Name of Obligation: Black Ops 6 is official, and the latest premium entry to the long-running franchise is the primary from the lead improvement crew, Treyarch Studios, in 4 lengthy years. Treyarch partnered with the narrative crew from Raven Software program to create the spy motion thriller marketing campaign for this 12 months’s blockbuster, with almost a dozen different studios from the Activision Blizzard King banner offering developmental help for launch and post-launch content material.
Whereas we lastly obtained our first official glimpse of Name of Obligation: Black Ops 6 through the 2024 Xbox Summer season Showcase, there are nonetheless loads of leaks and rumors floating round about what we would see when Black Ops 6 launches to Xbox Recreation Cross on October 25. I am not within the leaks and rumors, although. I’ve a really particular want listing.
You see, I play Name of Obligation lots. Hundreds-of-hours-a-lot. This implies I’ve loads of ideas on what I need to see modified as Sledgehammer Video games passes the torch to Treyarch. Earlier than the discharge of 2023’s Fashionable Warfare 3, I made an inventory of 7 issues I hoped Sledgehammer Video games would change about Name of Duty whereas they had been holding the baton. A few of these issues did enhance, however not all of them. Regardless of what we do learn about Black Ops 6, there’s extra that we do not, and I’ve an inventory of issues I will be on the lookout for once we get to the right multiplayer reveal in August.
Bunny hopping
Sigh. Sure, this one remains to be on my listing. Bunny hopping is the act of leaping or hopping round a nook to throw off the goal help for controller customers, main opposing gamers to be much less correct with their photographs. The justification of some bunny hoppers for his or her ridiculous use of this maneuver quantities to little greater than exploiting the digicam system within the sport. I had beforehand hoped to see Sledgehammer put a cease to bunny hopping as they’d executed prior to now by including a pause penalty that forestalls gamers from with the ability to goal or dash instantly after leaping.
They did not, although.
As a substitute, Sledgehammer Video games added a perk that improved participant goal whereas in a leap. Treyarch has obtained all in on creating a brand-new directional motion system, dubbed Omnimovement, which might stand to dramatically change the best way gamers strategy the Black Ops 6 battlefield. Omnimovement permits gamers to maneuver, slide, and dive in any path. In concept, this new motion system might function a helpful counter to gamers who attempt to slide their means via openings or bunny hop round corners. The defending gamers can extra simply add distance between themselves and the attacker by diving again or to the facet, one thing that hasn’t been beforehand viable in COD till Black Ops 6.
Carry Ahead
When Carry Ahead was initially introduced for Fashionable Warfare 3, I fussed concerning the absence of the “mil-sim” period, the place gamers in multiplayer would not have a smorgasbord of colourful and strange characters leaping round corners at them. There was no level in Fashionable Warfare 3’s life the place it appeared or felt solely like a navy shooter, as there have been loads of operator bundles that had been introduced into the sport through the Carry Ahead initiative. Whereas I used to be iffy about it on its first move, I’ve discovered that the restricted choices of fascinating feminine character bundles have made me grateful to only maintain passing my beloved Raven Witch from sport to sport.
Regardless of being a full standalone sport, Name of Obligation: Black Ops 6 has been listed as DLC for the Name of Obligation launcher on Steam. Very like Fashionable Warfare 3, the brand new title will make the most of the shared Name of Obligation engine for the sake of streamlining the franchise. Nevertheless, Treyarch Studios has confirmed that Carry Ahead won’t be accessible to gamers in Black Ops 6. It is because, at the very least at launch, the crew would love gamers to have a while the place the characters they’re taking part in with in multiplayer are those we’re hooked up to from the marketing campaign.
There’s one exception. Gamers can unlock a Frank Woods Operator Bundle in Name of Obligation: Warzone and Fashionable Warfare 3 as a preorder bonus for Black Ops 6. This operator pores and skin is now accessible to make use of in these respective video games, and it’ll additionally ‘Carry Ahead’ to Black Ops 6 at launch. Whereas I welcome a reprieve of at the very least just a few weeks from among the extra ridiculous operator bundles which have lately plagued Name of Obligation, I’ll miss the beloved raven-themed Witch pores and skin I have been utilizing for the previous couple of years.
A toggle swap for weed-themed DLC
Pay attention, we’re all adults with regards to the Name of Obligation neighborhood. Or, we’re imagined to all be adults, anyway. Maturity comes with an understanding that some individuals get pleasure from imbibing within the satan’s lettuce. By all means, have enjoyable. Name of Obligation has at all times had a little bit of historical past with weed-themed DLC content material, together with the addition of Snoop Dogg operator bundles and even going again to the unique Blunt Ops calling playing cards. The inflow of pot-friendly content material has exploded in recent times, nevertheless. Stoned sloths, further Snoop Dogg bundles, and the addition of Cheech and Chong as operator bundles geared up with a demise animation that turns the participant’s corpse into an enormous blunt.
