''Call of Duty: Black Ops 6'' is a 2024
first-person shooter
A first-person shooter (FPS) is a video game genre, video game centered on gun fighting and other weapon-based combat seen from a First person (video games), first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action directly through t ...
video game
A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...
co-developed by
Treyarch
Treyarch Corporation ( ; formerly Treyarch Invention LLC) is an American video game developer based in Los Angeles with Additional studio locations in Vancouver, Canada; and Austin, Texas. Founded in 1996 by Peter Akemann and Doğan Köslü, it ...
and
Raven Software
Raven Software Corporation (trade name: Raven; formerly Raven Software, Inc.) is an American video game developer based in Middleton, Wisconsin, and part of Activision. Founded in May 1990 by brothers Brian and Steve Raffel, the company is most ...
and published by
Activision
Activision Publishing, Inc. is an American video game publisher based in Santa Monica, California. It serves as the publishing business for its parent company, Activision Blizzard, and consists of several subsidiary studios. Activision is one o ...
. It is the twenty-first installment of the ''
Call of Duty
''Call of Duty'' is a first-person shooter military video game series and media franchise published by Activision, starting in 2003. The games were first developed by Infinity Ward, then by Treyarch and Sledgehammer Games. Several spin-of ...
'' series and is the seventh main entry in the
''Black Ops'' sub-series, following ''
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War'' (2020). Set during
Operation Desert Storm
Operation or Operations may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity
* Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory
* ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...
, ''Black Ops 6''
single-player
A single-player video game is a video game where input from only one player is expected throughout the gameplay. Video games in general can feature several game modes, including single-player modes designed to be played by a single player in add ...
story follows rogue
CIA
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA; ) is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States tasked with advancing national security through collecting and analyzing intelligence from around the world and ...
operatives Troy Marshall and Frank Woods as they assemble a team of agents to hunt down Pantheon, a
paramilitary
A paramilitary is a military that is not a part of a country's official or legitimate armed forces. The Oxford English Dictionary traces the use of the term "paramilitary" as far back as 1934.
Overview
Though a paramilitary is, by definiti ...
group with covert ties to the agency.
As with previous titles in the series, the game also includes a
multiplayer
A multiplayer video game is a video game in which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time, either locally on the same computing system (couch co-op), on different computing systems via a local area network, or ...
component and the
cooperative
A cooperative (also known as co-operative, coöperative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomy, autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned a ...
round-based
Zombie
A zombie (Haitian French: ; ; Kikongo: ''zumbi'') is a mythological undead corporeal revenant created through the reanimation of a corpse. In modern popular culture, zombies appear in horror genre works. The term comes from Haitian folkl ...
s mode; all three modes feature omnidirectional movement mechanics, allowing players to sprint, dive, and slide in any direction. ''Black Ops 6'' boasts a four-year development cycle—the longest in ''Call of Duty'' history. Marketing for the game began in May 2024, through the release of several
live-action
Live action is a form of cinematography or videography that uses photography instead of animation. Some works combine live action with animation to create a live-action animated feature film. Live action is used to define film, video games or ...
teaser trailers and the publishing of fictional advertisements on the front pages of multiple newspaper outlets; a full reveal debuted following the airing of the 2024
Xbox Games Showcase
Xbox Developer Direct (stylized as ''Developer_Direct'') is a series of livestream events produced by Microsoft Gaming to showcase upcoming first-party content from Xbox Game Studios, Bethesda Softworks, Activision, Blizzard Entertainment, a ...
event on June 9. ''Black Ops 6'' was released on October 25, 2024, for
PlayStation 4
The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013, in ...
,
PlayStation 5
The PlayStation 5 (PS5) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was announced as the successor to the PlayStation 4 in April 2019, was launched on November 12, 2020, in Australia, Japan, New Zealand, North ...
,
Windows
Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...
,
Xbox One
The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox series. It was first released in North America, parts of Europe, Austra ...
, and
Xbox Series X/S
The Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S are the fourth generation of consoles in the Xbox series, succeeding the previous generation's Xbox One. Released on November 10, 2020, the higher-end Xbox Series X and lower-end Xbox Series S are part o ...
.
Upon release, ''Black Ops 6'' received generally favorable reviews from critics, achieved the largest launch weekend in the franchise's history, and was nominated for several accolades. All three modes were met with praise, with critics positively highlighting the new omnidirectional movement system. A sequel, titled ''
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7'', is scheduled for release in 2025.
Gameplay
''Call of Duty: Black Ops 6'' is a
first-person shooter
A first-person shooter (FPS) is a video game genre, video game centered on gun fighting and other weapon-based combat seen from a First person (video games), first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action directly through t ...
,
featuring a
single-player
A single-player video game is a video game where input from only one player is expected throughout the gameplay. Video games in general can feature several game modes, including single-player modes designed to be played by a single player in add ...
campaign, a
multiplayer
A multiplayer video game is a video game in which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time, either locally on the same computing system (couch co-op), on different computing systems via a local area network, or ...
component, and the
cooperative
A cooperative (also known as co-operative, coöperative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomy, autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned a ...
round-based
Zombie
A zombie (Haitian French: ; ; Kikongo: ''zumbi'') is a mythological undead corporeal revenant created through the reanimation of a corpse. In modern popular culture, zombies appear in horror genre works. The term comes from Haitian folkl ...
s mode.
New gameplay features in ''Black Ops 6'' include omnidirectional movement mechanics, which allow players to sprint, dive, and slide in any direction;
the game also offers various "Intelligent Movement" settings, which automate certain player actions, including sprinting and mantling.
Players are also able to choose between a selection of established presets that alter the game's
heads-up display
A head-up display, or heads-up display, also known as a HUD () or head-up guidance system (HGS), is any see-through display, transparent display that presents data without requiring users to look away from their usual viewpoints. The origin of t ...
(HUD);
this includes a "Legacy" preset for the Zombies HUD that more closely matches ''
Call of Duty: Black Ops III'' (2015) HUD layout.
The single-player campaign features multiple ways to approach its missions and includes
dialogue tree
A dialogue tree, or conversation tree, is a gameplay mechanic that is used throughout many adventure games (including action-adventure games) and role-playing video games. When interacting with a non-player character, the player is given a choice ...
s for its cast of
non-player character
A non-player character (NPC) is a character in a game that is not controlled by a player. The term originated in traditional tabletop role-playing games where it applies to characters controlled by the gamemaster (or referee) rather than by a ...
s (NPCs).
