It is that time of the year again, where gamers come together to argue over one of the most infamous gaming franchises of all-time; Call of Duty.

It would seem like every year there is a storm in the news when it comes to a new COD and now there is going to be a new cool kid on the block when it comes to the Black Ops franchise as Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is heꦕading to Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and 🧔PC this October.

This, of course, is no surprise to a lot of fans of the series as the Black Ops titles have consistently garnered praise from the gaming community for most years (although the release of Black Ops 3 was a little messy).

Just because there it is unsurprising that another Black Ops i🔯s releasing, it does not mean that the game is without some of its biggest secrets that can actually make or break the entire franchise.

These are features and options that can divide the fan base into a frenzy, which will make Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 a true gamble for the developers aꦚt Treyarch and the publishers at Activision.

That makes these following facts and𒆙 truths about the game useful to anyone looking to purchase the game or be a part of its community when the game releases.

What will return? What will be new? We have the answers here with 20 things that we know about Black Ops 2.

25 🦩 No Campaign

All right. Let us start with the one piece of information that has angered almost all of the gaming community and has shattered a tradition that hꦜas been a part of the console/PC market for the last few generations.

Yeah, they were mainly a side note when it came to in-game discussions but it does not mean that it was not a main part of the appeal.

It is the resoundingly questionable choice of leaving out a solo campaign with playable missions that feature an arching storyline. Why is this decision so questionable? Well, the real answer is that despite the fact that multiplayer action and online capabilities have been the main draw for the Call of Duty series, the single-player campaign mode was always a staple for most fans. Yeah, they were mainly a side note when it came to in-game discussions but it does not mean that it was not a main part of the appeal. The entire cinematic feel of Call of Duty: Black Ops has slowly degraded into a shallow pool of nothingness. We were once treated to a plethora of talented voice actors and cleverly pieced-together storylines, but we only have a variable Zombies mode that may (or may not) feature some deep storytelling. Again, this list is all about things we know, and all we know is that the camp💛aign is just gone.

24 ൲ Specialist Characters Return

Ah yes, the most unpopular decision of Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 has returned as yet another part of the online multiplayer mode and it seems like it is here to stay for the rest of the franchise’s longevity. Specialist characters provided a somewhat asymmetrical multiplayer mode by adding some abilities and handicaps to certain players of each team to spice up the matches. Some were quick to welcome the change and found the abilities to be a progressive move in the grand scheme of t🅺he franchise. Others were disgusted with the frankly appalling set of new additions that disrupted what they considered to be “classic COD.”

Well, regardless of how you feel about it, the spe♍cialists have returned for another title in the series and while they may not be as big of a selling point this year, Treyarch has made it obvious they have worked on improving the feature. Whether or not it actuﷺally makes a positive impact on the game’s release will be a long-time coming, but the fans can rest assured knowing that there will probably be a handful of modes (if not, at least one) that do not feature the specialist characters. Do not think that that is all we know when it comes to the specialist characters...

23 ꦬ May Not Have Paid Maps

Now onto the good news. It might seem like every Call of Duty in this era of gaming has been utterly disappointing, but there seems to be an actual change coming our way in terms of progressing 🀅the series forward.

Due to the massive success of the free-to-play game Fortnite: Battle Royale (which we will get to later), we may have a brand new way to give out the many different kinds of content that a game can offer. First, there has been absolutely no news of a possible season pass, which goes against the grain of natural Call of Duty tropes and while there is no guarantee we will not get an announcement at E3, it would be a huge surprise if it all got thrown on the fan base at once. See, the lack of a season pass and some of the other Black Ops news (which we WILL get to) has led us to believe that the multiplayer being given out at a paid fee might be a thing of the past. The game will apparently get an unprecedented amount of weekly, monthly, and daily support when it comes to new content so perhaps Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 might be🔜 a telling sign that can mark a new beginning for the entire franchise.

22 🤡 ꦍ No Minimap

Well, not exactly, but let us explain. For the longest time, the miniature map in the top left (or right) of the on-screen HUD has been an essential part of the online multiplayer component. Why? It might be seen as a straight crutch for a lot of the less experienced players in the community but take one look at any professional competitive multiplayer game of COD and you will see that it is a true staple to the momentum of an oꦰnline match. This has been because the mini-map covers a large area that highlights enemies making noises on the map and generally speeds up the pace of the match and provides for exciting opportunities for skilled characters to strategically reveal their location on the map in the game.

This year, Treyarch has decided to nerf the mini-map in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, as players, will only be able to see highlighted enemies IF they were to be in the line of sight of the actual character. That might sound ridiculous in terms of a change that was not asked for, but it might make for a more exciting game. This will p༺ut the emphasis of the in-game combat on actual gun-fighting as opposed to positioning. Some will find this as a bad change, some will find it to be good. All we know is that it is a huge change, nonetheless.

21 Will❀ Feature Some Wild Killstreaks

It was a quick descent into the not-so-great, as Treyarch has decided to continue with the futur൩istic setting that continues to alienate a vast majority of the fanbase.

While on paper it seems like a good way to allow for more creative freedom, most fans just want to see the classic “boots to the ground” combat that made Call of Duty so initially iconic.

