Black Ops 6 launches October 25, includes round-based zombies and 16 maps at launch

Sure as death and taxes, this year will see the arrival of a new mainline Call of Duty title in Black Ops 6. While we knew plenty about the title going into the Xbox Games Showcase, however, before the subsequent Black Ops 6 Direct we were treated to a whole host of information from the store page going live.

From the total map count to the long-awaited return of round-based Zombies, it's time to get excited about Call of Duty again, with Black Ops 6 confirmed for an October 25 release date.

Everything we learned about Black Ops 6

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As per the game's store listing:

"Developed by Treyarch and Raven, Black Ops 6 is a spy action thriller set in the early 90s, a period of transition and upheaval in global politics, characterized by the end of the Cold War and the rise of the United States as a single superpower."

"With a mind-bending narrative, and unbound by the rules of engagement, this is signature Black Ops."

The listing promises a "dynamic" campaign that follows Woods and new character Marshall, who are operating as part of the CIA. Treyarch explains that the game will provide a wider variety of mission structures, taking players all over the world. Replayability is teased as a key feature. One of the play spaces is teased as the largest ever used in a Call of Duty campaign, set in the Iraqi desert.

The Safe House hub area returns to structure the campaign this year, set in an abandoned mansion above some clifftops. Players will be able to explore the mansion and uncover secrets in between missions.

Meanwhile, multiplayer will feature 16 new maps at launch. These include 12 core maps and 4 Strike maps that can be played in 2v2 or 6v6 modes. A big feature this year is Omnimovement, which lets players sprint and dive in any direction. It looks pretty impressive in gameplay, with movement looking and feeling much more natural.

What's more, there are several new damage zones on enemy players, with new bespoke ragdoll death animations playing depending on where you damage your foes. Accessibility is also a big focus this year, with options to use fewer buttons for actions like climbing and mantling.

Traditional Prestige is back, with ten different stages to unlock all-new rewards. Prestiging will reset all of your progress, letting you start the whole progress journey from scratch each time.

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Perhaps most exciting is a return to round-based Zombies which fans have been hoping for. 

"Black Ops 6 also marks the epic return of Round-Based Zombies, the fan-favourite mode where players will take down hordes of the undead in two brand-new maps at launch," the description reads.

"Post-launch, players can look forward to even more exciting maps and groundbreaking experiences dropping into both Multiplayer and Zombies."

Sadly, there's news on how Warzone will evolve with Black Ops 6, but Treyarch did tease that something will happen to coincide with the latest release.

Xbox Game Pass subscribers get access to the game, while also getting the Frank Woods Operator skin and early access to the game's beta.

We'll get more details about Black Ops 6 at the Call of Duty NEXT event taking place on August 6, 2024.