In-between missions, players are able to access a
safe house
A safe house (also spelled safehouse) is a dwelling place or building whose unassuming appearance makes it an inconspicuous location where one can hide out, take shelter, or conduct clandestine activities.
Historical usage
It may also refer to ...
, where they can plan out missions via an
evidence board
An evidence board (also known as a "conspiracy board," "crazy wall," or "murder map") is a common background feature in thriller and detective fiction movies and TV. It features a collage of media from different sources, pinned to a pinboard or st ...
and interact with NPCs.
Players can also use cash, which is found throughout missions, to purchase various "Operator Perks" that grant improvements to weapons and equipment.
In most missions, players assume the role of rogue
CIA
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA; ) is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States tasked with advancing national security through collecting and analyzing intelligence from around the world and ...
operative William "Case" Calderon, but some missions see players taking control of other characters.
Certain campaign missions reward players with cosmetic items for use in the multiplayer and Zombies modes upon their completion, including weapon blueprints, player skins,
sticker
A sticker is a type of label: a piece of printed paper, plastic, vinyl, or other material with temporary or permanent pressure sensitive adhesive on one side. It can be used for decoration or for functional purposes, depending on the situation. ...
s, and weapon charms.
''Black Ops 6'' multiplayer includes sixteen brand-new
map
A map is a symbolic depiction of interrelationships, commonly spatial, between things within a space. A map may be annotated with text and graphics. Like any graphic, a map may be fixed to paper or other durable media, or may be displayed on ...
s at launch;
twelve of these maps are designed for the game's core six-versus-six (6v6)
game mode In tabletop games and video games, game mechanics define how a game works for players. Game mechanics are the rules or ludemes that govern and guide player actions, as well as the game's response to them. A rule is an instruction on how to play, wh ...
s, and are supplemented by four "Strike" maps, which are designed for both the core 6v6 modes and a selection of two-versus-two (2v2) modes.
Returning multiplayer-specific features from previous ''Call of Duty'' games include the traditional "Prestige" leveling system, which allows players who have reached the maximum player level to reset it up to ten times,
and the "Theater" mode, enabling players on
PlayStation 5
The PlayStation 5 (PS5) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was announced as the successor to the PlayStation 4 in April 2019, was launched on November 12, 2020, in Australia, Japan, New Zealand, North ...
,
Windows
Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...
, and
Xbox Series X/S
The Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S are the fourth generation of consoles in the Xbox series, succeeding the previous generation's Xbox One. Released on November 10, 2020, the higher-end Xbox Series X and lower-end Xbox Series S are part o ...
to rewatch multiplayer matches from the perspective of any player.
In Zombies, one to four players fight endless hordes of the undead, which increase in both number and difficulty with every completed round,
across five maps: "Liberty Falls", "Terminus", "Citadelle des Morts", "The Tomb", and "Shattered Veil".
Each map includes a main quest that players must solve on their own, along with a number of side quests and
easter egg
Easter eggs, also called Paschal eggs, are eggs that are decorated for the Christian holiday of Easter, which celebrates the resurrection of Jesus. As such, Easter eggs are commonly used during the season of Eastertide (Easter season). The ...
s.
Two additional modes—"Directed" and "Grief"—were added to all maps post-launch;
the former allows players to complete main quests with in-game assistance,
while the latter pits two teams of four players against one another as they attempt to survive the undead, while hindering the enemy team indirectly via debuffs.
Zombies features two primary currencies for players to manage: Essence and Salvage; the former is used to purchase doors in order to unlock new parts of the maps and to acquire various player upgrades, including "Perk-a-Cola" cans and upgrades for the player's weapon loadout from the "Pack-a-Punch" machine, while the latter is used to acquire ammo modifications for the player's weapons and build various pieces of lethal and tactical equipment.
Players are also able to obtain "GobbleGums"—single-use consumables that grant the player various in-game effects and abilities—and unlock "Augments", a set of minor and major upgrades to perks, field upgrades and ammo mods. Each gameplay item features up to three minor and major Augments, with one of each type being equippable at the same time, allowing players to customize and experiment with different play styles.
Plot
Campaign
In 1991, amidst the start of
Operation Desert Storm
Operation or Operations may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity
* Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory
* ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...
, CIA operatives Troy Marshall (
Y'lan Noel
Y'lan Noel (born August 19, 1988) is an American actor. He is known for portraying Daniel King in the HBO television series ''Insecure'' (2016–2018), and the lead role of Dmitri Cimber in the horror film ''The First Purge'' (2018). For his rol ...
) and William "Case" Calderon, along with handler Jane Harrow (
Dawn Olivieri
Dawn Olivieri (born February 8, 1981) is an American actress. She played Lydia in ''Heroes'', and Monica Talbot in ''House of Lies''.
Olivieri is a frequent participant in Taylor Sheridan produced television productions. She portrayed Claire D ...
), are deployed to the
Iraq–Kuwait border
The Iraq–Kuwait border is 254 km (158 mi) in length and runs from the tripoint with Saudi Arabia in the west to the Persian Gulf coast in the east.
Description
The border starts in the west at the Saudi tripoint on the Wadi al-Batin, and ...
to extract Iraqi
minister of defence
A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divid ...
Saeed Alawi (Jordan Bielsky), but are forced to go off mission when Alawi claims to be targeted by a rogue paramilitary force called "Pantheon". After surviving an encounter with Pantheon forces, the team prepares to extract Alawi, but he is executed by Russell Adler (
Bruce Thomas Bruce Thomas may refer to:
* Bruce Thomas (musician) (born 1948)
* Bruce Thomas (actor)
Bruce Thomas is an American actor. He is well known for being the motion capture actor of Master Chief in ''Halo 4'', '' Halo 5: Guardians'' and ''Halo Infin ...
), a rogue agent who fled from the CIA after he was framed as a mole for the
Nicaragua
Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the geographically largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, comprising . With a population of 7,142,529 as of 2024, it is the third-most populous country in Central America aft ...
n drug lord Raul Menendez. Adler allows himself to be captured, telling Marshall to relay a message to fellow operative Frank Woods (Damon Victor Allen): "Bishop takes Rook". Afterwards,
CIA Deputy Director Daniel Livingstone (
Lou Diamond Phillips
Louis Diamond Phillips (né Upchurch; born February 17, 1962) is an American actor, director, and writer. His breakthrough came when he starred as Ritchie Valens in the biographical drama film '' La Bamba'' (1987). For his performance as Angel ...
