As rumored, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is going to be the next instalment in the Call of Duty franchise and it will release on November 13, 2020.
Developed by Treyarch, Black Ops Cold War is set to be a direct sequel to the original Black Ops title from the same developer. The game’s single-player story will take players into the tense political atmosphere of the 80s, where they can expect to encounter familiar faces from history as well as the original Black Ops title as they hunt down a mysterious Soviet agent known as “Perseus”.
As we’re drawing closer to Cold War’s November release date the traditional Call of Duty beta is about to launch, with players due to get access to a range of the game’s beloved multiplayer modes, including some new ones.
When it launches in November, Black Ops Cold War will be available on current-gen consoles but next-gen releases on PS5 and Xbox Series X have been confirmed for later in the year, with cross-platform and cross-generation support confirmed.
Can’t wait for your next high-octane Call of Duty experience? Then read on to find out more about Black Ops Cold War.
Cut to the chase
- What is it? The next mainline Call of Duty game.
- When is it out? November 13, 2020
- What can I play it on? Xbox One, PS4, and PC with PS5 and Series X coming later.
- Will it have cross-play? Yes—it’ll be cross-generation and cross-platform
- Will there be Zombies? Yes
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War release date
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War will release on PS4, Xbox One and PC on November 13 2020. Next-gen versions for PS5 and Xbox Series X have been confirmed and they’ll be coming later in the year.
Current-gen versions of the game will be backwards compatible with new consoles but, it seems, will not include next-gen upgrades as standard. Those looking to future-proof will have to pay a premium for a digital cross-gen bundle or digital Ultimate Edition, or wait for the standalone next-gen title to be released.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War trailers
Call of Duty Zombies fans were treated to a new trailer which gives a glimpse into what can be expected from the mode in Black Ops Cold War.
We’ve finally gotten a chance to see more about Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War’s multiplayer modes which will give players the chance to take part in high-octane battles across land, sea and air.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War was revealed to the world on August 26 2020 with a reveal trailer that includes gameplay captured on the PlayStation 5.
A cinematic trailer for the game was shown during Gamescom Opening Night Live, which you can watch below.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War news and rumors
Here’s all the latest news and rumors around Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War:
New multiplayer features
Activision has revealed some new Cold War multiplayer features ahead of the game’s beta. These include a Ping System “allowing you to ping objectives, loot, locations, and enemies for your teammates during a match”; a Field of View slider; and HUD visual toggles for a customisable UI experience.
Multiplayer reveal
Black Ops Cold War’s multiplayer has been revealed in all its glory. Some key things to note about multiplayer this time around is that the controversial specialists will no longer feature, while the traditional mini-map will return.
Like the main campaign, the multiplayer is set in the 1980s with the main action taking place after the campaign’s events. Maps will take players to a range of locations from the North Atlantic, to Angola to Miami Beach.
New modes are to expected, including a new 6v6 mode called VIP Escort and a new category called Fireteams in which “10 teams of four face off against one another in large-scale maps featuring an assortment of vehicles to commandeer and objectives to complete as you best see fit.” One mode from this new category, Dirty Bombs, will feature in the upcoming beta.
As a cross-gen and cross-play title, players from across systems and generations will be able to play with their friends. Post-launch multiplayer maps and modes will be free for everyone and the game will have a unified progression journey shared with Warzone, with inventory items that can be used in both titles. Both Cold War and Warzone will share post-launch narrative content which will see themes, weapons and Operators from Cold War come into Warzone.
Zombies mode
Four-person Zombies mode will of course be returning in Black Ops Cold War with a new chapter: “Die Maschine”. Like the campaign and multiplayer it’ll take players to the 1980s where the “discovery of a World War II-era experiment known as Projekt Endstation threatens to set off a new arms race between the superpowers, as each side attempts to harness the dark power at the heart of it all.”
This time around, Zombies will bring in a few more narrative threads from other modes than usual, with players able to play as the Operators from Multiplayer and some of the single-player Campaign characters. As in Multiplayer, squads in Zombies will also be able to be cross-gen and cross-platform.
Weapons will now have rarity in Zombies, with higher rarity meaning greater damage output and attachments. There’s also a handy new escape option called Exfil, which will give players a chance to withdraw from the combat zone using a helicopter if it all becomes too much. Zombie spawns will increase if this option is chosen but surviving will mean earning some rewards.
Activision are calling this the “most accessible and connected Zombies experience to date” thanks to cross-play, cross-gen, cross-progression, and a unified Battle Pass System progression which will see players rewarded whether they’re playing Multiplayer or Zombies.
There’ll also be a series of free post-launch Zombies maps for all players.
Black Ops: Cold War confirmed
Activision has finally confirmed that the next title in the Call of Duty franchise will be titled Black Ops: Cold War and it’ll launch on November 13 2020. From developer Treyarch, it will be set in the 80s and its campaign will act as a direct sequel to the original Black Ops game.
