As detailed through Treyarch’s Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War multiplayer reveal, the map design will be rooted in “the game’s realistic and historical setting,” putting you smack in the middle of ab early 1980s Cold War narrative. Multiplayer maps will take you to the Angolan desert, frozen lakes of Uzbekistan, the streets of South Beach Miami, and the North Atlantic waters and event to Moscow. Treyarch called this a small array of maps that will be available at launch. Here’s a quick rundown of some of the maps:
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 in order 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 in order 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.
You can expect the return of game modes such as Control, Domination, Kill Confirmed Search and Destroy, along with Team Deathmatch. You can also expect new modes such as Combined Arms, Fireteam, and VIP Escort. Combined Arms find you in 12v12 battle with vehicles and can be played across a handful of Combined Arms Modes, including Domination, which places multiple flags around a given map for teams to capture and defend. VIP Escort is exactly how it sounds. In the 6v6 mode, you will be tasked with leading another player, designated as the VIP, to safety. You can also win this mode by taking out the opposing team. 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. Then, there’s Fireteam, a new 40-player mode with up to 10 teams of four, where the action is centered around operators and the environment they battle in. The first available Fireteam game type is called Dirty Bomb, and more information on it will be detailed at a later date.
Scorestreaks make a return with several significant changes. In this new system, the earned score is kept through death. Scorestreaks and especially higher-end rewards, must “still be earned through earning plenty of score via elite gameplay.” Those who string together multiple kills before death will earn streak score bonuses, and will have cooldowns, preventing players from “spamming” Scorestreaks repeatedly. Along with the aforementioned, you can also expect four refinements to movement:
Sprint Take Off – Operators automatically receive a burst of speed when starting a sprint, then settle down to 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.
You can also expect a new weapon sound engine brings which will give you a sense of what is being fired at you and where it came from.
There’s also the Create-a-Class system which is now slot-based, and Field Upgrades which are are in-game items that either “help your squad or hinder your enemies,” and can be earned in time in-game with a cooldown that lasts after death. Loadouts can also be outfitted with class-changing Wildcards, which can provide one of four benefits:
Grant eight attachments for a primary weapon Carry up to six Perks Double the number of lethal and tactical equipment given on spawn Carry three Perks from any category, rather than be limited to one of each
If you want to customize your primary or some secondary weapons, you can head over 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 not so beneficial information for each attachment will be shown via percentage change. Out November 13, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War will support cross-platform and cross-generation play as well as cross-progression for every available platform including PC, where Beenox is the lead developer. If you are interested in trying the beta, it will go live first on PS4 October 8. It will open up to PC and Xbox One users on October 15.