) reprimands the team for Alawi's death, ignores their warnings about Pantheon, and suspends Woods, Marshall, and Case from duty.
Woods reveals to Marshall that Adler's message refers to an abandoned
KGB
The Committee for State Security (, ), abbreviated as KGB (, ; ) was the main security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 to 1991. It was the direct successor of preceding Soviet secret police agencies including the Cheka, Joint State Polit ...
safe house in
Bulgaria
Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...
—code-named "the Rook"—that the two discovered in 1976, and decides to go there with Marshall and Case to investigate Pantheon; Harrow stays behind to cover for their absence. After using Adler's files to recruit ex-
Stasi
The Ministry for State Security (, ; abbreviated MfS), commonly known as the (, an abbreviation of ), was the Intelligence agency, state security service and secret police of East Germany from 1950 to 1990. It was one of the most repressive pol ...
technical genius Felix Neumann (
Seamus Dever
Seamus Patrick Dever (born July 27, 1976) is an American actor known for his role as Detective Kevin Ryan in the ABC series ''Castle''.
Early life
Dever was born in Flint, Michigan, and moved at the age of six to Bullhead City, Arizona, ...
) and assassin Sevati "Sev" Dumas (
Karen David
Karen Shenaz David (born 15 April 1979) is a Canadian actress, singer, and songwriter, best known for portraying Princess Isabella Maria Lucia Elizabetta of Valencia in ABC's fairytale-themed musical-comedy television series '' Galavant'', as ...
), the team moves to break Adler out of a CIA
black site hidden under
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
, while a political event hosted by Governor
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...
(
Jim Meskimen
James Ross ”Jim” Meskimen (born September 10, 1959) is an American actor, comedian and impressionist. He has appeared in films for director Ron Howard, as well as films by Paul Thomas Anderson and Garry Marshall. He has also been the voice ...
) takes place above ground. The team extracts Adler just as Pantheon assaults the black site, but they are blamed for the attack instead and are declared fugitives. Adler reveals that Pantheon has been engaging in weapons deals with
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein (28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician and revolutionary who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 1979 until Saddam Hussein statue destruction, his overthrow in 2003 during the 2003 invasion of Ira ...
; with the help of
MI6
The Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), commonly known as MI6 ( Military Intelligence, Section 6), is the foreign intelligence service of the United Kingdom, tasked mainly with the covert overseas collection and analysis of human intelligenc ...
agent Helen Park (
Lily Cowles
Lily Cowles (born September 7, 1987) is an American actress known for her role as Isabel Evans, Isobel Evans in Roswell, New Mexico (TV series), ''Roswell, New Mexico'' and Helen Park in ''Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War''.
Early life and educ ...
) and allied
SAS forces, the team assaults one of Hussein's palaces in western Iraq, where they find "the Cradle", a
psychochemical weapon that originated from an abandoned CIA biolab in
Kentucky
Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...
.
While Adler stays behind to track down Pantheon's head scientist, Matvey Gusev (
Yuri Lowenthal
Yuri Lowenthal (born March 5, 1971) is an American voice actor known for his work in cartoons, anime, and video games. Some of his prominent voice roles in video games include Peter Parker / Spider-Man in various video games associated with t ...
), Case, Marshall, and Sev investigate the biolab. Case accidentally inhales Cradle gas and hallucinates fighting off
undead creatures while hearing a woman's voice, which explains that Pantheon was originally a secret CIA division overseeing Cradle's development as a
performance-enhancing drug
Performance-enhancing substances (PESs), also known as performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs), are substances that are used to improve any form of activity performance in humans.
Many substances, such as anabolic steroids, can be used to improve at ...
, with Case being the only test subject, before Livingstone shut down the project and disbanded Pantheon. When Case regains his senses, the team discovers that Pantheon has already stolen the biolab's stores of Cradle, and also find a recording revealing that Harrow is working with Pantheon. Using clues in the recording, the team steals financial records from a casino in the European principality of Avalon, which reveal that the casino had been wiring money to Gusev in Iraq. Afterwards, Case and Marshall reunite with Adler in Kuwait and work with his old ally,
U.S. Army
The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...
Captain Lawrence Sims (Reggie Watkins), to capture Gusev, who reveals that the Cradle is being stored in
Vorkuta
Vorkuta (; ; Nenets languages, Nenets for "the abundance of bears", "bear corner") is a coal-mining types of inhabited localities in Russia, town in the Komi Republic, Russia, situated just north of the Arctic Circle in the Pechora coal basin a ...
.
The team raids Vorkuta, and while they are unable to stop the Cradle from being moved, they capture Harrow and bring her to the Rook for interrogation. Adler injects Harrow with a truth serum, prompting her to reveal that she joined Pantheon after they leaked information claiming that Adler killed her parents, and that Pantheon is planning to use the Cradle to carry out a
false flag attack
A false flag operation is an act committed with the intent of disguising the actual source of responsibility and pinning blame on another party. The term "false flag" originated in the 16th century as an expression meaning an intentional misrep ...
on the
Capitol Building with the goal of discrediting Livingstone and replacing him with Harrow, putting them in control of the CIA. Pantheon forces assault the Rook and rescue Harrow; Case gives chase and boards Harrow's escape helicopter, causing it to crash in the river. Under the influence of released Cradle gas, Case strangles Harrow to death before presumably drowning. Marshall tries to radio Case, explaining that Livingstone managed to evacuate the Capitol. Two weeks later, the team meets with Livingstone, who asks them to continue working as an independent clandestine unit in order to eradicate Pantheon and its true leaders, who are conducting operations in Avalon. Meanwhile, Pantheon operative Jackson Caine (
Rick Pasqualone
Richard Rocco "Rick" Pasqualone (born March 30, 1966) is an American actor. He is best known for his voice roles as Vito Scaletta in '' Mafia II'' and Doctor Strange in various media.
Career
Pasqualone first started acting in 1990 when he was ca ...
) infiltrates Livingstone's office and accesses his computer.
Multiplayer
In December 1991, Marshall and Sev organize a meeting with members of the Rogue Black Ops team to discuss their next move against Pantheon, who has infiltrated the criminal underworld in Avalon. Sev suggests establishing an alliance with a local crime family, the French Syndicate, by helping them take down a rival organization, the Luttazzi Family. Following several successful attacks on the Luttazzi's operations, a bounty is issued on Sev and Marshall. Shortly after, during a celebration, Sev and her associates are attacked by a mysterious assassin code-named "Nocturne"; Sev manages to escape, but Nocturne and his followers give chase.
