Category: IGN

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 launch Multiplayer maps

At launch Black Ops 6 has 12 brand-new core 6v6 maps and four brand-new, compact-sized Strike maps designed for Face Off 6v6 or 2v2 configurations.

Core Maps (6v6)

• Babylon (Core 6v6)
• Derelict (Core 6v6)
• Lowtown (Core 6v6)
• Payback (Core 6v6)
• Protocol (Core 6v6)
• Red Card (Core 6v6)
• Rewind (Core 6v6)
• Scud (Core 6v6)
• Skyline (Core 6v6)
• Subsonic (Core 6v6)
• Vault (Core 6v6)
• Vorkuta (Core 6v6)

Strike Maps (2v2/6v6)

• Gala (Strike Map 2v2/6v6)
• Pit (Strike Map 2v2/6v6)
• Stakeout (Strike Map 2v2/6v6)
• Warhead (Strike Map 2v2/6v6)

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 standard Multiplayer modes:

• Team Deathmatch (6v6)
• Domination (6v6)
• Search & Destroy (6v6)
• Kill Confirmed (6v6)
• Free-For-All (8)
• Hardpoint (6v6)
• Gunfight (2v2)
• Headquarters (6v6)
• Kill Order (6v6)
• Control (6v6)

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 alternate Multiplayer modes:

• Face Off Domination (6v6)
• Face Off Team Deathmatch (6v6)
• Face Off Kill Order (6v6)
• Face Off Kill Confirmed (6v6)

Black Ops 6 also launches with Hardcore mode on certain playlists. It adds a limited HUD, enables friendly fire, and lowers your health.

Hardcore Quick Play game modes include:

• Team Deathmatch
• Kill Order
• Domination
• Hardpoint
• Search and Destroy
• Kill Confirmed
• FFA
• Face Off Moshpit

Elsewhere, Black Ops 6 launches with the Training Course, where you can dabble with the game’s mechanics and weapons on the Multiplayer map, Protocol. There are training missions designed to teach you the basics before facing real players in the lobby playlists.

The Firing Range returns, letting you test your equipped loadout weapons. Here’s what to expect:

• Practice dummies to shoot at, at 10-, 25-, and 50-meter intervals.
• Dummies can have 0, 1, 2, or 3 Armor Plates added to them.
• You have limitless ammunition.
• The upper-left corner features a target elimination tracker, an accuracy tracker, and a damage tracker.
• A toggle feature allows you to optionally activate a Moving Target dummy, or a Recoil metal plate.
• Toggle Feature: Moving Target: A dummy drops down from the ceiling on a conveyor belt, and automatically moves back through the range as you connect with it using your weapon. Once you hit it at maximum range, it moves back to its initial position, and the process can be repeated.
• Toggle Feature: Recoil Target: A metal plate hangs from the ceiling around seven meters from your booth, allowing you to fire your weapon and view the bullet spread.

And Theater Mode is available in Multiplayer for Black Ops 6 at launch and for the first time in the new Call of Duty Engine. Here’s what you can do when playing back a replay file in Theater:

• Switch between First-Person, Third-Person, and Fly-Cam perspectives for all players in the match.
• Elimination and Deaths are visualized on the timeline. Easily skip to the viewed player’s next Elimination on the timeline.
• Fast-Forward, Rewind, and full playback speed control.
• Press “Record” to Trigger an Xbox or PlayStation recording while in Theater Mode.
• Note: Theatre Mode is unavailable on previous-generation consoles (PlayStation® 4 and Xbox One), and all Theater files expire after seven days or when a game update is released.

And finally, Private Matches let you adjust every aspect of gameplay.

Now, let’s move on to the Operators. Black Ops 6 launches with over 20 Operators, with 11 allied to the Rogue Black Ops faction, and 10 allied to Crimson One. Narratively, Crimson One represents the CIA operation initiated to hunt down the Rogue squad (Adler, Woods, and their team in the Campaign).

Oh, if you’re wondering how Woods, confined to a wheelchair following the events of the previous Black Ops games, is running about in Multiplayer, Activision offered the following: “This version of Woods is from a time before current debilitation.”

