While Call of Duty continues to be a definitive first-person shooting experience, it’s seen a few speed bumps when it comes to telling a story.
Before Modern Warfare came out last year and brought the series back to form, Treyarch produced Call of Duty: Black Ops IIII, which focused heavily on multiplayer but did away with the single player campaign – a decision that benefited a majority of their community, but left a few loose ends dangling.
Fortunately, Treyarch, alongside Activision and the developers at Raven Software, came roaring back with a much bigger experience with Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, which was officially announced today with a new reveal trailer. It’s set to drop on November 13 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC, and will also make its way to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X when they arrive. You can view it below.
A New Story With Familiar Faces
Rather than Call of Duty: Black Ops V (or is it IIIII?), Cold War is a direct continuation of the original Black Ops that came out a few years ago. That’s right, Mason, Hudson and Woods have returned, and they’re pursuing a deadly Soviet agent named “Perseus” that has put their own plan into effect. It’s so serious that Ronald Reagan has made his return (which makes sense as he was president at the time this game takes place, during 1981 – in the midst of the Cold War).
Joining the trio are a “new cast of operatives” that will assist them over the course of the campaign. As you can see, there’s no shortage of explosiveness here, from gun-toting battles on an aerial jetway to a frantic firefight in the middle of a city.
The footage above showcases just how beautiful the game will be on next-gen hardware, running smoothly on a PlayStation 5 without a hint of slowdown. It should be noted, however, that the game is priced higher on the next-gen platforms, set at $69.99. Regular versions are still priced at $59.99, though that’s just for the standard game and not the Battle Pass (which will make a return with Cold War).
A Cross-Gen bundle will also be available for the first time. This will allow users to buy both versions of the game for a solitary price. No word yet on what that pricing will be, but if that fits into the $69.99 plan, it could be worth it to some gamers.
We Know About the Story, But What About Multiplayer and Zombies?
Yes, Cold War will feature the return of Zombies, along with the traditional multiplayer modes that players have come to expect. Though they weren’t featured in the trailer, Activision has a more detailed reveal coming up on September 9, which should feature a deep dive into both modes.
We do know a few things, though. First off, Cold War will feature full Crossplay support. This includes PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One and PC. It’s unknown just how performance will hold up between current-gen and next-gen machines, but this is a promising addition that should keep the community pretty happy.
On top of that, all post-release content for Cold War will be free of charge, similar to what previous games have offered. That means no Season Pass required to get a hold of new maps and other content. That said, the Battle Pass will return for those that want to pick it up, loaded with extra goodies that should be a hit with Call of Duty fans. A schedule has yet to be revealed, but is expected to arrive sometime before the game’s release.
And there will be Call of Duty: Warzone crossover content as well. Two pre-order items have already been revealed alongside Cold War, including a special version of Woods as a field operator. There’s likely more to come, including Mason and Hudson and other characters from the game, and possibly even some special events to coincide with its launch.
Over Land, Sea and Air
Last but not least, there’s an Ultimate Edition of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War that will be available at launch, going for $89.99. Along with the standard game and its downloadable content, it will also include the Land, Sea and Air Pack.
With this pack, players will be able to use a number of items within the multiplayer modes.
These include three Operator skins, three vehicle skins and three specialty weapon blueprints, where you can build and create some truly awesome firepower. This confirms that Operators will return to the series, something a lot of fans have been waiting for.
So we’ve still got a few things to see when it comes to Cold War’s release, particularly with its multiplayer and Zombies. We did catch a glimpse at the end of the trailer that hints at what’s to come, including dune buggies. But the rest will have to wait for early September, and it should be worth it to Call of Duty’s community.
Stay tuned for more information on Cold War. For the time being, though, there’s a lot to be excited about. The full Call of Duty experience has once again returned for Treyarch!