Days later, Adler contacts Woods from the Rogue team's hideout in Avalon, where the latter reveals that he received a
VHS tape
VHS (Video Home System) is a discontinued standard for consumer-level analog video recording on tape cassettes, introduced in 1976 by JVC. It was the dominant home video format throughout the tape media period of the 1980s and 1990s.
Mag ...
containing potential intel regarding Pantheon from fellow CIA agent Jason Hudson, some time following his death in December 1989. In the tape, Hudson reveals that Pantheon has been involved in many major CIA operations, including their activities during the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
and the
Soviet–Afghan War
The Soviet–Afghan War took place in the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan from December 1979 to February 1989. Marking the beginning of the 46-year-long Afghan conflict, it saw the Soviet Union and the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic o ...
, and their assault on a Soviet "numbers station" in the
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico () is an oceanic basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southw ...
in 1968. Hudson says he has compiled his findings, while he entrusts the tape's recipient to finish his work. Using the data, Adler and the Rogue team uncover a list of every Pantheon agent embedded in the CIA, but find that the code names are encoded using a Soviet cipher. The following month, in January 1992, the team raids Camp Zeta, a CIA black site in
Iceland
Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...
, where they break out Vikhor "Stitch" Kuzmin—the former leader of the
Perseus spy ring, who was captured by Adler in August 1984.
Zombies
On February 18, 1991, a breach between Earth and the "Dark Aether" dimension occurs, unleashing zombies on the populace of Liberty Falls, a small
West Virginian town that acts as a staging ground for "Project Janus": a classified CIA operation headed by Edward Richtofen (
Nolan North
Nolan North (born October 31, 1970) is an American actor best known for his voice acting roles.
After his breakthrough role as Dr. Chris Ramsey on the ABC soap opera '' Port Charles'' in 1997, North moved into voice acting when the show ended ...
), the former Director of the CIA task force "Requiem", which contained several Dark Aether outbreaks during the 1980s before Richtofen shut it down and had its senior staff detained. During the outbreak, Richtofen is phased to an unknown location, while his subordinate, Security Chief John Blanchard (Adam Gifford), attempts to reach out to a response team. A group of operators—dubbed "Alpha Team"—answers Blanchard's distress call and follows his instructions to help contain the breach. The group is told to rescue several Project Janus scientists, but they only manage to find Dr. Pericles Panos, who has lost his corporeal form and is trapped within a Dark Aether-corrupted church. Panos instructs Alpha Team to build a device to help clear the Dark Aether phase, but they later realize that it was a ruse, as Panos instead absorbs their energy to regain a physical form and exit the Dark Aether, while Alpha Team remains trapped in his place.
Meanwhile, at Terminus Island, a remote Project Janus research facility located in the
Philippine Sea
The Philippine Sea is a List of seas#Marginal seas by ocean, marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean, Western Pacific Ocean east of the list of islands of the Philippines, Philippine Archipelago (hence the name) and the List of seas#Largest seas ...
, former KGB scientist Dr. William Peck frees Requiem's senior staff—Special Officer Grigori Weaver (
Gene Farber
Gene Farber (born November 14, 1978, in Minsk, Belarus) is an American actor of Belarusian-Jewish descent.
Filmography
Films
*''Virtuality'' (2010)
*''Das Boot'' (2010)
*'' X-Men: First Class'' (2011) - Soviet Radioman
*''Idiot'' (2012)
*''The ...
), Doctors Elizabeth Grey and Oskar Strauss, Major Mackenzie Carver (Keston John), and Captain Stoney "Raptor One" Maddox (
Derek Phillips)—from their imprisonment at the facility. Working with Filipina smuggler Maya Aguinaldo (
Chantelle Barry
Chantelle Barry (born 18 March 1980) is an Australian musician and actress from Perth, Western Australia, Perth, best known for being in the original line-up of girl group Bardot (Australian band), Bardot before leaving the group suddenly under ...
), who believes that her brother Nathan is imprisoned at Terminus, Peck proposes an alliance with Requiem to eliminate Richtofen. A second breach occurs simultaneously with the one at Liberty Falls, forcing Weaver, Grey, Carver, and Maya to fend off waves of zombies, while Peck and Strauss attempt to pinpoint Richtofen's location from Terminus' command center, with Raptor One securing a helicopter to help with their extraction. The team eventually finds Nathan, who has been mutated following various experiments conducted on him by Dr. Revati Modi (Sohm Kapila), the head of Terminus, and is forced to kill him.
The team establishes communications with the Synaptic Algorithm Module (S.A.M.)—an
artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) is the capability of computer, computational systems to perform tasks typically associated with human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, and decision-making. It is a field of re ...
system designed by Richtofen based on the personality of Samantha Maxis, a former ally of Requiem who trapped herself in the Dark Aether in 1985 in an effort to contain the previous outbreaks. With S.A.M.'s help, the team locates Modi, who fled from the facility in a
submarine
A submarine (often shortened to sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. (It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability.) The term "submarine" is also sometimes used historically or infor ...
during the outbreak, and forces her to return to Terminus. As the team confronts Modi, a gigantic aquatic monster appears, consuming Modi and her submarine before attempting—and failing—to kill Requiem. Afterwards, S.A.M. reveals to the team that Richtofen is obsessed with researching the "Sentinel Artifact", an object of power that controls a primordial substance known as "Prima Materia". Traces of the Sentinel Artifact were found in Avalon, where the French Syndicate has kidnapped demonologist Gabriel Krafft (
Darin De Paul
Darin De Paul is an American voice actor known for his video game performances as Dr. Samuel Hayden / Seraphim in ''Doom'' and ''Doom Eternal'', Reinhardt in '' Overwatch and Overwatch 2'', Ardyn Izunia in ''Final Fantasy XV'', Revenant in Ape ...
), while Requiem's former ally, ex-
Spetsnaz
SpetsnazThe term is borrowed from rus, спецназ, p=spʲɪtsˈnas; abbreviation for or 'Special Purpose Military Units'; or () are special forces in many post-Soviet states. Historically, this term referred to the Soviet Union's Spet ...
captain Sergei Ravenov (Andrew Morgado), is working for them as an enforcer. Believing that the Sentinel Artifact may be key to rescuing Maxis from the Dark Aether, the team sets Avalon as their next destination. Maya, who wishes to avenge Nathan by going after the Syndicate's leader, François "Franco" Moreau, also agrees to join them.