Sure, some of the younger parts of the Call of Duty audience could not care any less about the time frame of the game. However, there are still a lot of fans that are upset with this aspect of the new entries of the franchise. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 takes place in the not-so-distant future and will feature futuristic weapons and technology to be used in the many modes of the game. While it may not be a huge selling point like the other modes, fans cannot deny the fact that the futuristic setting allows for a huge creative excuse for the developing staff to add in some experimental items and power-ups along with conceptual weapons that are on the blueprints of actual weapons dealers. While on paper it seems like a good way to allow for more creative freedom, most fans just want to see the classic “boots to the ground” combat that made Call of Duty so initially iconic. That is not the end of this article’s information♛ on the dating of this game as it has a very funny place in the c꧃hronological order.

20 🐠 Zombies Heroes Will Return

Miss the swearing of Tank Dempsey in the zombies mode of Call of Duty? How about the socialist ramblings of Nikolai? Or the insane rampage quotes of Dr. Richtofen? And last but not least, do you miss the Japanese soldier Takeo? Well, have no fear, as the loveable band of zombies protagonists is going to be returning. It is said that they will be playable characters in the zombies mode to a limited degree, but it will probably be something of a limited role in comparison to the new cast of characters in the game. The main point here to take away is going to be the fact that while the old band of characters has been confirmed to be in the game, they are not one of the bestselling points to take away from the debut presentation of the game. This means that they will probably be more of a nostalgia act for the entirety of the game will be online and based on the other two game modes. It just stands out as one of the unique ways that the fine folk at Treyarch is trying to garner some positive feedback for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4.

19 Set Betweꦺen Black Ops 2 And 3

The new Black Ops game actually falls between the narrative of Black Ops 2 and Black Ops 3. If it sounds redundant than be prepared to hear more about the rehashing of old ideas when it comes to Call of Duty. Not much is known about the game in terms of story or how the main narrative will work as there is no campaign and thus, no story trailer. We can take away that the story will take a backseat to the “innovative” game modes that will take the focus in the main game. As mentioned, some will be frustrated with some of these decisions that Treyarch has gone with, it seems like they have no care in the world when it comes to the Black Ops franchise that has lost its lu♛ster to a severe degree.

This has got to be one of the main reasons why the story of Black Ops has become so uninteresting. There will be almost no attention given to the past lore that was established for half of the franchise. No, instead we will get a carbon copy of the other popular game that has only become successful due to hip marketing and universally playable mechanics. This is just another reminder of how Call of Duty has lost their way.

18 🌜 Health Packs Introduced 🌜

Now it might seem like there are a bunch of things that are placing this Black Ops installment in the bottom of the ranking list in terms of importance. There is already a brand new feature that is not really brand new but it is new in terms of how the other Call of Duty gameꦯs are played, It is the reintroduction of health systems in multiplayer. While it may not be an exactly surprising addition to the game, it still surprised a lot of the fanbase as it was not asked for on any level, to any degree.

Seeing as there is no real indication of new weaponry, there will not be much of a big difference in how the game is played.

Basically, the multiplayer will be based on finding health packs as opposed to waiting for health to just regenerate back after a gunfight. It does change the pacing of the game and provide a new obstacle for anyone in a close fight, but it also puts a hard emphasis on the map structure. This mimics the mechanics of Overwatch as the game will have a fo🍒cus on team fighting and coordination with the composition (which is set by the specialist in this case). Seeing as there is no real indication of new weaponry, there willꦺ not be much of a big difference in how the game is played. But this is still a huge feature to the multiplayer that may even get patched out later.

17 No Dashes

So health packs are back and it would look like dashes are out the window (no pun intended). Characters used to be able to do a brief dash in any direction as they pleased but this will be removed from Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. This will mean that the gameplay will slow down dramatically when it comes to the online multiplayer mode, but it will also mean that the main people in charge of COD might be slowly coming around to the idea of returning back to the classic combat (as if COD: WW2 was not enough to provide evidence of this). It might seem like a really small change, but it is these small tweaks that make the biggest difference when it comes to the grand scheme of how the game will be received by the public. Slowing down the game will be a great decision in the long run as there is a niche crowd for COD and they know how they want their game. This is a step in the right direction by appeasing the fans and that means that Call of Duty might get💝 the reinjection of adrenaline and reclaim its role as the number one on𝓡line multiplayer game.

16 Return Of A Zombie Map ♌

It is going to be a great time when it comes to revisiting an old zombies map from Call of Duty: Black Ops 2. Mob Of The Dead was one of the best maps to ever be offered in a COD game that featured the survival mode.

The story of a bunch of inmates in Alcatraz trying to assemble a makeshift airplane to soar from the prison to safety. It had so many different aspects that made it unique like the Hellhounds and secret weapons to find. It was a thrilling time and fans will fondly remember using the acid shotgun or hearing the celebrity voice acting of celebrities like Michael Madsen and Ray Liotta. While the celebrities will not be returning for the game, the map will be coming back and should be even better with the fast-paced overhaul of the COD engine. This also serves as one of the few times that the Call of Duty franchise brings back an old aspect into the fray, something that immediately pleases the fans as they are happy to see their favorite aspects of the game return. Get ready to lock and load with your friends toღ escape Alcatr🌃az once more!