And Virtua Fighter hangs around PlayStation Plus for another month

[Update: It's time to claim July's PlayStation Plus games from the PlayStation Store: Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, A Plague Tale: Innocence, and WWE 2K Battlegrounds.]

A new month means a new set of PlayStation Plus games, and one game on the July 2021 card is one I'm sure people might have been?? eyeing since a follow-up was announced during E3 2021.

A Plague Tale: Innocence's PS5 version headlines July's PlayStation Plus lineup, accompanied by Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 and WWE 2K Battlegrounds. They'll all be available starting July 6, and they're joined by a fourth game: Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown will spend a second month on PlayStation Plus.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Evv-ECAk35g

It was recently confirmed A Plague Tale: Innocence is coming to new-gen consoles, as well as the Nintendo Switch via the cloud. The PlayStation 5 version targets 60 FPS at 4K native resolution, which is a reall?y high-fidelity l??ens to view all those creepy rat swarms through.

Considering A Plague Tale: Requiem was announced at Xbox and Bethesda's E3 showcase, I imagine folks are probably looking for a way to play the first game, so this is a pretty good get. And I have to admit, I'm morbidly curious about the bizarre WWE 2K Battlegrounds.

Remember to pick up June's PS Plus games before July 5, which includes Star Wars: Squadrons and the very good co-op espionage sim Operation: Tango.

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That's 'Apocalypse', nothing to do with World Wars

The zombies of Call of Duty's popular side-mode... er... "zombies", look set to bust out all over Black Ops 4, as a new event will see the living dead invade multiple modes in T?reyarch's military shooter.

Operation Apocalypse Z, which comes to PS4 today, brings new content to all modes, along with a drop of new weapons and items, all tinged with the murky atmosphere of life beyond death. Multiplayer mode sees the return of The Reaper, a terrifying heavy-weapons battle bot from Black Ops III, ready to cut down opposit??ion with The Scythe (which in reality is just a gigantic h?eavy machine gun.)

Battle Royale mode Blackout will see a spooky fog fall upon the map, while the creepy Alcatraz locale gets a new night-time variant. If that wasn't enough, a new mode, Alcatraz Portals Horde is good to go today. In the coming weeks, a further mode, Pandemic, and three new characters will be added, including the iconic Machete star Danny Trejo.

As for Zombies itself, well obviously that's getting the lion's share of the new content. This includes a new experience Alpha Omega and a slew of new elixirs, including some familiar favourites from Black Ops III. The coming ??weeks will add a mammoth ne??w gauntlet as well as new beasties all waiting to get their noggins popped.

Alongside all of the above, Black Ops 4 will see some grisly character skins and weapons added to the black market. This includes the amusing "Backhander", which is essentially a disembodied zombie arm to slap your foes upside the head with. Japes. For full details on all of the Operation Apocalypse Z content, visit the official Black Ops 4 blog right here. The n?ew content will head to PC and Xbox One soon.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is available now on PS4, PC and Xbox One.

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Don't get the lurgy

A fan-favourite mode returns in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 this week, as developer Treyarch ?has announced that this week's run of extra content will include the infamous "In?fected" mode.

Originally debuting in Modern Warfare 3, Infected is a multiplayer mode which begins with one player "infected" who must then attempt to melee all of the other players to spread the virus. All the survivors must evade or kill the Infected until a five-minute time limit expires. It's a bit of a goofy mode, but its a lot of fun, and as such has featured in multiple Call of Duty games since.

Although Infected is expected to be a PS4 exclusive mode for about a week, all platforms are receiving the Alcatraz map for Blackout, Black Ops 4's battle royale mode today. This grisly map sees the La?st Person Standing gimmick hunker down within the walls of the miserable San Francisco penitentiary.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is available now on PS4, PC and Xbox One.

This week in #BlackOps4:

• Infected in MP (PS4)
• Alcatraz in #Blackout on all platforms
• New Skill Divisions in League Play
+ more pic.twitter.com/6xGYSTxtee

— Treyarch Studios (@Treyarch) April 8, 2019

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Annie get all your guns...

Treyarch has announced that the latest update to blockbuster shooter Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is now live on PS4. Update 1.16 brings a new story chapter to the time-hopping Zombies mode, and also adds new features in standard multiplayer and Blackout battle royale. The u?pdate will roll out on PC and Xbox One in the near-future.

The meat of the update is Zombies' new "Ancient Evil" content. This sees our heroes trapped in the subterranean city of Delphi where, guided by the imprisoned Oracle of Delphi, Scarlett, Bruno? Shaw and Diego must battle undead citizens, giant multi-armed warriors and oth??er monstrosities to learn the secrets behind Scarlett's long-lost father.

For those who prefer their Call of Duty action a little more traditional, then Multiplayer receives Barebones, which offers old-school 6v6 modes, with Specialist skills, gear and weaponry removed, taking it back to basics in an effort to capture the classic CoD multiplayer that would define a genre.

League Play has received new ranking levels, with players able to reach a new peak of level 21-30. This will come in handy for the also newly-added Skill Divisions, which will group similarly leveled players together in a fight to climb to the coveted Master Division. Ricochet Friendly Fire has also been activated. Not dissimilar to the recent Rainbow Six Siege update, RFF will reflect da?mage from?? frequent team-killers back at the perpetrator.

Finally, Blackout battle royale will receive new features, including co-pilot support for certain vehicles, Outrider and Zero's specialist items Sparrow and the EMP Distributor have been added as supply stash weapons, and Collapse damage now increases the longer you remain dawdling in it. For full details on this and everything listed above, check out the official patch notes right here.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is available now on PS4, PC and Xbox One.

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You'll need the luck of the Irish

[Update: Shamrock and Awe is now live Black Ops 4 on PS4. You can check out the full patch notes right here and a t??railer showcasing some of the new modes' explosive action below.]

Treyarch Studios are prepping to airdrop more content their popular military shooter Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 this week. In keeping with the spirit of the season, tomorrow will see the return of CoD'?s annual St. Patrick's Day event: "Shamrock and Awe."

Shamrock and Awe will bring a selection of themed weapons and gear to Black Ops 4's multiplayer mode, along with a new mode, Stockpile, which is a tweaked variant of Black Ops 3's Fracture. Elsewhere, the Contraband map will receive a hurricane ??weather variant, better watch where you're tossing those grenades. There's no word yet on whether the mischievous Leprechaun will be making a reap??pearance.

