Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Homes in on Battle Royale, Raises the Zed (Again)

Today, Treyarch gave the public its first look at Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 during a live stream reveal event. Set to release on PC, PS4, and Xbox One on October 12, it was officially confirmed that the upcoming entry in the perennial military shooter will not feature a single-player mode, focusing instead on frantic multiplayer action — including a new battle royale mode and a fully fleshed-out Zombies mode. 

In a surprise to no one, Black Ops 4 will mark the franchise’s foray into the battle royale scene via a brand-new mode called “Blackout.” Taking place on what’s being promised as the biggest multiplayer map in series history (a sort of amalgam of previous Black Ops multiplayer maps), players will battle in the same last-man-standing style that has made games like Fortnite so insanely popular.

Treyarch promises vehicular combat (air, sea, and land) along with the inclusion of characters, weapons, and even zombies from previous Black Ops games.

Check the trailer below to learn even more about the mode:

Speaking of zombies, longtime fans of the Treyarch CoD games were treated to the news that Black Ops 4 will include three Zombies “experiences,” available on Day One. Modes will have difficulty levels, tutorials, and online challenges. There will also be at least100 customization options by which players “change the fundamental rules and systems of the gameplay experience, [including] tools and social systems.”

In the video showcasing the first of these episodes called “Nine”, a group of gladiator-like combatants fend off a swarm of nasties in a Roman-style arena.

The second of the Zombies experiences, called “Voyage of Despair,” is set aboard a luxury ocean liner (think The Walking Dead meets Titanic). Not much was revealed about the third of these Zombie “experiences,” but Treyarch went to great pains to assure the audience that Zombies will be a major focus of Black Ops 4.

It’s also worthy to note that the PC version of the game will use Battle.net, Blizzard’s digital distribution platform. Black Ops 4 will follow in the footsteps of Destiny 2 in that regard. 

As always, stick with GameSkinny as we inch closer to the October 12 release date of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 for all the news, tips, and guides any zombie-killing battler royale could hope for!