Black Ops 6 Changes the Game, for the Better?

While it is never too long between releases within the Call of Duty world, it has been quite a while since the community has been this excited. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 launched on October 25th, 2024 with a notable amount of differences and improvements that gamers have been eager to try out and experience. There's been a ton of changes, so I'll break it down below in sections.

Omni-Movement

One of the biggest game-changing aspects of Black Ops 6 has been the introduction of Omni-movement. Players are now able to sprint, slide, and dive in any direction, including backward. This change to maneuverability has opened up a world of possibilities when it comes to adapting gameplay. Once a player has mastered Omni-movement, it makes multiplayer all that much more interesting with players now unlocking a new world of possibilities and movement patterns when engaging and disengaging in a fight. Gone are the complaints that movement feels too slow, as now the abrupt and unexpected speed has been keeping players on their toes, even if it does feel like it goes overboard at times. Unfortunately, it seems that there are not enough maps outside of Skyline and Vault that allow players to take advantage of omni-movement, but players are hopeful that future maps will cater more to the ability and give those who have mastered it more room to shine. 
 

Weapon Changes

Weapon variability and offerings have been hit-and-miss for players, but players seem to be in favor of the simplification of the weapon attachment and perk systems, providing clearer options without overwhelming players with too many choices. Upgrading weapons has been a slower grind, as XP accumulation has been limited to kills only. Making up for this, players are happy to see that weapon upgrades carry across Multiplayer, Zombies, and Warzone. While the grind might be slower, the achievement feels bigger. Grind-y XP isn’t an aspect that is likely to make or break a game, however, as balancing progression is expected during a game’s first launch and the months following.

Zombies
 

As a treat for those who have been a fan of Zombies from the start, Black Ops 6 makes a return to a round-based mode that feels more true to the original. With the additional movement, armor, and perk upgrades in the player’s arsenal, one might be afraid that the game mode wouldn’t be enough of a challenge, but that’s not true. Zombie enemy types have gained more diversity and skills as opponents and make for a challenging fight. They’ve evolved in variety and strength with armor, spiders, bugs, and fire-breathing beasts, each as creepy and challenging as the next. To face these new foes, Treyarch gives the player “Augments” to customize perks and ammo, GobbleGum machines to provide unique abilities when consumed, and even a soon-to-be-released “Guided Mode” where the game provides step-by-step guidance for the main quest. In this mode, side quests are disabled, and round progression is capped to allow players to focus on the main mission without distraction. Zombie maps also see a return of the popular easter eggs during the “main quest” within the map that leads players to hidden areas, unique gear, and storyline insights. 

Campaign

Contrary to the generally well-received multiplayer mode, the campaign has seen a wide variety of reviews from players. There’s a fair share of gamers who focus exclusively on playing multiplayer, but still, a good amount of players will have high standards for the campaign. 

***Mild spoilers for the Campaign Warning. If you want to go into it with zero idea of what’s coming, skip this paragraph.***

The campaign brings the player back to 1991 during the height of Desert Storm. Returning characters Adler and Woods fight alongside a ragtag team of soldiers to topple a shadow organization called “The Pantheon.” For some of the campaign, it walks the line between stealth and shooter in missions like a political gala and casino heist but loses its vision down the line when it throws in an “audience-pleaser” that caters to “Zombies” fans. For players that are looking for those iconic “Hell Yeah! *Eagle Screech*” moments, there are a few in the first half, but it’s lost in the latter part as gameplay more closely resembles that of Bioshock. They likely wanted to throw a little something in to be enjoyed by everyone, but that always runs the risk of ruining the immersion and muddying the story, which was true for some players. The safe house, a Bulgarian manor, harbors dormant KGB secrets and gives players a chance to breathe between missions while they solve simple puzzles to unlock them. Players have the chance to chat with the protagonists and develop the storyline here as well. The missions have a spy-thriller vibe like Mission: Impossible and the Bourne series. For some, this missed the mark with characters feeling like grandiose and comical caricatures that distracted from the very real intensity of the real-life events, but others didn’t mind the narrative liberty Activision took to deliver a story. Gameplay within the campaign is heavy with gunplay and requires improvisation with weapons as it often requires the player to pick up whatever is within reach. Players can either go in gun blazing or take a stealth approach with most missions, so there is some variety of choice for those who prefer this. The environments are rich and beautiful, but the soundtrack leaves something to be desired. It doesn’t detract from the experience, but players have noted that it misses an opportunity to pull monumental moments together and fully deliver an immersive experience. It’s a missed mark to some, but a minor detail for others.

***Spoilers Over***

Community Reception and Streamers’ Impact 

While excitement is high, there's a noticeable tension around how the game is experienced—specifically, the effect that popular streamers and their "tryhard" play styles have on the gameplay environment. For the average gamer who is often balancing work and a gaming habit, it raises an important question: are streamers impacting games for the worse, or is this simply the new normal in competitive gaming?

For many streamers, success often means keeping gameplay intense and high-stakes. For argument’s sake, they are professionals. This means maximizing every move, strategizing with pro-level tactics, and, ultimately, winning at any cost. This style isn’t just competitive—it’s performative. Streamers aren’t just playing for themselves; they’re playing for an audience that expects a certain level of skill and, frankly, entertainment. In contrast, the average player is often more casual. With a job, school, or other responsibilities, most players just want to unwind. They’re not here to master every weapon or refine their tactics. For many, gaming is a form of relaxation, and losing repeatedly to highly skilled opponents or "tryhard" streamers can be frustrating. To be fair, streamers contribute a lot to the gaming community. They often introduce new audiences to games, share tips, and promote engagement. Many players also learn from watching these high-level performances. 

I might argue it’s similar to a sport like football where streamers are the NFL players and casual players are grabbing a group to play at the park on a free weekend day or afternoon. There may be just as much skill and intensity within the latter group, but their time is more split between life’s other commitments. While this separation isn’t rare for any hobby or sport, games are a peculiar instance in which those “professionals” are regularly competing amongst everyone else. Sure, achieved levels and skill-based matchmaking does its best to place like with like, but that only narrows down the pool of opponents by so much.

While some argue that streamers ruin the game experience for the casual crowd, others believe that it’s on developers to adjust matchmaking to best separate playstyles. Should casual players only face others with similar skill levels, leaving the “tryhards” to their own competitive zone?
 

The community has certainly been buzzing since the release of Black Ops 6. Although there’s no shortage of constructive criticism on all game modes, there’s been a healthy amount of hype and enjoyment since release. CoD continues to fill a niche and provide an unparalleled experience even after all these years and there’s no denying that CoD remains a mainstay in the industry. 

Are you planning on picking up the game? If you already have, what do you think of it?

Thank you, Morzey, for your contributions to the article!