Black Ops 4's battle ??royale mode, Blackout, will be getting a fresh coat of paint to reflect the Spring season?, so you can stop to admire the flowers whilst you're firing searing-hot lead into people's spleens. Blackout will also be getting a new Hardcore mode, which will remove armour, vehicles and even the HUD for a true test of skill.

Of course, Zombies isn't being left out, with the monster?-mashing mode receiving the new "Hellcatraz Gauntlet" challenge. Can you and your buddies guide?? the Primis crew through 30 rounds of increasingly difficult challenges? Better bring extra ammo for this one.

The official patch notes for the new update are expected later today. As always, the new content will roll out on PS4 first, with Xbox One and PC to follow sometime afterward. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is available now on PS4, PC and Xbox One.

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They were added post-launch: sneaky!

So Call of Duty: Black Ops 4's Blackout battle royale mode has been doing a great low key job of spicing things up slightly, but it's suffered a lot of competition lately: mainly due to the likes of Apex Legends. Activision's answer? A cool looking Grand Heist update. That's good! But it also ??added lo??ot boxes. That's bad!

Pretty much everyone hated them, especially since the rate at which loot bo??xes (cases) accrued was abysmally low. The company responded in turn by?? doubling that rate, which includes a retroactive return for players who are already at a higher tier.

Activision defends the system in a reddit post detailing the latest patch, noting "The goal of this system was to give more players more frequent access to content in Reserves, as players could now earn them from the start by playing the game,?? rather than only gaining access after completing Tier 100.? However, by moving progress toward Reserves up front instead of at the end of the stream, this had an unintended effect on players who progressed through the first 100 Tiers. Initial earn rates for Blackjack’s Reserve Cases through gameplay were also too slow. These issues and more are being resolved today."

Loot boxes weren't? the only thing addressed in the update, as a bunch of new playlists were ??added as well, in addition to Blackout content like new vehicles.

Feb. 22 Update: Hot P??ursuit in Blackout and Black Market Progression Updates on PS4 [Reddit]

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Drip-fed features, weapons, vehicles and more

Activision and Treyarch have announced the start of a new event in their military shooter Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. Operation Grand Hei?st, which starts today and sounds li??ke it took four seconds to name, runs until April and promises new content for Black Ops 4's various multiplayer modes, to be added in-game each week.

This week, standard Multiplayer will find a familiar face in the form of The Outrider, a specialist who returns from Black Ops 3. Black Ops Pass Holders will also note the addition of two new maps. Alongside these additions, weapons have been tweaked for damage balance. Zombies will now feature support for signature weapons and a tier skip for those who complete Daily Callings. Zombies will also rece??ive a new Gauntlet - Death-Con Five - and a new Perk: the Ethereal Razor.

Meanwhile, Blackout gets new map "Ghost Town" (which longtime fans might recognise as a reworked edition of Black Ops 2's multiplayer map, Standout) and three new vehicles: a high-speed motorboat, a police SUV and a slick muscle car. If all that wasn't enough for week one, new items are available on the Black M??arket

This first week of Operation Grand Heist content will be drip-fed out over the next few days on PS4, with PC and Xbox One to follow soon. You can find the full schedule over on Treyarch's official blo?g.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is available now on PS4, PC and Xbox One.

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New content airdrops in today

Activision and Treyarch are currently preparing a wave of content for their military shooter-cum-battle royale title Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. Today sees the first in a batch of features and modes be?in??g rolled out over the next week.

Today, Black Ops 4 receives two new modes. Arms Race will reward?? players extra points for each kill, providing squads with easier access to scorestreaks and no doubt ensuring mayhem in the process. Battle royale mode Blackout is also bringing back Close Quarters Frenzy, which features a much more rapid map collapse, as well as an arsenal consisting of close encounter weaponry such as knives, shotguns and SMGs.

From February 14, Black Ops 4 will be getting another double XP weekend. Live across all modes, this event will increase XP and weapon XP in Multiplayer, double XP and Nebulium Plasma ?in Zombies, and double merits in Blackout. So whichever mode is your favourite, you'll have reason to leap into the grind this weekend.

Finally, a mysterious tweet appears to be tea?sing something new for Blackout, with the tweet feat?uring the Blackout map suggestively marked off with a series of waypoints. No doubt we'll hear more about this soon.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is available now on PS4, PC and Xbox One.

Here's the plan... pic.twitter.com/biNTKF669c

— Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) February 11, 2019

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New modes, events, bug fixes and more

Treyarch Studios have released a major update for Activision's military shooter Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. The hefty Ve??rsion 1.12 update weighs in at 7GB and brings tweaks to the FPS title's Multiplayer, Blackout and Zombies modes.

The classic Multiplayer mode has received a series of playlist additions. These include ?Blackjack's Gun Game, Safeguard, and three variants to the Moshpit mode: Hardcore, Endurance Chaos and Mercenary Capture. W?eapon balancing will not take place this update, but is underway for release in Version 1.13.

Black Ops 4's great battle royale mode, Blackout, is debuting its new limited-time mode, "Ambu??sh". Players will fight it out in a perpetually collapsing circle, armed with only sniper rifles, launchers and melee attacks. Sounds chaotic. A new camo progression mode is also being introduced, rewarding players with weapon skins for successful grinds in the en mass multiplayer.

Finally, the time-hopping Zombies mode receives a glut of content. Classic weapons, loot and camo progress are coming to popular co-op mode, as well as new gauntlet, titled "Veni, Vidi, Zombie!" (which is a shit pun). The "Barbarians" special event, already live o??n PS4, also makes its debut on the Xbox One and PC platforms. On top of? all of this, bug-squishing has been done across the board.

For full details and patch notes pertaining to Version 1.12, check out the official Reddit page right here. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is available now on PS4, PC and Xbox One.

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Rockstar strikes again

The NPD Group has shared its statistics for the whole of 2018 and some not-so-surprising outcomes have happened. Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption 2 was the best selling game of 2018 followed by Treyarch's Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. NBA 2K and Madden then chart in third and fourth with Super Smash Bros. Ultimate coming in fifth. Surprisingly, Smash beat out God of War, Spider-Man, and Monster Hunter: World in? terms of overall sales while only being on shelves ?for a month.

