left and right of your crosshairs, plenty of cool new ways to customise your specific HUD needs. We will note that this isn’t a freeform customisation for players, they are presets chosen by the Treyarch team, however this addition does open the doors to more player feedback regarding future preset options that the team can introduce.
ROUND-BASED ZOMBIES IS BACK!
This is why most of you are probably here, to hear more about the highly anticipated Zombies mode in Black Ops 6 and whether all of your dreams and wants have been answered. From the brief information and small tease we were given, it’s somewhat safe to say that Zombies in Black Ops 6 is looking like it’s heading in the direction we are all hoping for. Treyarch is well aware of the community feedback and has set out to make this the best version of it, so fingers crossed.
The Zombies mode in Black Ops 6 will continue on the Dark Aether story where it left off, set in the overarching BO6 time of 1991. Players will be introduced back into the Zombies storyline with Dr Peck chartering a boat to visit some old friends (how mysterious), and yes, it is indeed back to being round-based!
In Zombies, players will welcome back a dedicated zombie crew made up of 4 operators: Grigori Weaver, Elizabeth Grey, Mac Carver and Maya Aguinaldo. Although you can choose to play Zombies as any operator you have in your list, utilising these 4 main Zombies operators will give a richer and deeper experience, with more specialised voice lines and interactions (plus all the cinematics will feature them).
Come launch time, Zombies will have 2 all-new maps players can jump into. The first is Liberty Falls: Dark Aether Incursion, a small town with 90s elements sprinkled throughout. It’s a classic “fight a horde of zombies in an old town” type map that boasts a bright and sunny disposition. And then there’s Terminus: Blacksite 13 – the complete opposite to Liberty Falls, full of dark and moody vibes, rain, thunder… just straight up evil zombie threat sorta feels.
There’s not too much more to share about Zombies just yet, so we’re excited to see more come to light as time progresses and hopefully get back into the mayhem that is round-based zombies soon!
FINAL THOUGHTS
The Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6 multiplayer experience looks like it’s shaping up to be what players wanted in a Call of Duty game for a long time now. It’s really getting back to the roots of what makes COD enjoyable, with vibrant, classically-styled visuals and the kind player experience we all have fond memories of sinking hours of fun into. Black Ops is back, baby!
Jake was a guest of Treyarch and Activision with travel and accommodation covered for the purpose of this preview.