I am about as pro-weed as one will be, however that does not imply I need to be inundated with it whereas taking part in Name of Obligation. A toggle to switch marijuana-themed content material with generic mil-sims or to disable these animations on my finish can be nice. I am not asking anyone who likes that content material to offer it up; I simply need to have the ability to nix it on my facet.
As I beforehand talked about, Carry Ahead is not going to be part of Black Ops 6 at launch, so at the very least for a short while, there will not be as many pot-laced bundles floating round. Their return to the multiplayer storefront is inevitable, nevertheless. Simply allow us to flip them off.
Deliver again blackhats
We’re going again to Black Ops, so it is time for me to face up and formally request the return of the Blackhat. The Blackhat was a tactical tools merchandise that could possibly be utilized in Black Ops 2 to seize care packages, hack enemy tools, and even steal kill streaks by hacking them to work to your crew. The blackhats disappeared after Black Ops 2, however we desperately want these helpful handheld models again. Whereas it was initially a alternative for tactical tools, I would be glad even when it returned as a discipline improve.
Fashionable Warfare 3 launched a mechanic much like the ACS discipline improve, which can be utilized to hack enemy tools or seize hardpoints and flags in Domination. The ACS can’t be used to hack helicopters, sentry weapons, or most killstreaks, sadly. The Blackhat did have an additional profit over the ACS, together with the truth that it might hack kill streaks. Blackhats might assist safe care packages that had dropped exterior the borders of a map. Enemy care package deal caught on a roof? A blackhat can seize that even when the crew that initially referred to as it in cannot attain it, probably turning the tide to your crew. The Blackhat has traditionally been one of many extra distinctive strategies of Name of Obligation for shaking up gameplay, and its continued absence is unacceptable so far as I am involved.
Much less blueprints with lasers
Fashionable Warfare 3 cherished its lasers. A big portion of the weapon blueprints that could possibly be unlocked via challenges or occasions or bought within the Name of Obligation retailer had been created with a laser attachment. Lasers serve a objective in Name of Obligation, usually for rising hip-fire accuracy. Nevertheless, they’re extremely seen, typically even throughout all the map. The addition of a laser on a blueprint dissuades me from buying the blueprint each time, regardless of how a lot I like the opposite gadgets included. Should you want to play so that you simply’re usually attacking from behind or flanking round enemies rigorously, you don’t desire a neon inexperienced or purple laser giving freely your place.
It’s attainable to take away lasers from a weapon, even a paid blueprint, and exchange it with one other merchandise out of your armory. Nevertheless, the alternative merchandise you added is unlikely to have a variant with the identical blueprint pores and skin you had bought. So the stunning weapon camo you simply paid money for goes to have giant inventory elements jutting out of it with no relevance. No person likes that. Ditch the lasers, please.
Hazard Shut
I can already hear the complaints about this specific request. With the launch of Season 4 for Name of Obligation: Fashionable Warfare 3, Sledgehammer Video games opted to scale back the injury of the RGL (grenade launcher secondary) by 80% in hardcore modes. The RGL was a well-liked go-to for small map mayhem, permitting gamers to launch grenades at enemy spawn factors to rack up huge kill chains. There have been loads of methods to counter the onslaught, like trophy techniques and blast-resistant perks. Nonetheless, Sledgehammer Video games will need to have heard sufficient complaints concerning the “noob tubes” to see match to nerf it so dramatically. It mustn’t take three grenades to eradicate an enemy in hardcore, particularly when there are such a lot of different methods to steadiness out the explosives.
Treyarch has traditionally not been notably supportive of explosive loadouts and gameplay, preferring gamers to make the most of bullets over grenades. It could nonetheless be good to see them steadiness again out explosives in order that they’re viable on the battlefield, or — dare I say it? Think about in the event that they introduced again Hazard Near make explosives much more deadly. It’s unlikely, however hey! That is my daydream, and I’m capturing for the celebrities with a warfare machine. What can I say?
Remaining ideas
Name of Obligation: Black Ops 6 has the potential to be a serious step into the way forward for the franchise. There are such a lot of firsts wrapped up on this sport. The primary launch to have a 4-year improvement cycle. A serious partnership between Treyarch and Raven Software program as co-leads on the marketing campaign might hopefully open the door to seeing the crew at Raven Software program getting the prospect to headline their very own entry into the collection in some unspecified time in the future. The primary Name of Obligation that’s not shackled to a PlayStation advertising and marketing settlement.
We do not actually have a clue what Treyarch and Raven Software program have up their sleeves to be unveiled through the multiplayer reveal through the Name of Obligation NEXT showcase in August. The potential for Black Ops 6 to revitalize the franchise is palpable. I, for one, am very hype about the way forward for Name of Obligation, however I will be much more glad if it contains blackhats.