The top 20 list for 2018 looks like this:

*Does not include digital sales
**Does not include PC digital sales

• 1: Red Dead Redemption 2
• 2: Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
• 3: NBA 2K19
• 4: Madden NFL 19
• 5: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate*
• 6: Marvel’s Spider-Man
• 7: Far Cry 5
• 8: God of War 2018
• 9: Monster Hunter: World
• 10: Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey
• 11: Grand Theft Auto V
• 12: Mario Kart 8*
• 13: FIFA 19**
• 14: Battlefield V**
• 15: Super Mario Odyssey*
• 16: Call of Duty: WWII**
• 17: Dragon Ball: FighterZ
• 18: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild*
• 19: Super Mario Party*
• 20: Pokemon: Lets Go Pikachu*

As for the best selling console of 2018, that honor goes to the Nintendo Switch. It beat out the PS4 and Xbox One throughout the year but really drove it home in December. The release of Smash led to the Switch being, "the? highest December-month hardware dollar sales for a single platform since t?he Nintendo Wii in December 2009." It even achieved the highest unit sales for a single-platform since December of 2010.

As far as December was concerned, Smash may as well have been the only game on sale. It dominated the monthly chart along with six other Nintendo exclusives. "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate set a new launch-month dollar sales record for a platform exclusive in Video Game history," NPD analyst Mat Piscatella reports. "Packaged software launch month dollar sales of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate exceeded those of the previous best in franchise history, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, by over 70 percent." It has also become the fastest selling console exclusive to ever be?? tracked by the NPD.

December's top 20 list is as follows:

• 1: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate*
• 2: Call of Duty: Black Ops 4**
• 3: Red Dead Redemption II
• 4: Battlefield V**
• 5: NBA 2K19
• 6: Mario Kart 8*
• 7: Madden NFL 19**
• 8: Super Mario Party*
• 9: Pokemon: Lets Go Pikachu*
• 10: Marvel’s Spider-Man
• 11: Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey
• 12: Pokemon: Lets Go Eevee*
• 13: Super Mario Odyssey*
• 14: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild*
• 15: Just Cause 4
• 16: FIFA 19
• 17: Grand Theft Auto V
• 18: Minecraft
• 19: Spyro Reignited Trilogy**
• 20: Fallout 76*

With all of that laid out, I'm mostly surprised at how ridiculously well Smash did. Both God of War and Spider-Man broke records for Sony, yet Smash still topped them without breaking a sweat. This isn't even including digital sales of Smash, which likely put it ev??en higher. I guess people were really clamoring for the latest entry in Nintendo's?? all-star brawler.

Console hardware sales may have been down, but 2018 seemed to push software sales for everyone. Madden broke August records, Monster Hunter: World quickly became Capcom's best selling title, and even Spyro do?minated charts. Here's hoping 2019 continues some of that steam.

December 2018 NPD: Smash Bros. beats Spider-Man in exclusives battle [Venture Beat]

NPD 2018: The 20 best-selling games of the year [Venture Beat]

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Strive to survive

Anyone who couldn't quite pull the trigger on Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is getting a golden opportunity to see what all ??the fuss is abou??t. The game's most notable mode, the Blackout battle royale, is the subject of an upcoming free trial.

Activision is throwing a week-long Blackout trial from January 17 through January 24. It's available on all platforms -- PC, PS4, and Xbox One. This comes a little more than three months after Black Ops 4 originally released.

Of course, this isn't the full Black Ops 4 experience. It's without the Zombies mode and the standard Call of Duty multiplayer. It does, however, showcase the most novel addition to Call of Duty in a number of years. Even if it's just chasing a trend, it?? does so in ?an undeniably enjoyable way.

Bring your friends — the Blackout Free Trial is coming.

Play #BlackOps4’s Blackout Battle Royale for free from January 17th to the 24th on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. pic.twitter.com/jfOw2diCV9

— Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) January 15, 2019

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Last minute shooter deals for Xmas

If you were thinking of picking up either Battlefield V or Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 during Black Friday and Cyber Monday but slept through the whole ordeal because sleep is so much better - you're in luck. Both flagship titles are now at their historic low price since their respective release date. In fact, Battlefield V has been released for just a month and the DICE/EA title is now 50% off.

The deals are courtesy of Walmart and Best Buy, with the latter offering both the console and PC version of Black Ops 4 at 50% off. In fact, Best Buy's deal is even better if you're one of the few people who still have a Best Buy Gamers Club Unlock membership as the extra 20% off discount will stack on top of the existing deal - making th?em even cheap?er at only $23.99. Best Buy GCU is of course no longer available for sign-up and only those with existing members can take advantage of double dipping.

For those wondering if either title is worth playing (because you've slept through release week as well), you can check out Battlefield V's review here and Call of Duty: Black Ops 4's review here.

Battlefield V Deals

• Battlefield V (PS4) — $29.83  (list price $60)
• Battlefield V (Xbox One) — $29.83  (list price $60)

Black Ops 4 Deals

• Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 (PS4) — $29.99  (list price $60)
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 (Xbox One) — $29.99  (list price $60)
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 (PC) — $29.99  (list price $60)

Game deals from Dealzon. Sales help support Destructoid.

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'And they call me, Bulletproof'

Treyarch has dropped a major update on Activision's latest million-dollar shooter Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. The new patch, which is already live in-game, makes various adjustments ??to the roster, mechanics??, and even the audio of the multiplayer epic.

First and foremost, Armor - which many players have been complaining about as far back as the first Beta - has been nerfed?? in both Blackout and standard Multiplayer. Now, areas that have increased damage hitboxes, such as the chest and head, will not be as protected as they have been previously, preventing perfect sniper headshots leading to the target running around like they took a mosquito bite.

Speaking? of weaponry, SMGs have taken a damage buff whilst Assault Rifles have been nerfed, to bring both wea??pons into closer alignment with each other in close-quarters combat. Specialist gear, for example Ajax' Ballistic Shield, has also seen respective balance adjustments.

