Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Warzone’s Season 5 Reloaded update will go live on September 9, and now Activision has divulged what players can expect in the big refresh. All of the information was announced in a blog post, and we’re rounding up the key points.
Season 5 Reloaded approaches
Black Ops Cold War
Black Ops Cold War is getting one new map in the Season 5 Reloaded update, and it is a remake of Zoo from the original Black Ops. The objective-based Demolition mode comes to Black Ops Cold War in the update as well.
Zombies
For the Zombies mode, a new Armada location has been added to the Outbreak map, while a world event called Black Chest is coming as well. There is also a new feature, the Rampage Inducer, and a new Outbreak mode called Survival (coming after launch).
“Appearing as an orange Essence canister in the starting area, the Rampage Inducer will temporarily ramp up the difficulty to Cranked-level proportions if all members of a squad agree to take on the challenge,” Activision said. “Once activated, this canister will speed up zombie spawn rates and cause all zombies to sprint endlessly until Round 20, turning up the action until the second major round milestone is reached… or a total squad wipe long before then.”
Warzone
In the battle royale game Warzone, players can expect new playlists for the large-scale 50v50 Team Deathmatch mode Clash and Iron Trials, the latter of which will be released sometime after September 9. Iron Trials is designed for the highest-skilled players in what Activision says is the “toughest battle royale mode” ever in Warzone.
Base health is increased in Iron Trials, as is the health regeneration rate. “This is set to affect the feel of combat, time to kill, weapon, Perk, and Equipment viability as the entire game is effectively altered,” Activision said.
There are no loadout drops in Iron Trials, so everyone needs to buy their weapons, and costs for everything has gone up. The Gulag is open in Iron Trials, but it’s changed, too, to focus more on pure skill. “No akimbo. No semi-auto or fully-auto shotguns. Almost no tactical equipment. The only thing standing between you and redeployment is the agility of your trigger finger,” Activision said.
Iron Trials is Warzone’s most challenging battle royale mode yet, Activision says
There will be “additional changes to environmental element” and other “important aspects” across Verdansk, Activision said, though it’s not announcing the specifics until later. New weapons will be on the map, too, but Activision’s announcement has their names redacted. Those who win in Iron Trials will get an exclusive Calling Card.
A new “Numbers Broadcast Sequence” will also arrive in Warzone sometime in the midst of Season 5 Reloaded, but not details are available.
New Weapons And Operators
Across Black Ops Cold War and Warzone, players can look forward to a new Operator, Hudson, as well as the Sai melee weapon which can be unlocked by completing a new seasonal event called The Numbers. New store bundles will let you dress up your character like Judge Dredd, while Oktoberfest and Motocross bundles are coming as well.
Judge Dredd comes to Warzone
The Numbers Event
Beginning September 21, The Numbers Event is a seasonal event that players can complete to earn special bonuses like the aforementioned Sai weapon and other extras, which you can see in the roadmap image.
Those who take part in the event get an instant allotment of $2,000 cash, and for each mobile broadcast station activated during the event, you get additional XP and bonuses of a sticker, Calling Card, or charm. Nine additional challenges for Black Ops Cold War are included in this event, and completing those will reward you with cosmetic rewards.
Another Mystery
Activision’s blog post announcing Season 5 Reloaded also included the cryptic image below, along with the following text, much of which has been redacted.
“As The Numbers Event goes online, intel suggests that [[REDACTED]] are under Verdansk and that [[REDACTED]] has gone AWOL – their position is reportedly related to coordinates for these [[REDACTED]]. This has led NATO to send in Special Agent [[REDACTED]] to stop this unauthorized operation, as it could jeopardize the agency in discovering and stopping [[REDACTED]].”
What’s going on here?
Release Date
An update for Black Ops Cold War introducing this content will arrive September 7 at 9 PM PT / 12 AM ET and then for Warzone on September 8 at the same time. However, the first of the Season 5 Reloaded content won’t be playable until September 9.
This is just a small sampling of what’s in the Season 5 Reload update. Be sure to read the full blog post on Activision’s website to get all the information.
The next Call of Duty game is Call of Duty: Vanguard, which launches in November, alongside a new map for Warzone. The game’s multiplayer mode will be officially revealed on September 7, and beta tests will be held on all platforms later in the month. If Call of Duty is not your thing, EA’s Battlefield 2042 is expected to kick off its open beta in September, while 343 has told fans to expect the next Halo Infinite beta test at some point in the future.
All of the new Call of Duty developments are unfolding as Activision Blizzard faces a lawsuit from the state of California over harassment and discrimination against women.
Source: Gamespot
