- Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 arrives on January 28
- It introduces loads of new maps, weapons, and modes
- This is on top of balance changes, fixes, and a Terminator crossover event
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Season 2 is almost here, with the upcoming batch of live service content for the popular multiplayer shooter set to arrive on January 28. With a wealth of new maps, modes, and weapons, it comfortably has some of the most exciting additions yet.
For me, the new multiplayer maps are the highlight here. There will be three available at launch, Bounty, Dealership, and Lifeline. All three are brand-new environments built for Black Ops 6 and seem like a nicely varied selection. Bounty is set at the top of a fancy skyscraper, with a nightclub, rooftop, office, lobby and more.
As the name would suggest, Dealership then takes place in a car dealership – but with an interesting twist. The dealership is actually a front for an arms smuggling gang, its large showroom giving way to a sinister weapons black market. While both of these maps are geared towards 6v6 matches, Lifeline is something of a more compact environment that can be played in both 6v6 and 2v2 modes. It’s a small boat, named the Lifeline, which is moving quickly through choppy waters.
That’s not all, however, as two other maps are also being added throughout the season. The all-new Bullet is easily the coolest looking to me, letting you fight through a speeding bullet train which feels like a scene ripped straight out of a Bond movie. Playable in both 2v2 and 6v6, its tight corridor layout looks absolutely perfect for XP grinding too so I’m looking forward to putting in the hours to level up my gear.
The final map is a remaster of Grind, which was first featured in Black Ops 2 though I am most familiar with the Black Ops 4 version. This arena-style skatepark map is decent enough, but I personally prefer exploring layouts that we haven’t seen before.
Of course, no Call of Duty season would be complete without a smattering of new modes too. Overdrive is a brand new mode that will be available at launch, challenging you to earn stars through eliminations, headshots, and takedowns. Collecting set numbers of stars activates bonuses, such as the ability to see enemies through walls, increased movement and reload speed, or improved handling.
The classic Gun Game is also coming back, improving your gear through up to 20 different loadouts with every kill. Two limited time modes are dropping in time for Valentine’s Day, the aptly named Third Wheel Gunfight and Couples Dance Off.
Two new Perks, a new Wildcard, and a new Scorestreak are being added throughout Season 2. Enforcer Perk Hunter’s Instinct increases your sprinting speed, while cutting down your Tac Sprint. Activision hasn’t revealed the name of the other perk yet, but we do know that it will highlight the next closest enemy with each successful elimination.
The new Wildcard, Flyswatter, is going to be a blessing for those sick of dying to chopper gunners or other Scorestreaks, as it lets you replace your melee weapon with a launcher. As for the new Scorestreak, War Machine is coming back – letting you call in a powerful cluster grenade launcher that’s perfect for clearing out campers.
This is all on top of four newly revealed weapons, the fast-firing PPSh-41 SMG, the reliable Cypher 091 assault rifle, the remarkably compact Feng 82 LMG, and the precise TR2 marksman rifle. These are joined by a variety of new weapon attachments, most interestingly a whole crossbow that you can stick to the bottom of your gun, plus plenty of balance changes, fixes, new bundles, a fresh battle pass, and even a Terminator crossover event.
If you’re interested in diving into Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 just in time for Season 2, the game is available now for PC, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4.