Sound has also been redesigned. Now, like a lot of multiplayer shooters, enemy footsteps are louder than your teammates, hopefully removing the need to spin your head because you're being stalked, only to find it's actually your best buddy xX420UmadbroXX. If you want to check out the full, detailed list of changes, then visit the official Reddit page right here.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is available now on PS4, PC and Xbox One.

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Via Newegg's eBay Store

If you've finally decided to give Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 a try due to the barrage of streams on Blackout (Black Ops 4's battle royale mode), delaying from buying on release date means extra savings. This weekend Newegg's eBay outlet store is offloading PlayStation 4 and Xbox One copies of Call of Duty: Black Out 4 for 17% off at $49.99.

The $10 off discount shows up after you add to cart, and wh??ile it's not a huge discount per se, in the era of dwi??ndling deals, defunct discount membership (Best Buy GCU), this is a pretty good price considering the game was released less than nine days ago.

For PC gamers, deals are surprisingly even more sparse than console brethren, with the best deal we're s?ee??ing online (from an authorized retailer anyways) at only 8% off for the Standard Edition and 10% off for the Deluxe. All deals below are valid until sold out (yep, the digital copies at GMG has been sold out a few times in the past week).

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Deals

Console

• Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 (PS4) — $49.99  (list price $60)
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 (Xbox One) — $49.99  (list price $60)

PC

• Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 (Battle.net) — $55.19  (list price $60)
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Digital Deluxe Edition (Battle.net) — $89.99  (list price $100)

As of writin?g about 155 copies for the PS4 are sold, while 232 copies are sold for the Xbox One version. Based on our experience Newegg usually offers up 500 to 1,000 copies - so supplies are fairly limited.

For the PC version of Black Ops 4, you'll be receiving a Battle.net key from GMG. For this latest iteration of Call of Duty, Activision has gone w??ith its own client in lie??u of Steam.

Game deals from Dealzon. Sales help support Destructoid.

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No campaign, no problem

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 has ushered in a new era?? of AAA: one where every studio and their grandmother tries to pack a battle royale gametype into their project. The thing is, Activision actually did it right, while also providing a strong zombies outing alongside its token traditional multiplayer element.

After more testing beyond our review in progress, my view?? hasn't changed all that much. Your mileage may vary depending on how much you weigh each mode.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 (PC, PS4 [reviewed], Xbox One)
Developer: Treyarch
Publisher: Activision
Released: October 12, 2018
MSRP: $59.99

Let's sti?ck with the same format we used in the review in progress, shall we: but this time, with numbers!

Blackout (8.5/10)

While it's easy to slam battle royale games?? and modes as a way to make a quick buck, it all truly depends on how it's handled. So far Blackout has upended that mentality and shows pro??mise to boot. It has the potential to continue evolving, drawing from the series' 15-year history.

It's the same shtick, sure: jump into a crowd of ~100 people and make sure you're the last one standing. But Black Ops 4 goes a bit wilder with it without fully going off the rails seeking attention. There's enough variety in this shooter subgenre right now to make room for Blackout, especially when it takes Call of Duty in a completely new, and frankly, exciting direction. Sprin??kling zombies into select areas is a fun way to spice things up, as are gadgets, Easter eggs, and special abilities.

Ultimately, Blackout is something you can waste your entire day with or sneak in a quick fix for: such is the power of battle royale. Another bit that competitors often struggle with that Blackout nails, gunplay, is solved by nature of the mode slotting directly into the current incarnation of the Call of Duty engine. While it's ??easy to knock its age (and it's up there) it's functional and stronge??r than many other shooters on the market.

Speaking of age: Blackout does have split-screen on consoles and you need to know right up front that it's janky. The framerate and visuals take a significant hit (even with my tests on a PS4 Pro) to allow this process to happen. Given that no other major battle royale on the market even offers it, it already has a leg up. It works is what I'm saying, so long as you have no high in the sky aspirations of becoming a?? Blackout pro while sharing a screen.

I've always looked at Call of Duty as more of an arcade-tinted alternativ?e and Blackout hammers that point home while maintaining a semblance of tactical gameplay. It manages to strike a balance that many other competitors just haven't yet (you're often either an ultra-serious tactical operative or Thanos doing the Charleston after jumping 10?0 feet up in the air, with no compromise in-between).

Multiplayer (6/10)

I typically Prestige at least once yearly (with a few exceptions) but I think Black Ops 4's multiplayer is going to break that streak. With an underwhelming focus on smaller, more intimate affairs that lack character, this year's multiplayer element offers a distinctly different appr?o?ach compared to Blackout.

Out of Black Ops 4's 14 maps, four are flashbacks (read: straight re-uses of previous arenas from past games). Several others, like Seaside, feel like flashbacks even though they're technically new. There are only a few unique arenas worth noting: the sandy Warzone of Contraband and the crime boss HQ of Hacienda. If you haven't played Call of Duty in years you? might get something out of it, but the over-reliance of the map rework angle (which is usually sparingly saved for DLC) did not work in its favor here.

S??pecialist classes (unique characters that provide different abilities) return but are more underwhelming. They don't even get a chance to shine in "Specialist Ops," which are basically tutorial missions with a loose MCU-esque storyline to connect them. Bags of health and manual healing options try their best to feel different, but the old "Pick 10" perk/equipment system brings everything back down to reality. The core hasn't changed all that much and all you're left with less original modes and maps to battle with.

In the case of Black Ops 4, multiplayer is merely one of three meaty options. Although I felt like the other two modes better captured the spirit of Call of Duty, you might appreciate the shift to compact, objective-based matches. For the rest of us, z??ombi??es is still at the top of its game.

Zombies (9/10)

I know some diehards are g?oing to disagree, but as someone who's been playing zombies since the beginning (and every DLC), this is the most accessible edition to date. I have one word for you: bots. Okay two words: good bots.

Black Ops 4 has some really, really badass bots that will help you achieve your wildest dreams of actually making strides in zombie maps if you can never wrangle up a static group. The option of three maps at the start (four in total if you have the season pass, with four more on the way) makes it feel heftier as a whole, especially when the Roman Colosseum (IX) and cruise ship (Voyage of Despair) storylines are just as off-the-wall as ever and packed with secrets. Split-screen makes a welcome return, which can also be played with bots (this is the last use of the word "bots" in the review, I promise).

