Summary

  • Activision confirms no early access for Black Ops 6 campaign, sticking to global release on October 25.
  • Campaign mode remains highly anticipated, known for its complex storytelling in the Black Ops series.
  • Development team focused on a massive global launch for all game modes, with no early access benefits.

In a statement, publisher Activision clarified the situation around the lack of an early access period for the narrative campaign of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. Unlike Black Ops 6, some previously released Call of Duty titles granted players who pre-ordered the game early access to the campaign, with multiplayer matches unlocking for everyone on the day of the full release.

Though games in the franchise are more readily associated with their multiplayer experience in PVP and lately for the battle royale Call of Duty: Warzone, a cinematic campaign is still considered a highlight of any major Call of Duty game. This is particularly true of the Black Ops sub-series, which distinguished itself by adopting more complex storytelling structures and favoring plotlines that played with players' perception of reality. Call of Duty: Black Ops storylines focused on the "hidden" side of history and often indulged in conspiracy theory themes supposedly redacted from official records.

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Unfortunately for players excited to see what Black Ops 6 has to offer as soon as possible, Activision has held firm on not granting players early access to the campaign ahead of the full release. In a statement shared with Call of Duty news account CharlieIntel, Activision clarified its position, saying that Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 would be sticking with a single global launch around October 25, 2024, with no early access benefits for any player. As such, the only way players will be able to play the game ahead of its release date is via the ongoing Black Ops 6 beta test periods.

Activision Confirms No Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Early Access Period

In its statement, Activision said that the development team is "fully focused" on the October 25 release date, and that it wants the "massive" global launch to be the time that the entire community gets to access the available modes. Outside the beta tests, Activision will use reveal events like the recent unveiling of a full Black Ops 6 campaign mission playthrough to give players more insight into the game.

The statement from Activision didn't mention the massive wave of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 leaks that occurred over recent weeks. Earlier in August 2024, a major leak unveiled what looked to be almost every cutscene from the Black Ops 6 campaign, giving impatient players a detailed look at what developer Treyarch had in store for those interested in the story. Other leaks showed off multiplayer gameplay and other insights related to in-game features.

Activision is clearly hoping that sticking to a single release date for every Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 mode will increase the impact of its launch, even if that risks annoying players who want some time to play the campaign before diving into multiplayer. Time will tell if the strategy will work out for it, but it's at least telling that players are excited for the game, if they're clamoring to get in as soon as humanly possible.

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Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Tag Page Cover Art
9 /10

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
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FPS
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Systems
PlayStation-1 Xbox-1 PC-1
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Top Critic Avg: 83 /100 Critics Rec: 91%
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Released
October 25, 2024
ESRB
Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Suggestive Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
Developer(s)
Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher(s)
Activision
Engine
IW 9.0
Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
Cross-Platform Play
Yes - PlayStation, Xbox, PC
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WHERE TO PLAY

SUBSCRIPTION
DIGITAL
PHYSICAL
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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.

Franchise
Call of Duty
Genre(s)
FPS