A week after the outbreaks at Liberty Falls and Terminus Island, Requiem travels to a village in Avalon and finds a drunken Ravenov, who still mourns the loss of Maxis. Ravenov reveals to the team that the Syndicate was paid to torture Krafft for information, though he refused to speak. An outbreak occurs, forcing the team to move to find Krafft, while Peck and Ravenov provide them with tactical support. They enter a castle near the village and find Krafft imprisoned within its dungeon. Krafft asks Requiem to find the "Obscurus Altilium", an amulet that can help them locate the Sentinel Artifact. While the team follows Krafft's instructions, Maya wanders off alone to find Franco and kill him. After solving several puzzles and completing rituals, the team recovers a key that summons The Guardian, a giant stone golem that protects the amulet. They manage to defeat the Guardian and recover the amulet, but is unable to save Krafft from being attacked by the zombies. In his dying breath, Krafft tells Requiem to go to an excavation site nearby, and warns them not to let the Sentinel Artifact consume them. He also begs them to not kill Richtofen, who he reveals to be his adopted son.
At the excavation site, the Obscurus Altilium shows Requiem echoes of the past, where British archeologist Sir Archibald Fotherington-Smythe attempted to uncover the Sentinel Artifact in 1908. With Sir Archibald's indirect assistance, the team finds a portal to a Dark Aether Nexus, and discovers the Artifact within it. Following a series of trials, they acquire the Artifact, combine it with the amulet, and exfil from the site. S.A.M. tasks Requiem with traveling to Liberty Falls, where unique elements can be found to properly activate and control the Artifact.
Three days later, Requiem arrives at Sam Colton Hall, an old mansion located in Liberty Falls, where Project Janus set up their operations. S.A.M. tasks the team with performing various rituals to power up the Sentinel Artifact with Prima Materia. After doing so, they enter her mainframe chamber and give her the Artifact. S.A.M. then teleports the team to a room where Richtofen is imprisoned. Richtofen confronts Weaver and reveals that he and Maxis were responsible for a failed assassination hit on the former ten years prior, which resulted in the deaths of Richtofen's wife and son, Mary and Samuel. Since then, Richtofen has researched various methods to bring both of them back to life, while Requiem was created to keep Weaver and the others in check. Requiem forms a truce with Richtofen and, using a device in the latter's possession, escapes the mansion, though the residual energy from the device causes a
Tyrannosaurus Rex
''Tyrannosaurus'' () is a genus of large theropoda, theropod dinosaur. The type species ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' ( meaning 'king' in Latin), often shortened to ''T. rex'' or colloquially t-rex, is one of the best represented theropods. It live ...
skeleton in the mansion to reanimate. After defeating the "Z-Rex", Richtofen reveals to Requiem that S.A.M. intends to use the Sentinel Artifact to recreate and inhabit Maxis' body, giving her ultimate control over the Dark Aether. The group then heads toward Janus Towers, a former nuclear facility located nearby, where the Aether reactors are approaching meltdown.
Development
''Black Ops 6'' was co-developed by
Treyarch
Treyarch Corporation ( ; formerly Treyarch Invention LLC) is an American video game developer based in Los Angeles with Additional studio locations in Vancouver, Canada; and Austin, Texas. Founded in 1996 by Peter Akemann and Doğan Köslü, it ...
and
Raven Software
Raven Software Corporation (trade name: Raven; formerly Raven Software, Inc.) is an American video game developer based in Middleton, Wisconsin, and part of Activision. Founded in May 1990 by brothers Brian and Steve Raffel, the company is most ...
, with Raven leading production on the game's single-player campaign and Treyarch developing the multiplayer and Zombies modes.
The game boasts a four-year development cycle,
the longest in ''Call of Duty'' history;
a game designer at Treyarch has stated that she had been
play-testing the title since 2022.
Initial details surrounding ''Black Ops 6'' began to surface in November 2023, when ''
Windows Central
Future plc is a British publishing company. It was started in 1985 by Chris Anderson. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.
History
1985–2012
The company was founded by Chris Anderson as ...
'' reported that the game would be set during the
Gulf War
, combatant2 =
, commander1 =
, commander2 =
, strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems
, page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...
and feature a story focused on the
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA; ) is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States tasked with advancing national security through collecting and analyzing intelligence from around the world and ...
(CIA).
Jack Wall, who has scored every ''Black Ops'' title since ''
Call of Duty: Black Ops II'' (2012), composed the music for ''Black Ops 6'',
with Jim Lordeman,
Jimmy Hinson
Jimmy Hinson, also known as Big Giant Circles, is an American musician and composer in the video games industry. Originally adopting the name as a hobbyist submitting video game music remixes/rearrangements to OverClocked ReMix, Hinson now active ...
, and Canadian rock duo
Romes providing additional music;
Wall collaborated with Hinson and Romes on the main theme song for the game's multiplayer, titled "Raining the Fire".
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company, technology conglomerate headquartered in Redmond, Washington. Founded in 1975, the company became influential in the History of personal computers#The ear ...
's
acquisition of Activision Blizzard and its studios in 2023 marked the end of an exclusivity deal between
Sony
is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at Sony City in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The Sony Group encompasses various businesses, including Sony Corporation (electronics), Sony Semiconductor Solutions (i ...
and
Activision
Activision Publishing, Inc. is an American video game publisher based in Santa Monica, California. It serves as the publishing business for its parent company, Activision Blizzard, and consists of several subsidiary studios. Activision is one o ...
, which saw ''Call of Duty'' titles receive exclusive content and offers on
PlayStation
is a video gaming brand owned and produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), a division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. Its flagship products consists of a series of home video game consoles produced under the brand; it also consists ...
platforms. Though Microsoft had a similar deal with Activision for the
Xbox
Xbox is a video gaming brand that consists of four main home video game console lines, as well as application software, applications (games), the streaming media, streaming service Xbox Cloud Gaming, and online services such as the Xbox networ ...
consoles prior to 2015,
Microsoft Gaming
Microsoft Gaming is an American multinational video game and digital entertainment division of Microsoft based in Redmond, Washington, established in 2022. Its five development and publishing labels consist of: Xbox Game Studios, Bethesda Soft ...
's CEO
Phil Spencer has stated that moving forward, the franchise will have no exclusivity deals, with content parity across all supported platforms.