With its "Powers of the Gods" angle (Dani, Ra, Zeus and Odin, on top of wacky weapons like a Chakram that would feel at home in Krull, or an ancient healing staff that shoots laser beams) and fully customizable loadouts, Black Ops 4's zombies mode is unique without getting desperate. The new cast is also extremely chatty (and catty) a??nd I love it. Everything slots into place. It's classic Treyarch doing their own thing.

I lied, I have two more words for you to really drive the point home that this zombies iteration is worth giving a shot: effective tutorial. Accessibility and depth are both present here and it's? fantastic.

All three of Black Ops 4's modes ar?e tied together neatly with a theater recording option, accessible from th?e main menu. It's a weird feeling, having three evolving products tied together under one SKU; despite the unevenness of the experiment, it does succeed in continuing to get people to care about the series.

The landscape has changed. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 can't just operate with the same business-as-usual mentality from Activision, now that it's taken this step. Blackout has the potential to be its own game in the same way Epic tore its Battle Royale mode from the main package as a separate entity. Leave it to Treyarch to create a conundrum after introducing a non-traditional project into the fray. How well Activision manages Black Ops 4 will possi??bly influence the entire future of the series. For? now, two-thirds of it is rising to the occasion.

Bots.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game purchased by the reviewer. We also did not attend the industry review event.]}

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Black Market and Contraband streams added today

The newest update to Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is just in time for Halloween, and it's a familiar one for anyone who plays other battle royale games. It introduces the Contraband stream, which is essentially Black Ops 4's take on Fortnite's Battle Pass and PUBG's Event Pass. It's a way for players to unlock?? customization items through progression in the various game modes.

Each Contraband stream will last approximately two months before rotating out for a new stream. Treyarch has outlined the rewards ??which include: New characters for B??lackout, signature weapons, special outfits, and unique tags and gestures.

The first season of cosmetic content begins today, but only on PlayStation 4. Sony has secured timed-exclusive rights to Black Ops 4's DLC, meaning that all of this stuff comes t?o PS4 a full seven days before landing on PC and Xbox One. So, the very first Contraband stream (which is c??alled Operation First Strike) is available today, October 19, for PS4 users; it'll be available on PC and Xbox One on October 26.

That week-long exclusivity plays a more crucial role in Black Ops 4's upcoming Halloween event. The Contraband streams will have the occasional offshoot subsections for special happenings. Starting tomorrow, October 20, PS4 players can earn Halloween event cosmetics. But, PC and Xbox One players have to wait a week for the Halloween event, meaning they get?? the green light on October 27. That doesn't leave a lot of time before the end of the month.

This is most likely where Black Ops 4's microtransactions will finally show up. Activision has ditched the premium currency Supply Drops in favor of something different. The Black Market custo?mization hub seems like a good bet. Players who aren't able to plow their way through all the Contraband stream levels will probably be given the option to buy tiers to instantly bump them up to just-??unreachable rewards. Anyone on PC and Xbox One will simply have to grind a lot harder if they don't want to spend any money.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 – The Black Market, Customizati??on, and Content [Activision Games Blog]

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Because ya gotta do what everyone else is doing, right?

It's that time of year again, as schoolkids and employees the world over all fall mysteriously ill on the very same day and a brand new Call of Duty title hits the shelves. Now finally embracing a full-on Multiplayer Only lifestyle, Activision's Black Ops 4 is out and ready to rake in the big bucks.

And when you go multiplayer, especially when adopting a battle royale brand, you better believe that you should rock the exact same gimmicks that everyone else is rocking. As such, Black Ops 4 has been given its own array of emotes and sprays, allowing weekend warriors everywh??e??re the ability to perform high-fives, fist-bumps and other rudimentary communications, whilst painting the walls, floors and ceilings with goofy unlockable quotes and images.

Arriving today on PS4, Xbox One and PC, this year's Call of Duty entry eschews a story campaign entirely, resting all on its Multiplayer, Blackout Battle Royale and Zombies. Having played them already and witnessed their quality implementation first-hand, I'm sure Activision has another money-maker on its hands. Just buckle up for that 50gb patch.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is available now on PS4, PC and Xbox One. ??Here is a new trailer for it's time-traveling Zombies mode.

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Nuclear winter

Nuketown, probably Black Ops' most iconic map, is yet again being remade for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. This isn't? much of a surprise.? However, the specifics of the setting are a bit more unexpected.

Treyarch sent ou?t thi?s teaser tweet earlier this afternoon:

Посетите нас снова ... Впервые здесь #Nuketown pic.twitter.com/EBd3vP3LRd

— Treyarch Studios (@Treyarch) October 9, 2018

Black Ops 4's Nuketown takes ??place in the Russian winter. Reader, I am out of word??s so this blog is over.

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Blackout your hard drive!

With the news that Call of Duty: Black Ops 4's disc wouldn't function without a day-one update, the next question in order was how large of an update was required. While we've been seeing game sizes increase over the last few years, usually buying a disc means you get to skip some downtime by having the files ready to install. Apparently not this year, as Black Ops 4's game enabling patch is massive.

If you intend on getting Black Ops 4 physically, you'll need to download a 50 GB patch before you can play it. The official Activision support site actual?ly recommends around 112 GB be free for "an optimized download experience," which just makes no sense to me (is the game downloading a full installer then unpacking the files?). The fina?l space usage clocks in around 55 GB, so do the discs contain next to nothing?

If you're buying the game digitally, then this news won't matter. As noted under the digital version, Black Ops 4 is around 55 GB in size. That is still quite a large download, but that typically comes with the territory for modern triple-A games. For people buying the disc, however, this is pretty unacceptable. The whole point of nabbing a disc is to skip gigantic downloads like t??his, so w??hy is the majority of the game's data not available?

I guess it is better to know now so you can make your plans accordingly for Friday. I'm not so sure this wasn't just a way for A??ctivision to push people into nabbing the digital version but maybe that doesn't matter for?? an online based experience.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Installation and Setup [Activision Support]

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So long battle royale games, hello battle royale game modes

In today's episode of Destructoid Impulse: we take a look at Call of Duty's answer to battle royale in the form of Blackout. Yes, that's right, we're talking about the biggest trend in video games and possibly the biggest franchise in video games. Me and Associate Editor Peter Glagowski are rea??dy to ride the waves of disdain from the title on this episode alone!