This week, Microsoft pulled its $1 for 14 days of Game Pass trial ahead of next week’s Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 release date. Mirroring a tactic it employed ahead of last year’s launch of Bethesda’s Starfield, Microsoft has now made the $1 introductory offer unavailable. It was previously available only to those who hadn’t subscribed to Game Pass before.

We’ve also got confirmation of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6’s preload and global launch times, and the PC system requirements.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Coming later is the new weapon, the Neo-Volkite pistol (this is also free for all players). Termination, the Bio-Titan, the Neo-Volkite pistol, and the Lethal difficulty are all part of Space Marine 2 Season 2, which runs until the end of 2024.

The hotly anticipated cosmetics for the Dark Angels chapter of Space Marines, available through the game’s premium season pass, are due out at some point during the Season 2 period.

These cosmetics, when they do hit the game, will add new weapon styles, armor pieces, and color schemes featuring the Unforgiven (the name given to the Dark Angels chapter following the disastrous events of the Horus Heresy in Warhammer 40,000 lore). The Dark Angels Champion Pack, meanwhile, includes a full armor set for the Bulwark class.

Publisher Focus Entertainment has teased what’s to come with Seasons 3 and 4, including a new PvP game mode and PvP arena, as well as a Horde mode. Eagle-eyed fans, meanwhile, have spotted the Space Marine chapter now all-but confirmed to get a cosmetic pack after the Dark Angels, and even an unannounced new Thousand Sons enemy type.

Saber recently released Space Marine 2’s game-changing patch 3.0, which made a seemingly innocuous change to the ending that got Warhammer 40,000 fans excited. Meanwhile, IGN interviewed Tim Willits, Chief Creative Officer at developer Saber Interactive, about Space Marine 2’s record-breaking success. He revealed the boost he expects the PS5 Pro will give Space Marine 2, discussed how the breakout success of Space Marine 2 had “changed everything” for the studio, and how protective Games Workshop is over the Warhammer 40,000 brand.

This week, Focus announced Space Marine 2 had sold an incredible 4.5 million copies in just over a month. It’s already the most-played Warhammer or Warhammer 40,000 video game of all time on Steam.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Update 4.0 patch notes:

NEW FEATURES

New Operation – Termination

This new Operation takes place on planet Kadaku. New dreadful foes have arrived. Make good use of the artillery to annihilate them.

Added Lethal difficulty for Operations

Major highlights of it:

• Ammo Crates have limited refills per player.
• Majoris enemies can become enraged and will be more deadly and harder to kill.
• Armour restores from finishers only if you stay close to your battle-brothers.”
• Overcoming such a challenge will grant you new cosmetics…

Added photo mode in Operations (works only in solo). Also, characters can now follow the camera with their eyes.

GAMEPLAY AND BALANCING TWEAKS

Melee Archetypes: Fencing weapons’ perfect parry window will now have the same duration as balanced weapons but it will start from the first frame of parry animation.

Melee Perks: Chainsword, Power Fist, Combat Knife charged attacks perks get significant damage increase.

Basic Auspex Scan: bonus damage on bosses is reduced by 30%.

Melta Charge: damage to bosses is reduced by 70%.

​Enemy Spawn Director PvE:

• Tweaked idle spawns.
• Enemy variety within waves is now less random while enemy variety between waves is bigger.
• Extremis enemies can now spawn have additional enemies.

Difficulty:

• Ruthless: Ammo crates have limited refills per player.
• Ruthless: Player’s armour reduced by 20%.
• Substantial: Player’s armour reduced by 10%

Note from the devs:

“With Patch 3 we have noticed that Operations mode became noticeably easier, especially Chaos operations. We are happier with what we have right now compared to what we had on release, because before Patch 3 Chaos missions were unpopular. Still, we think that currently Operations mode is a bit too easy.

“Overall these changes are going to make Operations mode harder, but it is difficult to measure by how much. We will continue to monitor those changes and will continue to adjust the balance of Operations mode. This is not the last change.”

PVP

• Increased delay between announcer messages in PvP.
• The starting animation of the Grapnel Launcher for the Vanguard is shorter in PvP.
• Fixed Power Fist in PvP dealing too much damage with short charged attacks.

