Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War was finally announced last month, but of course, the main thing CoD fans really care about is multiplayer. Thankfully, Activision and developer Treyarch finally provided a peek at Cold Wars’ multiplayer suite today, and it’s looking pretty promising.
Maps will be set all around the world in locations like Miami, the North Atlantic, Angola, Uzbekistan, and Russia, and it looks CoD Black Ops: Cold War will focus on more open, natural-feeling warzones. Some of these maps almost look like something ripped from EA’s Battleground franchise (whether that’s a good thing is up to you). Treyarch also gave fans a glimpse of the new Fireteam co-op mode, which will let you team up with up with three other players to tackle a variety of unique missions. But hey, enough of my chattering, here’s the debut Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War multiplayer trailer.
If you’ve got a good chunk of time to spare, you can also check out the full multiplayer reveal livestream, below.
Here are some more details about five new maps revealed today:
- 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.
And here are details on Fireteam and the game’s new PvP multiplayer modes:
Fireteam
Fireteam is a new 40-player category of Black Ops Multiplayer with up to 10 teams of four, where the action is centered around not just the operators in the field, but also the environment they battle in. The first available Fireteam game type is called Dirty Bomb, which we’ll have more information on as we get closer to launch!
VIP Escort
In this new 6v6 objective core game mode, teams either protect or subdue a randomly selected player who becomes a VIP. This Very Important Player only gets a kitted-out pistol, a smoke grenade, a UAV for team intel, and the satisfaction of having up to five other squadmates defend them.
These protectors must escort the VIP to an extraction point as they fend off the attacking team, whose goal is to neutralize the VIP before they escape. 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 to get back into the fight.
Combined Arms
A 12v12 battle that combines infantry and vehicular gameplay, Combined Arms is a larger-scale mode where the action is tailed to the environment it takes place within. Depending on the map, vehicles such as Tanks, Snowmobiles, Attack Helicopters or Wakerunners will amplify and advance the action alongside traditional gunfights, allowing for jaw-dropping moments right in the middle of an intense engagement. At launch, expect to play multiple Combined Arms Maps across a handful of Combined Arms Modes, including Domination, which places multiple flags around a given map for teams to capture and defend.
Activision has also announced that Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War will boast full cross-platform play, including both current and next-generation consoles. On the subject of PC and next-gen consoles, they’ll offer up 4K resolution, HDR, photometric lighting, and more. The PC version of the game will also support NVIDIA’s DLSS tech. Finally, it’s been confirmed Call of Duty: Warzone is expanding with new Cold War content, although it sounds like we won’t be getting a new map, but rather an “evolution” of the current Verdansk battleground.
Excited to try out CoD: Black Ops Cold War multiplayer? We now know when the game’s betas will kick off (PlayStation owners get a head start as usual).
- Weekend 1: PlayStation Early Access — Thursday, October 8, and Friday, October 9 are available for early access on PlayStation 4 to players who have pre-ordered Black Ops Cold War on PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5.
- Weekend 1: PS4 Open Beta – Saturday October 10, to Monday, October 12 is free to all PlayStation 4 owners. If you’ve got a PlayStation 4 and an internet connection, you should be ready to engage, though PlayStation Plus may be a requirement in some territories.
- Weekend 2: Xbox One and PC Early Access – Thursday, October 15 and Friday, October 16 are available for early access to anyone who has pre-ordered or pre-purchased the game on Xbox One/ Xbox Series X, or on PC via Blizzard Battle.net respectively.
- Weekend 2: PS4, Xbox One, & PC Open Beta – The second Beta Weekend is for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC owners, starting from Thursday, October 17, and running to Monday, October 19.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War arrives on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PS4 on November 13. The game will also be available on PS5 whenever the console happens to launch.