Admittedly, this is the first time I've been interested in a Call of Duty game since Modern Warfare 2, as much of the Call of Duty formula never kept my interest. However, back in early 2017 when PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds was taking Steam, Twitch, and m??y sleeple?ss hours alike by storm, I couldn't help but wonder how many developers (and drooling executive mouths for that matter) were scrambling to capitalize on or further improve this formula.

Now with the upcoming release of Black Ops 4, I think we're gonna begin to see the first wave of triple-A takes on this concept and even the de?parture from battle royale "games" into simply battle royale game modes. Here's hoping somebody at SCEA is seeing all this and revives Twisted Metal with a vehicle-based battle royale mode.

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Still hard as nails, though

Crawling through the long gr??ass, a bead of sweat trickles down my temp??le. Sweat, or blood? It's hard to tell the difference on an island such as this one. I'd bought my ticket to ride and now I was on the journey, stamped "paid in full" on a receipt handed to me by The Grim Reaper.

A distant sound of rattling fire heralds ??the loss of another poor soul, now on his or her way to meet the grinning joker who put us all here. Perhaps they were one of the lucky ones? All I know is that my trembling trigger finger was matched only by the flickering pupil staring down my rifle-scope; a deadly camera lens capturing the plight of 88 fools gone ?mad... a distant explosion makes that 75.

This are??na was shrinking in scale moment to moment, but I had held fast thus far and I intend to still. The ballroom of death is preparing for the last dance of the evening, and I would be taking home the winner's trophy; in this case the reverberati??ng screams of the men and women who had fallen on their own road to Damascus.

But then three screaming 14-year-olds drove over my?? head in a dune b??uggy. Assholes.

I've spent the several days locked in mortal combat with a mass of sharpshooting Call of Duty players, engaged in the beta of Activision's Black Ops 4. More specifically, its all-new Battle Royale mode Blackout. Blackout is one of the major new features in this latest entry of the gazillion-dollar shooter series, which is foregoing its single-player campaign mode to deliver three multiplayer modes. It's a risky gamble, but given the power of CoD multiplayer, the draw of Zombies and the current fad of? battle royale title??s, it's probably a risk worth taking.

Blackout follows the traditional battle royale concept triggered by then-indie phenomenon PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds and popularised the world over by Epic Games' Fortnite - though the Black Ops version is far closer to the former than the latter. Up to 88 players leap from a helicopter and, using wingsuits and parachutes, deposit themselves somewhere on a spraw??ling map, armed with little more than a crappy one-two punch.

Upon landing, it's simply every man or woman for themselves, with all weapons and gear gathered through on-site procurement. As the minutes pass, the squad of trigger-happy psychos are forced closer together by a shrinking boundary wall (surprisingly similar to the barrier from 2018 sci-fi movie Annihilation) until standing atop this mass carnage remains a sole survivor. One winner. 87 loser??s. (Although you can?? also choose to play in teams of two or four, should you prefer the backup.)

What Blackout brings to the genre over its closest rival is a sackful of cash and the excellent Call of Duty engine, which has been finally tuned over 14 years of releases. This combination of Treyarch's expertise and ready financial funding creates a tighter, better-looking and slicker experience, with a more stable online engine, more detailed models and, most importantly, sharper combat. Every technical issue that befalls titles such as PUBG has been eradicated ??simply by throwing money and experience at it, refining the military-based battle royale concept into a sleeker and more polished experience.

Most of the Call of Duty multiplayer tropes have been brought to Blackout. A huge array of weaponry, from handguns to shotguns to semi-auto and sniper rifles litter the map, along with attachments such as grips, extended barrels, scopes and laser-sights, all lurking within abandoned buildings and barns. Throwables from concussion grenades to molotovs can be procured, as can a selection of vehicles, some of which allow for multiple passengers, even if they do all handle like it's Mario Kart. There are also the appear??ance of tools suc??h as microwave shields, grapple guns (and my personal Black Ops fave) the RC-XD remote control car.

Player avatars consist of the typical Black Ops 4 team (Yay, Seraph!) but will also grow to include many famous faces from previous Black Ops and Zombies campaigns. The map itself is nicely varied, if a bit anachronistic, featuring a lighthouse, a rendering plant, abandoned villages, farmland and even a creepy Addams Family-looking asylum. Plenty of heavy undergrowth and nosebleed ??verticality is available for all you cowardly s?nipers.

Also in effect is Black Ops 4's new Time To Kill mechanic, which sees players able to take more damage than in previous CoD titles before biting the big one. Joining the fun - for those very lucky enough to stumble across it - is the game's controversial body armour, which has already caused a storm in previous betas. Wingsuit into the right spot, and you could find yourself kitted out like Arnie at the end of Commando. Choose poorly, and you'll be luck??y to walk out with a single throwing axe. Maybe? that's all you need.

That, in itself, is the battle royale appeal, and Blackout gets that. The new mode brings little to this party that you haven't seen in other BR titles, it just does it with a polish that other studios don't have the team or (more likely) the money to match. Visual/audio aesthetics are not the be all and end all of any video game, of course not, but when your base concept is as simple as "Go into this map and kill everyone" then they count for a lot, and Blackout has it in spades.

Black Ops 4's Blackout mode doesn't reinvent this currently-popular take on the shooter genre. It brings very little new to the table in the way of gimmicks, ideas or concept. It just takes what has been done by other titles and presents it without the holes, looking and sounding better, playing with more stability, c??reating a more believable world and laying it all on top of a tried-and-true FPS engine.

It's early days, and there is still a lot that can be tweaked, reversed, changed, fixed and even broken. But there's an unavoidable realisation here: Fortnite features elements that are specific to itself - base-building, cartoony characters, punk-rock mentality, wacky colourful customisation, mobile play - which will ensure it retains its own dedicated audience. But in regards to the more "reality" or "military"-based battle royale games, Blackout is a legitimate threat, already showing the potential to become the last game ??standing in that particular demographic.

Oh, an??d one time some zombies exploded out of the ground at a gas station, so there's that too.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 launches on PS4, Xbox One and PC October 12.

