Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Preview: Everything You Need to Know

Get your headset on and hands warm—it's time to dominate some noobs in Call of Duty. Well, it certainly will be later this year, at least. We've gotten a new Call of Duty every year since its second title in 2005—and we suspect that'll be the case again later this year.

Call of Duty has been in hot water lately after the last installment, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, was met with the worst review average for any core Call of Duty entry in the franchise’s 20-year history. Oof! Can this year’s game turn things around for the storied shooter series?

Now we know officially that Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is the next entry in the series, though a 2024 release hasn't been confirmed quite yet (even if it's likely). And there have been plenty of leaks, rumors, and reports ahead of the official news.

Will this game reignite the players' love for Call of Duty? Or will it just be another letdown in a series that’s arguably lost steam in recent years? Here’s what we know for sure—and what we’ve heard.

Note: Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is likely to be a traditional “Web2” game with no crypto or blockchain elements.

What is Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 about?

It's official: The next Call of Duty game will be called Black Ops 6. While the title was only just confirmed, leaks dating back to November 2023 from Windows Central noted that Call of Duty's 2024 release would be the sixth installment in the Black Ops series.

Since the original Call of Duty: Black Ops in 2010, the sub-label has focused on storylines and missions set around past conflicts including the Cold War and Vietnam War, along with more futuristic battles.

Based on previous leaks and reports, Black Ops 6 will reportedly made by developer Treyarch, and set amid the Gulf War. The Gulf War started in 1990 as the first major conflict between Saddam Hussein's Iraq and a coalition of over 30 countries led by the United States. This was sparked by Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, and concerns over Iraq's possession of weapons of mass destruction.

The war concluded in 1991 with a ceasefire agreement brokered by the United Nations on the terms that Iraq withdrew from Kuwait and dismantled their weapons of mass destruction—a detail which later became crucial to tensions with Iraq.

The multiple wars with Iraq have been criticized by many, and according to reports, Black Ops 6 will attempt to explore this complex conflict. Subtlety arguably hasn’t been the strongest suit of this first-person shooter series, however—and like other major game franchises, it has typically shied away from controversial subject matter despite tapping into real-life conflicts.

Officially, Activision has described Black Ops 6 as “a dark new chapter of the Black Ops franchise,” and shared the following teaser video, among other materials, as part of a campaign called “The Truth Lies.”

What else do we know?

We are likely going to see classic Black Ops multiplayer maps returning, including Grind and WMD, according to Insider Gaming. This is a surprise to absolutely no one as the Call of Duty franchise has been living off nostalgia since its golden years. In fact, last year’s Modern Warfare III launched with a full set of decade-old maps right out of the gate.

A round-based Zombies survival mode has also been reported by multiple leaks and sources. This is a change back to the old-school way of approaching the Zombies game mode after Call of Duty moved towards a larger-scale, sandbox-style experience.

Leaks suggest that there may be two maps available at launch that will have returning features like the mystery box, pack-a-punch, aether crystals, and large ammo caches. There are also reports of a “dark aether field emitter,” but no one is quite sure what this is yet.

As expected, the Call of Duty Warzone battle royale experience is going to get an update in line with the new launch, leaks suggest, with action returning to the original Warzone map Verdansk, according to Insider Gaming.

When is Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 coming out?

This has yet to be confirmed, but Call of Duty games normally release in October or November. Last year’s Modern Warfare III shipped on November 10, for example.

Activision reportedly intends to continue its yearly release schedule into the foreseeable future. According to Insider Gaming, there are titles planned for release all the way up until 2027 when Sledgehammer Games—the main Modern Warfare III studio—will make its return.

Activision officially announced Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 on May 23, 2024, and teased that a full reveal of the game will take place on June 9. That's the date that Microsoft is holding an Xbox Games Showcase, and the Microsoft-owned Activision will stream a “Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Direct” event afterwards with a deep dive into the game.

Which platforms will Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 hit?

Nothing’s been confirmed yet, but we certainly expect to see the next Call of Duty game launch on the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and Windows PC.

The wild card here will be whether the game also releases on the expected Nintendo Switch 2 console, which is widely reported to release later this year. The last Call of Duty on a Nintendo platform was way back on the Wii U, though Activision and Microsoft recently signed an agreement to put the series back on Nintendo systems in the future.

Surprisingly, Call of Duty 2024 could still be coming to older consoles too. Documents provided to Insider Gaming from an Activision data breach referenced the new game (codenamed “Cerberus”) being released on past-generation consoles like the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. However, plans could certainly change even if the leak was indeed accurate.

The Wall Street Journal reported in May 2024 that Microsoft is planning to launch the new Call of Duty game via Xbox Game Pass on day one, potentially skipping out on hundreds of millions of dollars worth of game sales to try and drive more users to its subscription service.

Edited by Andrew Hayward

Editor's note: This story was originally published on January 31, 2024 and last updated with new details on May 23.