The last time we explored Berlin in a Call of Duty game, we were facing off against SS soldiers in the bombed-out husk of the Reichstag as Russian operative Dimitri Petrenko in CoD World at War. In Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, which takes place during the early 1980's, we'll again return to the storied city. But this time, we'll be fighting among brutalist concrete, through a haze of Cold War paranoia and distrust. Few man-made structures represent the divisions of the era as starkly as the Berlin wall, and few games look to capture the uniquely fraught operations waged between agencies like the CIA and KGB as accurately and excitingly as Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War.
By pre-ordering Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War digitally through Gamesplanet, PC players will get early access to the beta on Thursday, October 15. Included in the beta are 6v6 modes, such as Team Deathmatch, Domination, and Kill Confirmed. There's also VIP Escort mode, and 12v12 mode Combined Arms – a twist on Domination with vehicles and larger maps. Fireteam – a brand new 40-player mode exclusively for Black Ops Cold War – will also be included.
If you already play Call of Duty: Warzone, you'll be pleased to learn that the two titles share progression: weapons and gear unlocked in one can be used in the other. Just another reason to get on board early. There's also two exclusive rewards for playing the beta. If you reach level ten, you can grab an Epic SMG blueprint when Black Ops Cold War launches in full. Everyone who plays the beta will also unlock the character 'Adler' in Call of Duty Mobile.
The story of Black Ops Cold War kicks off in 1981, when then US president Ronald Reagan discovers the existence of a Soviet spy, known only as 'Perseus'. The character of Perseus is based on real-life intelligence that revealed the existence of a Russian operative believed to have breached US national security during the Manhattan Project – the R&D undertaking that produced the first nuclear weapons. In Black Ops Cold War, Reagan's knowledge of Perseus leads the president to authorise a covert operation, lead by CIA officer Russel Adler.
Pre-order now
As for players' own part in the operation, Black Ops Cold War is set to be the most customisable Call of Duty campaign to date, boasting new heights of player choice and freedom. At the beginning of the campaign, you'll be able to customise your own character's background, gender, and pronouns. You'll also be able to fine-tune your personal psychological profile, choosing two traits from a total of fifteen, with different perks and gameplay effects for each.
These decisions don't just end at character creation, either. At critical moments during Black Ops Cold War's campaign, you'll be given dialogue and story choices which can alter the course of your story – and history itself. Open-ended missions that give you a wealth of options to tackle objectives. You won't just be taking the role of an undercover operative, you'll be given a chance to plan out and execute daring subterfuge yourself. All this, plus multiple endings, means it looks like the newest entry is set to give even legendary COD campaigns like Modern Warfare a run for their money.
Multiplayer will feature a range of new and returning game modes, including the 6v6 and 12v12 formats mentioned above. For players looking to mix it up in huge matches, there's the aforementioned Fireteam mode, too. In it, 40 players will be divided into squads of ten to compete over objectives. This game mode will take place on massive, specialised maps, complete with vehicles. Treyarch has already teased a Fireteam mission called 'Dirty Bomb', where teams will have to hunt down uranium and deliver it to a special location. Once the uranium has been delivered, and the bomb has been armed, the Dirty Bomb will explode – irradiating and altering a portion of the map for the rest of the game.
The legendary zombies mode, of course, makes a triumphant return in Cold War. The 'Aether' storyline makes a comeback as part of the new 'Dark Aether' narrative, which also connects to the campaign's story. Zombies will share progression with multiplayer, giving players the ability to use the same loadouts. This new iteration also offers the choice to exfiltrate – a first for the game mode – filling the map with an ultra-difficult wave that players must survive before escaping.
All together, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is more than the complete Call of Duty package – it's an evolution over what the series has ever offered players before. With a whole new, massive multiplayer game mode, and shared progression with Call of Duty: Warzone, there's never been a better reason to jump into the beta early.
By pre-ordering at Gamesplanet, not only will you be among the first to have access to the beta when it all kicks off on October 15, you'll also receive a 10% discount on both the Standard and Deluxe editions of the game.