Call of Duty Black Ops 6 is the latest in what is now a very long line of FPS games. From the breakout of the original Modern Warfare – “How’d a muppet like you pass selection?” – to the new-look series and 2023’s MW3, we’ve seen a lot of different takes on the iconic CoD campaign. But as Black Ops 6 drops us in a “mind-bending” ‘90s spy thriller, developer Treyarch tells PCGamesN how it’s focusing on variety and the landmark, memorable moments that the series built its name on.
For me, that era of the early Modern Warfare and Black Ops games remains the peak – exciting, memorable story modes punctuated by unforgettable set-piece moments. At first glance, Black Ops 6 looks to be returning to some of that. With its post-Cold War spy setting, it feels very akin to those days of unpredictable, intense, yet focused storytelling. So could this be the return to form the FPS game needs after the disappointment of MW3’s offering?
The MW3 campaign certainly didn’t inspire a lot of love – indeed, our own MW3 review calls it one “that even the most die-hard fans would struggle to enjoy.” Chief among the complaints are the Open Combat Missions, which make up about half the time and feel like a dull version of DMZ mode with AI enemies. So with the Black Ops 6 showcase telling us that there’s a focus on the campaign this time around, PCGamesN asked Treyarch at Summer Game Fest if the reception to MW3 has resulted in any dramatic changes to its design.
“We were working on this a long while before MW3 was released,” senior director of production Neil Miller says. “We obviously look at everything that’s out there – whether it’s our own games in the ecosystem or other titles – and see what’s working, what are fans reacting to. I think this has led to kind of redoubling our efforts with regards to gameplay variety, and also making sure that there’s awesome payoffs for players. We think it’s important that players have that opportunity to feel smart, where they’ve found a way to do something versus just following the roller coaster tracks.
“We really came back to variety – these big, fun moments, as well,” he remarks. “It’s about making sure that when you do something cool, or you’re on this mission, or you discover something, there are big, bombastic, bigger-than-life payoff moments. So I think it [the reception to MW3] helped refocus us on these things that are important to us. Different teams are going to try different stuff and that’s really cool, and I think it’s helped us to refocus on variety and set pieces.”
A strong campaign feels especially important in a year where Call of Duty is set to make its debut on Game Pass. With a potential audience that isn’t already invested in the series having the ability to try it ‘for free’ as part of their existing subscription, the single-player mode will likely be the first place most newcomers go. “I think that’s exciting,” Miller says, “They’re already a part of that ecosystem, so they can get access and maybe try the game versus having to spend the full $70.
“That’s exciting for us. And also stuff like the beta and other things that we’re doing, like everyone playing at the same time, those kinds of things. Everyone’s committed to cross-play.” As for what you can expect, Miller reassures us, “It’s the full title, everything plus all the additional content. You’ll get access to more gameplay content, multiplayer maps, and things like that, just like someone who bought the game directly.”
So, aside from its renewed focus on campaign variety and banner moments, are there any other considerations the team is taking now that Black Ops 6 will be placed in the hands of anyone with a Game Pass subscription, many of whom might be new to the games? “There’s a potential influx of new players [with Game Pass] but nothing’s really changed on the process side,” associate design director Matt Scronce tells us, “we’ve just continued to make the game.
“I think, if anything, the opportunity of more new players coming in and trying maybe their first Black Ops game, their first Call of Duty game, their first shooter, it’s caused us to go back and make sure we’re doubling our efforts on approachability and onboarding and first-time user experiences.”
There’s still a while until the CoD Black Ops 6 release date in October, so make sure you’re up to speed on all the latest details. If you’re looking for a new tale to sink into in the meantime, the best story games on PC should give you ample options to do just that.
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Additional reporting by Lauren Bergin at Summer Game Fest for PCGamesN.