Xbox users especially will be looking forward to the latest addition to the Call of Duty franchise with Call of Duty Black Ops 6 set to land on Xbox Game Pass on day one on October 25. Having been spending most of my recent gaming hours absorbed in the balls-to-the-wall carnage of Modern Warfare 3 (2023), Black Ops 6 can’t come quickly enough. Having always preferred Treyarch’s offerings to the series, I’m looking forward to seeing how the first Black Ops game since 2020 will play out. Here’s everything I have garnered so far on what to expect from this highly anticipated title.
Black Ops 6 Will Take Place in the Nineties
Following on from the Cold War theme of the last Black Ops title, Call of Duty Black Ops 6 will take place in the nineties, during the events of the Gulf War. Of course, with the historical decade being the subject of the show, we will be met with some political figures from the era. Kennedy and Bush will be making their appearances, alongside Britain’s Prime Minister of the hour, Margaret Thatcher, alongside the infamous dictator, Saddam Hussein. While the characters are very real (all too real, in a couple of cases), the Call of Duty franchise has been known to bend timelines a little to create a more interesting storyline.
Zombies Mode is Set to Lose a Beloved Perk
Call of Duty Black Ops 6 will see the exit of a much-loved perk. The “Carpenter” pick-up has been a staple of the Black Ops 6 Zombies game mode since the dawn of the Call of Duty feature in World at War. Carpenter gave players some much needed respite – especially at the later, less forgiving stages – by automatically fixing all barricades on the level. It proved to be invaluable, giving players brief respite from the advancing hordes.
While on the surface, the emission of the Carpenter perk doesn’t seem to be newsworthy, it does speak in volumes in terms of the direction of the game. It could very well spell the end of barricades altogether and move the goalposts in terms of how the mode is to be played going forward.
Call of Duty Black Ops 6 Zombies will again take place on Terminus Island, continuing the story of the BO: Cold War Zombies mode. Now serving as a prison for members of the Requiem, the stage has been set for an intriguing Zombies mode this time around.
Omnimovement Will Change How We Play Call of Duty
Call of Duty Black Ops 6 will introduce a new movement system called “Omnimovement”. The new system will allow players to sprint, slide and dive in any direction without having to worry about the restrictions of the previous games. However, I, personally, am unsure if this is a step forwards or a giant leap backwards. The last time Treyarch attempted to redefine movement, we ended up with jet packs that totally destroyed the multiplayer mode. All I can do, I guess, is sit, wait and hope.
Summary
With the campaign taking place during the events of the Gulf War, it will be interesting to see how close to the real events the game will tread. With names such as Thatcher, Kennedy, Bush and Saddam joining the ensemble, Black Ops 6 is the first Call of Duty title to have political faces I remember from the news during the conflict. It will be refreshing to play a campaign set in an age that I lived.
I’m more than a little dubious about the new Omnimovement feature but somewhere, deep inside, I have faith that the boys and girls of Treyarch will pull this off, and to extraordinary ends.