AI

• Enemy Dodges: Globally replaced full invulnerability on dodge moves of enemies with heavy melee damage resistance.
• Rubric Marine with Boltgun: Disengage teleport max distance is slightly reduced.

CUSTOMISATION

• More options for colours customisation for Chaos:
  • Tertiary colours: Sotek Green, Night Lords Blue, Death Guard Green, Khorne Red.
• Decal colours: Sotek Green, Khorne Red.
• Colours: Added Liberator Gold colour to default for primary and secondary colours palettes.
• Fixed a lot of issues with display of colours, now they should be more lore accurate (Mechanicus Standard Grey, Ushabti Bone, Phoenician Purple, The Fang, Iron Hands Steel, Retributor Armour).
• Decals: Added new Chaos faction decals for the right shoulder.

LEVELS

• Vox Liberatis – Daemonhost: Disabled respawn until the last altar in the final arena.

GENERAL FIXES

• Fixed a bug where the Assault perk “Ascension” could kill its owner.
• Fixed a bug where the Sniper perk “Targeted Shot” wasn’t always working in some cases.
• Fixed an unintended animation cancel with the Bulwark by using the block, which resulted in faster attacks.
• Fixed an issue with the Tactical team perk “Close Targeting” not triggering properly.
• Fixed: Tactical perk “Radiating Impact” not triggering properly.
• Fixed an issue with the Sniper perk “Guardian Protocol” cooldown not working properly.
• Fixed an issue where sound was lost after switching the speaker configuration.
• Fixed several issues in Trials.
• Fixed several issues that were causing loss of saves.
• The Thunder Hammer perk “Patience Rewarded” description is now accurate with its actual effect (added “When your Health is below 30%” part).
• Lots of minor UI fixes and improvements.
• Lots of minor animation fixes and improvements.
• Localisation fixes.

TECH

• Crash fixes and general stability improvements.
• Fixed several connectivity issues causing disconnects for players.
• Slightly improved performance.
• Fixed issues controllers not working with Steam Input enabled.

RENDER IMPROVEMENTS

• General improvements and fixes.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

“Our half-year results for 2024 reflect the economic underperformance of our latest release, despite solid ratings on Metacritic, as well as the accounting impact of the decisions we had to take,” said CEO Oskar Guilbert in a statement. “The initial performance support measures announced last spring no longer seem sufficient to maintain the company’s competitiveness. As a result, today we presented a reorganization project to the employee representative bodies, which could set Don’t Nod on a new development trajectory. I am fully conscious of the impact this project may have on all our employees. Securing our company’s resources and restoring its ability to perform more in an increasingly competitive and selective industry is extremely necessary.”

The company has already taken some restructuring measures to reduce costs, including “pressing pause” on two unannounced projects. However, this seems to not be enough, as Don’t Nod is also expecting to lay off a number of individuals in the coming months. The exact number is still in flux, as Don’t Nod management must negotiate with employee union representatives and may implement other measures such as a voluntary redundancy plan. Notably, earlier this year, the representative French union Le Syndicat des Travailleurs et Travailleuses du Jeu Vidéo (STJV) accused the company of mismanagement, claiming employees were facing burnout due to the ongoing reorganization and that communication, understaffing, and shifting deadlines were endangering the workforce.

According to a games industry layoff tracker, over 13,000 game developers have been laid off just this year (including 32 just yesterday at Riot Games). Over 10,000 developers were laid off in 2023 and over 8,000 in 2022. We’ve previously reported on how the ongoing industry mass layoffs have impacted those affected by them.

Don’t Nod has said that Lost Records: Bloom & Rage is still on track for its February 18, 2025 release, and that two other projects in development are expected to release before the end of 2027.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

This tallies with datamined assets of the Mark 6 Corvus and Mark 7 Aquila Astartes helmets, which strongly suggests Saber plans to expand the game’s Space Marine customization beyond variations of the latest Mark 10 Tacticus power armor.