Single-player campaign
Like previous Call of Duty titles, Black Ops: Cold War will feature a high-octane single-player campaign. This title will take players into the depths of the Cold War in the early 1980s and follow a US task force on the tail of an elusive Soviet agent known as “Perseus”. This being a sequel, players can expect to encounter familiar faces from the original Black Ops game, as well as some well-known figures from history.
Warzone
Warzone will continue to be the battle royale mode for Call of Duty after the release of Black Ops: Cold War and it will be integrated into the game. According to an official PlayStation blog post, Warzone “will share content with Black Ops Cold War” and “Black Ops Cold War includes shared progression features with Warzone, adding inventory items that can be used in both titles.” The post goes on to say that “Warzone players will still have access to Modern Warfare content they earned previously, like Operators and weapon blueprints.”
Cross-gen, cross-platform and cross-progression
Like Modern Warfare, Black Ops: Cold War will offer cross-platform play but it’ll also take things a step further with cross-generation play which means players on PS4 and Xbox One will be able to play one another as well as players on PS5 and Xbox Series X. It will also feature cross-progression with Activisionsaying that “Once you upgrade from the current generation console to the next generation console, your profile, progression, and stats will move with you.”
No free next-gen upgrades as standard
Black Ops Cold War may be cross-gen and cross-platform but it looks like it won’t be offering free upgrades to next-gen versions when you buy the current-gen game on release like other games are.
Those who buy the standard current-gen edition will be able to play it on a next-gen console when they buy it thanks to backwards compatibility but they won’t have immediate access to the next-gen upgrades.
Instead, those with their heart set on a PS5 or Xbox Series X Call of Duty experience will have to either pay a premium for the digital cross-generation bundle or ultimate edition which will include an upgrade within the same console family, or wait for the standalone next-gen release. According to Activision’s FAQ those who buy the standard digital edition of the game on PS4 will have the option to upgrade on the PlayStation Store when the PS5 version of the game becomes available but “upgrade to Xbox Series X through the Microsoft Store is currently being evaluated.”
The standalone next-gen PS5 version of the game will not be playable on PS4, while the Xbox Series X standalone will be playable on Xbox One.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War beta
The Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War beta is approaching and it’ll be available across two weekends. The first weekend is exclusive to PS4 players, as Activision previously said would be the case, while the second weekend is for Xbox One and PC as well as PS4.
At the moment we know the beta will give access to traditional 6v6 modes, 12v12 mode Combined Arms, a new 40-player mode called Fireteam: Dirty Bomb. There’ll be a beta-specific levelling system.
As a reward for playing, players will unlock the ‘Adler’ character in Call of Duty Mobile while those who reach level 10 will unlock an SMG weapon blueprint, getting access to it when Black Ops Cold War fully launches in November.
Black Ops Cold War beta first weekend (PS4 exclusive access)
- Thursday October 8th to Friday, October 9th: Early Access on PS4 (for digital pre-order customers with beta access)
- Saturday October 10th to Monday, October 12th: Open Beta on PS4 (free open beta for everyone on PS4)
Black Ops Cold War beta second weekend (PS4, Xbox One and PC)
- Thursday October 15th to Friday, October 16th: Open Beta on PS4 (free for all PS4 players), Early Access on Xbox One and PC (for digital pre-order customers with beta access).
- Saturday October 17th to Monday, October 19th: Open Beta on PS4, Xbox One, PC (free for all players on all platforms).
The start times for each of these beta periods will be 6pm BST/ 7pm CEST/1pm EDT and 10am PDT. Preload will be available on October 6 for PS4 players and October 13 for Xbox One and PC at 4pm BST/5pm CEST/11am EDT and 8am PDT.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War editions
There are three versions of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War already available for pre-order: Standard Edition, Cross-Gen Bundle and Ultimate Edition. Each has its own rewards which are detailed below.
Standard Edition
There are digital and physical Standard Editions available for pre-order for PS4, Xbox One, PC, PS5 and Xbox Series but it’s the digital editions that get the pre-order bonuses.
Pre-ordering the digital Standard Edition of the current-gen console and PC will get you early access to the multiplayer open beta (with extra early access going to PS4 players) and a Woods Operator Pack which can be used immediately in Modern Warfare and Warzone. It features a Sgt. Frank Woods Operator Skin, M4 Weapon Blueprint, Voice Quip and Finishing Move.
Digital Cross-Generation Bundle
As the name suggests, the Cross-Generation Bundle includes both versions of the game and comes in at $10/£5 more than the standard edition. So, if you buy it for PlayStation you’ll get the PS4 version with a PS5 upgrade included and if you buy for Xbox you’ll get the Xbox One Version and the upgraded Xbox Series X version when it becomes available.
Pre-ordering the digital edition includes the same bonuses as the standard edition.
Digital Ultimate Edition
The Ultimate Edition pretty much lives up to its name. Not only does it include the pre-order bonuses of other digital editions and both current and next-gen versions of the game, it also has a Confrontation Weapons Pack that contains two Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War weapon blueprints; one season of the Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Battle Pass Bundle, including 20 Tier Skips; and the The Land/Sea/Air Pack which includes three operator skins, three weapon blueprints and three vehicle skins to be used in Black Ops Cold War.