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The walking dread

Are you sick of zombies and battle royale in your video games? What if I told you the two were getting combined in a major upcoming release? If you wanted to play a game with the largest combination of industry buzzwords possible, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 looks to fit that bill. Game Informer got a ton of info on Acti?vision's take on the popular sub-genre and the details are starting to fall into place on how Treyarch hopes to d??ifferentiate itself from the pack.

"Blackout" (BlOps 4's BR mode) will feature an 80-player limit and have the landscape populated with zombies to add a constant threat to the proceedings. To aid in crossing the map, players will have access to ATVs, inflatable rafts and helicopters and the map will feature pieces of popular Black Ops maps to explore. In regards to why 80 players was the chosen limit?, Treyarch is stating it has more to do ?with technical reasons than being an arbitrary value.

Treyarch co-studio Head Dan Bunting told Game Informer, "So we're starting wi?th 80 players, but we've gone higher than that...We're going to actively be participat?ing in the community and taking feedback, making changes and adapting, evolving the game as feedback rolls in. So there's a lot that can go on that can happen beyond that first impact of the game going out there."

As for what guns or player configurations will be available (are solo or duos not an option like in Battlefield V?), we'll just have to wait for this weekend's beta. All things told I do truly believe that stability is the issue with player count since no triple-A game is going to compromise on graphics. It also begs the question if 100 should be an arbitrary limit, though I know H1Z1 allows for 150.

Black Ops 4's Battle Royale Mode Has Zombies [Game Informer]

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Fight for survival and find out if you're worth it

Soon, a selection of Call of Duty fans will get the opportunity to see how their favourite brand of shooter handles the popular genre of Battle Royale. Activision and Treyarch have finally revealed the dates for Black Ops 4's Blackout beta to go live on all platforms.

The Blackout beta will be ready to rock on PS4 on September 10, Xbox One will follow September 14, while the PC version will be a little late to the party, coming on September 15. The private beta is open to anyone who has pre-ordered Black Ops 4, ahead of its official release in October.

Blackout will be Call of Duty's take on the battle royale format, popularised by titles such as PUBG and Fortnite, in which an en masse group of players - rumoured to be 60 in Black Op's case - battle it out in an ever-shrinking map to be the last man or woman standi?ng.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 launches on PS4, PC and Xbox One October 12.

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PC and Xbox One will follow

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 players will get their first real look at the game's battle royale mode Blackout on September 10. The beta is set to debut on PlayStation 4, with other platforms to follow, and you'll have access to solos, duos, and "quads." Little else is known about Blackout, but as seen in recent teaser footage, you ??can fly a helicopter. I apologize in advance to my boys for my (lack of) flying skills.

Prepare accordingly.#Blackout pic.twitter.com/X70KVQ75gU

— Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) August 14, 2018

I've yet to play the Black Ops 4 multiplayer beta, but I'm genuinely curious to try Blackout. Speaking of which, ??if you already have the beta client, you're all set. Treyarch is simply updating it for Blackout.

At this point, we're mostly left to imagine what the mode is like. I hope there's some originality.

Call of Duty [Twitter]

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Well, the specs for the beta anyway

Just a few days ahead of the Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 PC beta, Treyarch and Ac??tivision have let us know what kind of rig we'll need in order to be able to ??run the game. Fortunately, it doesn't really require any heavy artillery.

Here's what's needed to play Black Ops 4 on the lowest settings:

Minimum requirements:

• OS: Windows 7 64-Bit or later
  CPU: Intel Core i5 2500k or AMD equivalent
  RAM: 8GB RAM
  Hard drive: 25GB HDD space
  GPU:&n?bsp;Nvidia GeForce GTX?? 660 2 GB / GTX 1050 2GB or AMD Radeon HD 7850
  DirectX: Version 11.0 compatible video card or e??quivalent
  Network: Broadband Internet connection
  Sound Card: DirectX Compatible

Of course, the specs ramp up a bit for a more ideal ex??perience. Here's what's needed to play at?? the recommended settings:

Recommended requirements:

• OS: Windows 10 64 Bit
• CPU: Intel Core i7 4770k or AMD equivalent
• RAM: 12GB RAM
• Hard drive: 25GB HDD space
• GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 970 / GTX 1060 6GB or AMD Radeon R9 390 / AMD RX 580
• DirectX: Version 11.0 compatible video card or equivalent
• Network: Broadband Internet connection
• Sound Card: DirectX Compatible

Treyarch has added the cav??eat that these PC specs only apply to this beta -- not necessarily the full game. But, this is the sort of thing that usually carries over. If the final specs are different, they probably won't be jarringly different.

This is an open beta on PC that starts on August 11 (or August 10 for anyone who has pre-ordered Black Ops 4). Just sign up through Battle.net and you should be good to go. Spend the weekend figuring out whether Black Ops 4 is your kind of shooter.

Gear Up for the PC Beta Excl??usively on Blizzard Battle.net [Treyarch]

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My Seraph fell over this weekend. A lot.

This weekend, Activision launched its first Private Beta for this year's entry in the gazillion dollar making Call of Duty series, Black Ops 4. A select few troops had the opportunity to check out the game's multiplayer modes, with hectic battles in modes suc??h as Team D?eathmatch, Control and Hardpoint.

I wrote about my thoughts on Black Ops 4 over the weekend. I found it a very fast-paced and intense experience. I'm definitely feeling positive about the more pro-active approach to movement and I dig the "Time To Ki?ll" adjustment, which I think makes? for more competitive gameplay and a more tactical experience.

This is just my opinion after a few hours with an unfinished build, mind. Across the interwebs, there are a lot of CoD veterans, some of whom are happy with the experience, others very vocally not so. There are several points of contention, including lengthy load times, the powerful "Body Armour" scorestreak and the overall "feel" of the game. Treyarch has addressed these complaints, and has stated that they will be looking at all of the feedback from this - and forthcoming - beta tests to help fine tune the final Black Ops 4 experience.

Which, of course, ??is the whole point of betas in the first place.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 launches on PS4, Xbox One and PC October 12

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Back in Black

We're in the middle of Summer, which mean the hype train is in full steam for this year's Call of Duty entry, Black Ops 4. A private beta is currently underway this weekend, allowing a chosen conglomerate of trigger-happy fans to try out the next release in Activision's legendary franchise. I jumped online for a few hours to see how things are looking in the unforgiving world of Black Ops multiplayer.