Space Marine 2, which is set in Warhammer 40,000’s current and ongoing Indomitus Era, features Primaris (bigger, stronger, better) marines and thus focuses on the latest armor sets in the tabletop. However, this datamine suggests old favorites are potentially on the way, and it’s the “beaky” helmet popularized by the Raven Guard chapter of Space Marines that’s got Warhammer 40,000 fans most excited.

What we don’t know at this point is which Space Marine 2 class is set to receive the Raven Guard skin. The Heavy already has one, and, soon enough, the Bulwark will have its Dark Angels skin. That leaves the Assault, Sniper, Tactical, and Vanguard up for grabs.

The expectation is the Raven Guard skin won’t be released before 2025, with Season 2 set to kick off very soon and run until the end of the year. Season 3 sounds like a decent bet.

Meanwhile, fans have spotted additional Space Marine 2 successor chapters in the trailer. Redditor R97R compiled a helpful list, below:

• Angels of Absolution
• Angels of Redemption
• Angels of Vengeance
• The Unnamed
• Blades of Vengeance
• Cowled Wardens
• Bringers of Judgement
• Angels of Defiance (potentially)

Now here’s where things get really interesting, and credit to Warhammer 40,000 YouTuber Chapter Master Valrak for spotting this. At one point in the trailer, where we see a Space Marine battling a Thousand Sons Chaos Marine, we see what very much looks like a Tzaangor Shaman (the demon mounted atop a flying Disc of Tzeentch).

Check the out of focus Tzaangor Shaman in the top left of the screenshot below:

The addition of new enemies is on the Space Marine 2 roadmap, and indeed Focus has said Seasons 3 and 4 will add new Tyranid and Thousand Sons enemies. A Tzaangor Shaman would fit the bill, perhaps throwing magic bolts around in a new PvE Operations map.

Here’s an image of the Tzaangor Shaman model from Games Workshop itself:

Saber recently released Space Marine 2’s game-changing patch 3.0, which made a seemingly innocuous change to the ending that got Warhammer 40,000 fans excited. Fans have also unearthed interesting and unannounced Space Marine 2 cosmetics by datamining the game.

Meanwhile, IGN interviewed Saber Chief Creative Officer Tim Willits about Space Marine 2’s record-breaking success. He revealed the boost he expects the PS5 Pro will give Space Marine 2, discussed how the breakout success of Space Marine 2 had “changed everything” for the studio, and how protective Games Workshop is over the Warhammer 40,000 brand.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

“In Building Speed, with the help of Barkster, the bulldog booster, you will blast your way through a sky-high city,” Doucet continued. “Dodge cranes, smash through crates, and even speed through a flying car wash on the way to rescue your stranded crew.

“Following on from this we will release a brand new speedrun level each week, so by the time you have perfected every jump, hover and spin in one level, a new challenge will await you.”

Here’s Astro Bot’s DLC speedrun level release schedule:

• Oct 17: Building Speed
• Oct 24: Let it Slide
• Oct 31: Spring-loaded Run
• Nov 7: Helium Heights
• Nov 14: Rising Heat

All Astro Bot updates from October 17 to November 14 will be available every Thursday at 6am PT / 2pm BST / 10pm JST.
This free DLC will end up adding 10 new Special Bots to the game. Sony has already revealed Eve from Stellar Blade and the Helldivers. “However, as for who is next, well that’s for you to find out,” teased Doucet. “So, get busy rescuing.”

Doucet then teased more post-launch support for Astro Bot, saying: “That’s all we have for today, however watch this space as there may be even more surprises coming soon.”

Sony’s critically acclaimed PS5-exclusive 3D platformer features 173 bot cameos from PlayStation games past and present (check out IGN’s feature, Astro Bot: Every PlayStation Character – Easter Eggs, for more). Iconic Final Fantasy characters are conspicuous by their absence, however — an omission fans were quick to pick up on in the context of Final Fantasy’s long-standing association with PlayStation. That means no Cloud from Final Fantasy 7, or any other character from the famous role-playing franchise.

Last month, Game File asked Doucet about Cloud’s absence from Astro Bot. According to Doucet, Team Asobi had hoped to get Cloud in the game but failed for some reason. “It’s difficult to comment on that,” Doucet said, before adding: “We really respect the choice of each publisher.”

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.