Marketing
On May 22, 2024, a website titled "The Truth Lies" went live and was posted on ''Call of Duty''s social media channels. The website featured several real-life video clips of global monuments, such as
Mount Rushmore
The Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a National Memorial (United States), national memorial centered on a colossal sculpture carved into the granite face of Mount Rushmore (, or Six Grandfathers) in the Black Hills near Keystone, South Dak ...
and
Brandenburg Gate
The Brandenburg Gate ( ) is an 18th-century Neoclassical architecture, neoclassical monument in Berlin. One of the best-known landmarks of Germany, it was erected on the site of a former city gate that marked the start of the road from Berlin t ...
, being vandalized by a group of people, as well as fictional news reports on the vandalism.
The clips featured a three-headed dog logo, which was first seen in Microsoft's announcement for the 2024
Xbox Games Showcase
Xbox Developer Direct (stylized as ''Developer_Direct'') is a series of livestream events produced by Microsoft Gaming to showcase upcoming first-party content from Xbox Game Studios, Bethesda Softworks, Activision, Blizzard Entertainment, a ...
event,
which stated that the event would be immediately followed by a "
EDACTEDDirect" presentation that would act as "a special deep dive into the next installment of a beloved franchise".
On May 23, several newspaper outlets, such as ''
USA Today
''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...
'' and The ''
New York Post
The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative
daily Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates three online sites: NYPost. ...
'', featured "The Truth Lies" advertisements on their front pages.
On the same day, Activision officially announced ''Black Ops 6'' and confirmed that the
EDACTEDDirect would be centered on the game.
The airing of the ''Black Ops 6'' Direct presentation on June 9 featured a 25-minute long look at the title, offering insight into the game's storyline, its gameplay mechanics, and the Zombies mode;
further details about the multiplayer and Zombies modes, as well as details regarding ''Black Ops 6'' integration into ''
Call of Duty: Warzone'', were revealed at the 2024 Call of Duty: Next showcase event on August 28.
Ahead of the ''Black Ops 6'' Direct, Activision released two
live-action
Live action is a form of cinematography or videography that uses photography instead of animation. Some works combine live action with animation to create a live-action animated feature film. Live action is used to define film, video games or ...
teaser trailers for the game.
The first teaser, titled "Open Your Eyes", was published on ''Call of Duty''
YouTube
YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
channel on May 27.
It largely consists of footage from news shows and television adverts from the early 1990s, narrated by a distorted male voice, who directly speaks to the viewer, telling them to "stop being
sheep
Sheep (: sheep) or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are a domesticated, ruminant mammal typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus '' Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to d ...
and become wolves";
brief glimpses at gameplay footage from the title were also included in the teaser.
The second teaser, which featured several real-world political leaders, including former
U.S. presidents
The president of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States, indirectly elected to a four-year term via the Electoral College. Under the U.S. Constitution, the officeholder leads the executive branch ...
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...
and
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker BushBefore the outcome of the 2000 United States presidential election, he was usually referred to simply as "George Bush" but became more commonly known as "George H. W. Bush", "Bush Senior," "Bush 41," and even "Bush th ...
, former
U.S. secretary of state
The United States secretary of state (SecState) is a member of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States and the head of the U.S. Department of State.
The secretary of state serves as the principal advisor to the p ...
Colin Powell
Colin Luther Powell ( ; – ) was an Americans, American diplomat, and army officer who was the 65th United States secretary of state from 2001 to 2005. He was the first African-American to hold the office. He was the 15th National Security ...
, ex-
UK prime minister
The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister Advice (constitutional law), advises the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, sovereign on the exercise of much of the Royal prerogative ...
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013), was a British stateswoman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of th ...
, and former
Iraq president Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein (28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician and revolutionary who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 1979 until Saddam Hussein statue destruction, his overthrow in 2003 during the 2003 invasion of Ira ...
, was published the following day.
Additionally, teasers for ''Black Ops 6'' began to appear in ''Warzone'', including a cinematic featuring ''Black Ops'' character Frank Woods.
On August 1, Treyarch and Activision revealed a new version of "The Truth Lies" website—named "The Truth Dies"—which featured teasers for the Zombies mode.
On August 6, a cinematic trailer for the Zombies map "Terminus" was released, along with details on the Zombies storyline for ''Black Ops 6'' and its cast of characters;
a full breakdown of the mode's gameplay systems was published on the ''Call of Duty'' blog on August 8.
On August 20, Raven Software presented gameplay footage from the campaign at
Gamescom
Gamescom (stylized as ''gamescom'') is a trade fair for video games held annually at the Koelnmesse in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Gamescom is the world's largest gaming event, with 370,000 visitors and 1,037 exhibitors from 56 ...
2024.
In the following days, Treyarch released a cinematic trailer for the Zombies map "Liberty Falls",
and premiered Jack Wall's theme song for ''Black Ops 6'' multiplayer.
Release
''Black Ops 6'' was released on October 25, 2024,
for
PlayStation 4
The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013, in ...
,
PlayStation 5
The PlayStation 5 (PS5) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was announced as the successor to the PlayStation 4 in April 2019, was launched on November 12, 2020, in Australia, Japan, New Zealand, North ...
,
Windows
Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...
,
Xbox One
The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox series. It was first released in North America, parts of Europe, Austra ...
, and
Xbox Series X/S
The Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S are the fourth generation of consoles in the Xbox series, succeeding the previous generation's Xbox One. Released on November 10, 2020, the higher-end Xbox Series X and lower-end Xbox Series S are part o ...
.
The title was made available to subscribers of select
Xbox Game Pass
The Xbox Game Pass is a subscription service as part of Xbox and offered by Microsoft Gaming. Launched on June 1, 2017, the service allows users to download and play video games via video game consoles, Microsoft Windows, Android, iOS, iPad ...
plans on release day, including Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass for Console.
It is also available on select
cloud gaming
Cloud gaming, sometimes called gaming on demand or game streaming, is a type of Online game, online gaming that runs video games on remote Server (computing), servers and Streaming media, streams the game's output (video, sound, etc.) directly to ...
platforms, including
GeForce Now
GeForce Now (stylized as GeForce NOW) is the brand used by Nvidia for its cloud gaming service. The Nvidia Shield version of GeForce Now, formerly known as Nvidia Grid, launched in beta in 2013, with Nvidia officially unveiling its name on Septe ...
and
Xbox Cloud Gaming
Xbox Cloud Gaming, also simply known as Xbox Cloud, is a cloud gaming service as part of Xbox offered by Microsoft Gaming. Initially released in beta testing in November 2019, the service later launched for subscribers of Xbox Game Pass Ult ...
.
The game requires a continuous internet connection to play all of its modes, including the single-player campaign; Activision has stated that the requirement is due to a texture streaming feature, which is used to ensure the best possible visual quality without significantly increasing the game's file size.