The beta allows players the opportunity to check out a selection of modes; the point-conquering games Hardpoint and Domination, along with new mode Control and - everyone's favourite - Team Deathmatch. It must be said that one of first noticeable issues is the painfully long wait between joining games and getting into the action. The extended countdown timers seem to be masking extended load times which, between matches, really breaks the momentum of an extended on?line session.

While Black Ops 3's class-based characters - or "Specialists" - have returned, Black Ops 4 intends to put the boots firmly back on the ground. Almost all of the anti-gravity wall-running chicanery has been abolished, replaced with a fast-paced experience, designed to drive the player constantly forward. (Don't worry, Hollywood fans, the running powerslide and incessant bunny-hopping remain.) Black Ops 4 plays its action breathlessly, emphasising pro-active movement over hiding or hunkering down. This results in fast, action-packed battles that keep the bu??llets flying. Those who hesitate (or camp) are lost.

The first noticeable gameplay change is the TTK (Time To Kill) adjustment. In Black Ops 4, players can take several rounds more than in previous entries before biting the big one. It's a big change and instantly noticeable. Shit, you can go and make a sandwich while being peppered with lead, and your guy or gal will still be standing when you return... Ok, I exaggerate, but there is a clear health extension in ef?fect?? in and, although this is early days, I think it's the right call.

Black Ops 4 also introduces button-based healing, with the player able to jab themselves with a syringe post-firefight to restore their health. Again, it's a neat? new idea and, like reloading, is a risky venture that must be timed properly, which adds an extra dimension of tactical planning to the battle.

One concern, however, that is bothering a lot of players, is the addition of Body Armour as a scorestreak. Essentially, this lets your merc take even more damage before they fall, with only a headshot - or the unlockab?le armo?ur-piercing rounds - being an effective counter. Unfortunately, in the thick of battle, it doesn't always work out, and many players are dropping to flak-jacket-sporting enemies, sauntering around maps like The Terminator. This Body Armour issue needs looking at, but that's what betas are for, right?

The new maps are impressive, with sharp visuals, great lighting and nice atmospheric effects. From weather effects, to bubble-blowing storefronts, crisp beaches (complete with crabs!) and broken down, incendiary pipeworks, Black Ops 4's CAULDRONS OF DEATH (o??r "?maps") are nicely designed, realistic and feel "alive". Don't stop to admire the view for too long though, lest you receive a grenade-assisted headectomy.

I have only spent a day, at best, with the Black Ops 4 beta, which is also a work-in-progress build, mind, but things are looking good. Speed, reaction and tactical-thinking have returned to the forefront of gameplay. Treyarch's new entry attempts to blend the Call of Duty multiplayer of old with the wild weaponry of Black Ops' futuristic aesthetic. Public feedback will, no doubt, have some effect the final product, but keeping the fans' happy is likely a high priority. Considering that Black Ops 4 will be omitting the Single Player campaign entirely this year??, the quality of its multiplayer is paramount.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 launches on PS4, Xbox One and PC October 12.

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Here's the beta schedule

Treyarch is gearing up for its first Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 beta weekend, and in today's trailer, the studio has also shared a glimpse of Blackout, the game's battle royale mode. A four-man sq??uad on the ground engages a helicopter with players leaning off the side, raining down machine gun fire.

I think I also saw a small boat in there for a split second. As ever, I'm curious to se?e how many players will compete in Blackout and how long rounds will last given how fast-paced the series can be.

The more traditional Call of Duty multiplayer experienc?e will be playable befo??re we get to try Blackout in September with its own beta. Here's the current schedule for the multiplayer beta:

• PS4: August 3 at 10:00am Pacific to August 6 at 10:00am Pacific
• PS4 and Xbox One: August 10 at 10:00am Pacific to August 13 at 10:00am Pacific
• PC Beta Early Access: August 10 at 10:00am Pacific to August 13 at 10:00am Pacific
• PC Open Beta: August 11 at 10:00am Pacific to August 13 at 10:00am Pacific

According to Activision, players will have access to ten specialists, six maps, and six modes. To get into the beta (and gain early access on PC), you'll need to pre-order Black Ops 4.

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The box... THE BOX...

Last week at SDCC, Treyarch unveiled a special collector's edition for their upcoming military shooter Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. The Mystery Box Edition, which is generally themed around this year's Zombies mode, is now available for pre-order, although supplies a??re selling fast.

The Mystery Box comes complete with a copy of the game in an exclusive steelbook along a whole host of goodies. These include a comic, a 1000-piece jigsaw, a phone-grip, art lithographs and much more. The box supposedly features creepy sounds and light-up effects, b??ut, yeah, I doubt it has this video's "dry-ice" effect going on.

Anyone wanting to pre-order this edition of the game should head on over to their favourite online retailer. Amazon were initially stocking it at $200, but appear to have currently sold out (though further batches have been showing up). GAME in the UK still have pre-orders open, at a price of £180. Finally, the official Call of Duty store has seemingly sold out of PS4 editions, but is still taking orders on Xbox One and PC. It looks like fans who haven't secu?red an edition already may need to prepare for t??he hunt.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 launches October 12 on PS4, PC and Xbox One.

Master the mystery.

The "Mystery Box" Collector's Edition for #BlackOps4 is available for pre-order now: //t.co/syVIL2u53V pic.twitter.com/EoQuLwMgfb

— Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) July 23, 2018

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Escape from Alcatraz

Treyarch revealed a new trailer for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 at SDCC this week, giving us our first real look at Blood of the Dead, a Zombies mission which sees the fan-pleasing return of ?some classic characters and maps.

Richtofen, Dempsey, Takeo and Nikolai, all of whom made their names by smashing undead skulls in Black Ops' previous Zombies mode, find themselves trapped in a living nightmare inside The Rock - no, not Dwayne Johnson - but Alcatraz pr??ison, San Francisco.

In this re-imagining of Black Ops 2's Mob of the Dead scenario, players will face of against hordes of grim creatures, eventually coming face-to-decaying-face with Alca?traz' most feared prison guard, Brutus, now in his fully-undead, fully-pissed-off form.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 launches October 12 on PS4, PC and Xbox One.

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