Following today’s lengthy Xbox Games Showcase, we got an extended look at Treyarch’s next Call of Duty title. They shared some great news: Black Ops 6 Zombies will be a return-to-form with round-based waves and feature two maps at launch. We also got an in-depth look at the game’s campaign setting.

You can watch the extended breakdown below:

Without further ado, let’s dive into what we learned during today’s Black Ops 6 Direct:

Black Ops 6 Zombies

As confirmed by the stream and the subsequent Call of Duty blog post, round-based zombies is back! There will be two maps at launch named Terminus and Liberty Falls. The Dark Aether storyline that began in Black Ops: Cold War will carry on in Black Ops 6 as well, giving players a narrative thread to follow as they mow down hordes of the undead.

Zombies will also feature powerful weapons, power-ups, and of course, secrets and easter eggs, just like every good COD zombies experience. We’re looking forward to seeing a deeper dive into the game mode at some point down the road, but Treyarch didn’t talk too much about it for now.

Black Ops 6 Campaign

We did, however, get a lot of juicy details regarding the game’s campaign. The story is set in the early 1990s and follows Black Ops Cold War’s narrative and characters. It also ties in directly to the flashback sequences from Black Ops 2. Much of the story will center around the ongoing Gulf War (which makes sense given the game’s rumored title prior to its reveal).

During the campaign, we’ll see the return of Frank Woods, who will act in a different role for the CIA after the events of Black Ops Cold War. Underneath his guidance is Troy Marshall, a stubborn operative who shares a lot of similarities with Woods. Both of them work with CIA handler Jane Sparrow.

After a mission gone wrong forces Woods and Marshall to go rogue, they’ll also recruit newcomers Felix Neumann and Sevati Dumas to their cause. Neumann is a tech wizard and Dumas is a dangerous assassin. Russell Adler will also see a return from Cold War, though his motivations this time around are obscured.

There’s a lot of mission variety in Black Ops 6. Players will visit locations like old sewer systems, lavish casinos, and massive Iraqi palaces. Each of these missions will feature unique gameplay built around stealth, action, and/or espionage, and they’ll feature numerous methods of completion to encourage player freedom.

In between missions, you’ll return to the Safehouse, an abandoned waterfront manor that once acted as a KGB Black Site. You’ll be able to explore this hub to find secrets, engage in target practice, and receive mission briefings. It operates similarly to Cold War’s hub, but it’s a bit more expanded this time around.

All in all, Black Ops 6 is shaping up to be a great return-to-form for Call of Duty. We’re excited to get our hands on it, and we’ll be seeing more of the game following the Call of Duty NEXT event on August 28.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 launches on October 25 for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC. It’ll also be available day one on Xbox and PC Game Pass.

[Source: Call of Duty]