''Black Ops 6'' was blocked from sale in
Kuwait
Kuwait, officially the State of Kuwait, is a country in West Asia and the geopolitical region known as the Middle East. It is situated in the northern edge of the Arabian Peninsula at the head of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Kuwait ...
prior to its release, with all preorders in the country being cancelled and refunded.
No reason was given by Kuwaiti officials for the ban; publications speculated it was due to the game's Gulf War setting.
Multiplayer beta
Those who pre-ordered ''Black Ops 6'' or had an active subscription to Xbox Game Pass received early access to an open
beta
Beta (, ; uppercase , lowercase , or cursive ; or ) is the second letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals, it has a value of 2. In Ancient Greek, beta represented the voiced bilabial plosive . In Modern Greek, it represe ...
test for the game's multiplayer component. The early access period took place from August 30 to September 4, while a second period, available to all players, began on September 6 and concluded on September 9.
Critic impressions of ''Black Ops 6'' beta were mostly positive;
critics highlighted the omnidirectional movement system as a standout feature,
but had mixed responses towards the game's map design
and gunplay.
Post-release updates
Following the game's release, Treyarch has been supporting ''Black Ops 6'' with free seasonal
updates, which add new content to the multiplayer and Zombies modes, including new
map
A map is a symbolic depiction of interrelationships, commonly spatial, between things within a space. A map may be annotated with text and graphics. Like any graphic, a map may be fixed to paper or other durable media, or may be displayed on ...
s, weapons, playable characters, and
game mode In tabletop games and video games, game mechanics define how a game works for players. Game mechanics are the rules or ludemes that govern and guide player actions, as well as the game's response to them. A rule is an instruction on how to play, wh ...
s.
Each "season" also features a premium
battle pass
In the video game industry, a battle pass or rewards track is a type of monetization approach that provides additional content for a game usually through a tiered system, rewarding the player with in-game items for playing the game and complet ...
and a series of cosmetic items, which can be purchased by players through an in-game store.
Six total seasons are planned for the game;
the first season was released on November 14, 2024;
the second season was released on January 28, 2025;
the third season was released on April 2;
the fourth (and current) season was released on May 29.
Each seasonal update also includes
crossover
Crossover may refer to:
Entertainment
Music
Albums
* ''Cross Over'' (album), a 1987 album by Dan Peek, or the title song
* ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987
* ''Crossover'', an album by Intrigue
* ''Crossover'', an album by ...
content with several media franchises and
celebrities
Celebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group due to the attention given to them by mass media. The word is also used to refer to famous individuals. A person may attain celebrity status by having great w ...
in the form of playable characters for the multiplayer and Zombies modes, including characters from
Netflix
Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
's ''
Squid Game
''Squid Game'' () is a South Korean Utopian and dystopian fiction, dystopian Survival film, survival Thriller (genre)#Television, thriller horror television series created, written and directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk for Netflix. The series revol ...
'' TV series, such as the
Front Man, the Pink Guards, the VIPs, and Young-hee,
the
T-800 T8 or T-8 may refer to the following:
Measurement
* T8, a Torx screwhead size
* T8, a 1 inch fluorescent lamp formats, fluorescent lamp size
* A tornado intensity rating on the TORRO scale
Biology
* The 8th thoracic vertebrae, thoracic vertebra
* ...
, based on its appearance in ''
The Terminator
''The Terminator'' is a 1984 American science fiction action film directed by James Cameron, written by Cameron and Gale Anne Hurd and produced by Hurd. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Terminator, a cybernetic assassin sent back in t ...
'' (1984),
characters from the ''
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' (''TMNT'') is an American media franchise created by comic book artists Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. It follows Leonardo (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Leonardo, Donatello (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), D ...
'' franchise, such as
Leonardo,
Donatello
Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi ( – 13 December 1466), known mononymously as Donatello (; ), was an Italian Renaissance sculpture, Italian sculptor of the Renaissance period. Born in Republic of Florence, Florence, he studied classical sc ...
,
Raphael
Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino (; March 28 or April 6, 1483April 6, 1520), now generally known in English as Raphael ( , ), was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. List of paintings by Raphael, His work is admired for its cl ...
,
Michelangelo
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (6March 147518February 1564), known mononymously as Michelangelo, was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in the Republic of Florence, his work was inspir ...
, and
Splinter
A splinter (also known as a sliver) is a fragment of a larger object, or a foreign body that penetrates or is purposely injected into a body. The foreign body must be lodged inside tissue to be considered a splinter. Splinters may cause initia ...
,
the
View Askewniverse
The View Askewniverse is a fictional universe created by writer/director Kevin Smith, featured in several films, comics and a television series; it is named for Smith's production company, View Askew Productions. The characters Jay and Silent ...
characters
Jay and Silent Bob
Jay and Silent Bob are fictional characters portrayed by American actors Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith, respectively. They appear in the View Askewniverse, a fictional universe used in most of the films, comics, and television programs written and ...
(voiced by
Jason Mewes
Jason Edward Mewes (born June 12, 1974) is an American actor, comedian, film producer, and podcaster. He is best known for playing Jay, the vocal half of the duo Jay and Silent Bob, in longtime friend Kevin Smith's View Askewniverse franchise.
E ...
and
Kevin Smith
Kevin Patrick Smith (born August 2, 1970) is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. He came to prominence with the low-budget buddy comedy film ''Clerks (film), Clerks'' (1994), which he wrote, directed, co-produced, and acted i ...
, respectively),
actor
Seth Rogen
Seth Aaron Rogen (; born April 15, 1982) is a Canadian actor, comedian, and filmmaker. Known primarily for his comedic Leading actor, leading man roles in films, the accolades he has received include nominations for three Golden Globe Awards, ...
,
and Eve Macarro (
Ana de Armas
Ana Celia de Armas Caso (; born 30 April 1988) is a Cuban and Spanish actress. She began her career in Cuba with a leading role in the romantic drama '' Una rosa de Francia'' (2006). At the age of 18, she moved to Madrid, Spain, and starred in ...
) from the ''
John Wick
''John Wick'' is an American media franchise created by Derek Kolstad. It centers on a neo-noir action thriller film series featuring titular character portrayed by Keanu Reeves. Wick is a legendary hitman who is reluctantly drawn back int ...
'' spin-off film ''
Ballerina
A ballet dancer is a person who practices the art of classical ballet. Both females and males can practice ballet. They rely on years of extensive training and proper technique to become a part of a professional ballet company. Ballet dancer ...
