Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 will be released on Friday, October 12, featuring major gameplay changes, multiplayer focus, and a new Blackout mode. As of Tuesday, October 9, PC gamers can preload the title. PlayStation 4 and Xbox One players can access the Blackout mode as soon as the Day One update is 30 percent complete. The game will be playable on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Microsoft Windows.
The title will be the first Call of Duty game to lack a single-player campaign. Instead, it features Solo Missions that focus on the backstories of the game's main characters, known as Specialists. The game primarily focuses on multiplayer gameplay across three main modes: Multiplayer, Zombies, and Blackout.
Multiplayer Specialists and Gameplay Changes
In multiplayer mode, players can choose from ten Specialists who possess unique abilities. Six returning characters from Call of Duty: Black Ops III include Prophet, Ruin, Seraph, Battery, Firebreak, and Nomad. Four new Specialists join the roster: Ajax, Recon, Crash, and Torque.
Multiplayer gameplay includes several mechanical updates. Automatic health regeneration has been replaced by manual healing, weapons feature more predictive recoil, and a mixed ballistics system replaces the previous hitscan system. Players also gain greater weapon customization options.
Along with classic options like Kill Confirmed and Team Deathmatch, Black Ops 4 introduces new modes titled Control and Heist. Control features two teams attacking and defending static objective points. Heist requires players to seize cash bags and escape via helicopter without preset classes, allowing players to purchase upgrades as the match progresses.
Zombies Mode Features and Maps
The cooperative Zombies mode returns with expanded customization options and time-limited events called Callings. For the first time in franchise history, Zombies mode features two separate storylines. Launch maps for Zombies include settings on the RMS Titanic, in Ancient Rome, and on Alcatraz Island.
Blackout Battle Royale Mechanics
Blackout introduces a battle royale format capitalizing on the genre popularity established by games like Fortnite. Set on the largest map in Call of Duty history, Blackout supports ground, air, and sea vehicles. Players can select characters from across the entire Black Ops series.
Matches accommodate 100 players competing as solo, duos, or four-player squads. Players drop onto the map via helicopter, scavenge for weapons and equipment, and battle while the playable area shrinks. AI-controlled Zombies also spawn on the map, dropping loot when defeated. Special variations such as Close Quarters mode exclude long-range weapons to create faster, more aggressive matches.
Launch Maps and November Updates
Blackout's map is scheduled for regular content updates. At launch, 14 maps will be available, including ten original maps and four revamped versions of classic maps: Jungle, Slums, Firing Range, and Summit. An additional new map named Nuketown is scheduled for release in November 2018.
Developer Insights and Tactical Advice
Dan Bunting, co-developer at Treyarch, explained that the gameplay aims to feel both familiar and new. Bunting noted that the developers wanted to slow the pace down slightly without slowing down player movement, allowing players to feel powerful while navigating fluidly.
Bunting emphasized the importance of teamwork and patience, advising players to learn the new mechanics together. He noted that players can select Specialists based on playstyle, highlighting Battery as an easier option due to her cluster grenade equipment.
Bunting described Control as the signature mode built first to showcase Specialist roles and teamwork. Regarding Heist, Bunting noted that the mode flips standard rules by letting players grow more powerful during the match, offering a distinct party mode style that proved popular during beta testing.
Call of Duty Series Background
Published by Activision, the Call of Duty franchise is developed by Treyarch, Infinity Ward, and Sledgehammer Games. The series originated in October 2003 with a World War II setting before expanding to other periods, starting with Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare in 2007. The franchise surpassed 250 million copies sold worldwide by February 2016.
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