Based on everything fans have seen so far, it looks like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 could be the return to form that fans have been longing for. Following an incredibly exciting Xbox Showcase, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 debuted its first round of gameplay footage and behind-the-scenes teasers during a dedicated 20-minute Direct. This Black Ops 6 Direct gave each mode its own turn in the spotlight, and it all looked genuinely impressive, from the long-awaited return of round-based Zombies to the innovative new Omnimovement feature.
But that doesn't mean that every aspect of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has been met with a positive reception. An official Activision blog post recently confirmed that Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will require a "continuous internet connection" across all of its game modes, regardless of whether the player is engaging in any multiplayer activities. Naturally, fans are a little upset by this confusing decision.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's Always Online Conundrum Explained
Why Is Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Always Online?
According to the same Activision blog post that confirmed Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's always-online requirement, this continuous internet connection will apparently allow Black Ops 6 to use "texture streaming" in order to "deliver the highest-quality visuals while also reducing the game’s overall storage space." In theory, this is a good thing, as recent Call of Duty entries have had an infamously huge download size on console, with last year's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 requiring around 200GB of disk space.
It was recently rumored that Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 would be 309GB on consoles due to an early Xbox listing, but this was apparently an error, with that number instead being the amount of hard drive space required to download Modern Warfare 2, Modern Warfare 3, and Warzone fully.
The Issues That Could Arise from Black Ops 6 Being Always Online
In actuality, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's always-online requirement comes with some major potential downsides. Naturally, the biggest threat this always-online requirement poses to Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is regarding its single-player content. For those with a less stable internet connection, there's now a very real possibility that Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's campaign could lag severely, and a sudden loss of internet connection could kick players out of their solo journey through the game's story.
The requirement will also affect Black Ops 6's Zombies mode, with solo players likely being unable to pause the game, and lag being a real threat here as well. There's also a strong possibility that in the future, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's online servers could be shut down, and upon that happening, players would lose access to all the game's modes, with them all requiring an internet connection.
This always-online requirement for Call of Duty has been a norm for PC players since Call of Duty: Modern Warfare back in 2019, and it's proven to be one of the more controversial aspects of recent CoD on the platform. With console players now facing the same suite of connectivity issues, it's likely that this issue is only going to grow more controversial upon Black Ops 6's release in October.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
- Released
- October 25, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
Forced to go rogue. Hunted from within. This is Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.
Developed by Treyarch and Raven, Black Ops 6 is a spy action thriller set in the early 90s, a period of transition and upheaval in global politics, characterized by the end of the Cold War and the rise of the United States as a single superpower. With a mind-bending narrative, and unbound by the rules of engagement, this is signature Black Ops.
The Black Ops 6 Campaign provides dynamic moment-to-moment gameplay that includes a variety of play spaces with blockbuster set pieces and action-packed moments, high-stakes heists, and cloak-and-dagger spy activity.
In a best-in-class Multiplayer experience, players will test their skills across 16 new maps at launch, including 12 core 6v6 maps and 4 Strike maps that can be played 2v2 or 6v6.
Black Ops 6 also marks the epic return of Round-Based Zombies, the fan-favorite mode where players will take down hordes of the undead in two brand-new maps at launch. Post-launch, players can look forward to even more exciting maps and groundbreaking experiences dropping into both Multiplayer and Zombies.
- Developer(s)
- Treyarch, Raven Software
- Publisher(s)
- Activision
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
- Franchise
- Call of Duty
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC
- Genre(s)
- FPS