'' (2025).
Reception
Critical reception
''Black Ops 6'' received "generally favorable reviews" from critics, according to the
review aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews and ratings of products and services, such as films, books, video games, music, software, hardware, or cars. This system then stores the reviews to be used for supporting a website where user ...
website
Metacritic
Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
.
OpenCritic
OpenCritic is a review aggregation website for video games. OpenCritic lists reviews from critics across multiple video game publications for the games listed on the site. The website then generates a numeric score by averaging all of the numeri ...
determined that 92% of critics recommended the game.
In Japan, four critics from ''
Famitsu
, formerly , is a line of Japanese Video game journalism, video game magazines published by Kadokawa Game Linkage (previously known as Gzbrain), a subsidiary of Kadokawa Corporation, Kadokawa. ''Famitsu'' is published in both weekly and monthly f ...
'' gave the game a total score of 34 out of 40.
Reviewers had a generally positive response towards the game's single-player campaign. ''IGN'' Simon Cardy gave the campaign a 9/10 rating, writing that it was a "hugely welcome reinvigoration" of the series.
''GameSpot'' Phil Hornshaw praised the campaign's mission design and its cast of characters, but found himself to be "lost" during some parts of the campaign's narrative.
Luke Kemp of ''
GamesRadar+
''GamesRadar+'' (formerly ''GamesRadar'') is an entertainment website for video game-related news, previews, and reviews. It is owned by Future plc. In late 2014, Future Publishing-owned sites ''Total Film'', '' SFX'', '' Edge'' and '' Compute ...
'' also praised the game's mission design and commended the inclusion of
supernatural
Supernatural phenomena or entities are those beyond the Scientific law, laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin 'above, beyond, outside of' + 'nature'. Although the corollary term "nature" has had multiple meanin ...
elements in some of its missions.
''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' Keith Stuart stated that the campaign's missions provided "short, sharp genre exercises that each bring different flavours to the central gameplay conceit of killing as many soldiers as possible."
The multiplayer component received praise from critics. ''IGN'' Seth G. Macy gave the multiplayer a 8/10 rating, commending the game's selection of maps, its gunplay, and the omnidirectional movement system, but noting that the latter did not "necessarily help
imcompetitively except in very specific situations."
Hornshaw also praised the omnidirectional movement, stating that it creates "a really high degree of fluidity", but offered criticism towards the multiplayer's
respawn system, which he felt was negatively affected by the "cramped" design of the game's maps.
''
VG247
Gamer Network Limited (formerly Eurogamer Network Limited) is a British digital media company based in London. Founded in 1999 by Rupert and Nick Loman, it owns brands—primarily editorial websites—relating to video game journalism and ot ...
'' Fran Ruiz wrote that ''Black Ops 6'' multiplayer was "an absolute blast to play", and that it was the "most tight and polished the series has felt in more than a decade."
Both Kemp and ''
Digital Trends
Digital Trends is a Portland, Oregon-based tech news, lifestyle, and information website that publishes news, reviews, guides, how-to articles, descriptive videos and podcasts about technology and consumer electronics products. With offices in P ...
'' Billy Givens liked the game's perk system, with the latter writing that he appreciated the need to "consider the risk and rewards of choosing or abandoning perks
e'dtypically rolled with in previous games."
The Zombies mode was also met with positive reviews; critics liked the mode's return to its round-based gameplay format, as opposed to the mode's
open world
In video games, an open world is a virtual world in which the Gamer, player can approach objectives freely, as opposed to a world with more linear and structured gameplay. Notable games in this category include ''The Legend of Zelda (video game ...
design in the previous ''Call of Duty'' title, ''
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III'' (2023).
''IGN'' Will Borger gave Zombies an 8/10 rating, stating that the mode is "absurd and campy and amazing and goofy in all the right ways"; he praised the mode's launch maps, "Terminus" and "Liberty Falls", and its hidden quests and
easter egg
Easter eggs, also called Paschal eggs, are eggs that are decorated for the Christian holiday of Easter, which celebrates the resurrection of Jesus. As such, Easter eggs are commonly used during the season of Eastertide (Easter season). The ...
s, but disliked the "deeply annoying" dialogue for its characters.
''GamesRadar+'' features editor Andrew Brown also praised the launch maps, and stated that ''Black Ops 6'' version of Zombies revitalized his love for the mode as a whole.
Stuart wrote that Zombies was "fraught and incredibly stressful" but said that it was "a real blast" with friends.
Ruiz felt that Zombies "greatly benefited" from the omnidirectional movement system.
Sales
''Black Ops 6'' achieved the largest launch weekend in the franchise's history,
and was the
best-selling video game in the United States in 2024.
Microsoft's CEO
Satya Nadella
Satya Narayana Nadella (; born 19 August 1967) is an Indian-born American business executive who is the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of Microsoft, succeeding Steve Ballmer in 2014 as CEO and John W. Thompson in 2021 as chairman. B ...
noted high player engagement on release day and an increase in new Game Pass subscriptions within a single day. Sales on PlayStation and
Steam
Steam is water vapor, often mixed with air or an aerosol of liquid water droplets. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization. Saturated or superheated steam is inv ...
increased by 60% compared to ''Modern Warfare III''.
Accolades
Sequel
A sequel to ''Black Ops 6'', titled ''Call of Duty: Black Ops 7'', is scheduled for release in 2025.
Notes
References
External links
*
{{Raven Software
2024 video games
Activision games
Black Ops 6
First-person shooters
Microsoft games
PlayStation 4 games
PlayStation 4 Pro enhanced games
PlayStation 5 games
PlayStation 5 Pro enhanced games
Xbox One games
Xbox One X enhanced games
Xbox Series X and Series S games
Windows games
Multiplayer and single-player video games
Raven Software games
Treyarch games
Video game sequels
Video games about police officers
Video games about zombies
Video games developed in the United States
Cultural depictions of Saddam Hussein
Cultural depictions of Margaret Thatcher
Cultural depictions of George H. W. Bush
Cultural depictions of Bill Clinton
Video games set in 1991
Video games set in Kuwait
Video games set in Bulgaria
Video games set in Russia
Video games set in Spain
Video games set in West Virginia
Video games set in Iraq
Video games set in the Philippines
Video games set in Washington, D.C.
Video games set in Kentucky
Video games set in Los Angeles
Video games set in Nevada
Video games set in Vietnam
Video games set in Iceland
Gulf War video games
Political video games