Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is changing up the traditional CoD formula a bit with its online offering as the game is set to feature vehicles and large maps to use them on. As one would expect, larger maps usually means more players, though fans should not expect numbers like Modern Warfare’s Ground War in Black Ops Cold War’s Combined Arms mode.
Combined Arms will feature 12v12 gameplay that places emphasis on Black Ops Cold War’s new vehicles, with the vehicle options available to players changing based on the environment of the map. Certain maps will feature tanks and snowmobiles while other maps incorporate gunboats. How much damage these vehicles can do to infantry remains to be seen, though their inclusion will surely become a topic of debate among the CoD community.
The larger-scale gameplay of Combined Arms will be available “across a handful of Combined Arms modes” according to an official Activision blog post for Black Ops Cold War’s multiplayer. These modes will, at the very least, include the Call of Duty classic Domination. While the concept sounds like an interesting small scale take on Battlefield’s conquest mode, it could prove more interesting if something like Search and Destroy or the new VIP Escort mode are given the 12v12 treatment. That many players in a one-life mode would certainly be unique and could be a fun change-up from the usual Call of Duty dynamic.
The Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War beta that kicks off on October 8th for Playstation players could allow players to get a feel for Combined Arms, though it is unclear what will be in the beta at this time. Five of the game’s maps were showcased during the multiplayer reveal, all of which showcased a deep level of detail and diverse environments. Which of these maps show up in the beta is going to be interesting to see, as is the selection of modes and weaponry players can try out.
Combined Arms being a separate entity is a smart move on the part of Treyarch, as it ensures that fans who want a more traditional 6v6 experience without vehicles can have just that if they would like. Still, dividing up the community could prove troublesome, especially if Treyarch follows in the steps of Call of Duty WW2’s War mode and makes maps exclusively for Combined Arms. It seems like plenty of attention is being put into designing each of the Deniable Ops of Black Ops Cold War, though, so Combined Arms will hopefully just feature larger versions of the base maps.
While Treyarch is certainly taking risks in some areas of Black Ops Cold War, it is aiming to please fans with other aspects of the game. With the Black Ops Cold War mini-map returning to normal and undoing the changes made in Modern Warfare, old school Call of Duty fans should have a slightly easier time making an adjustment to the 12v12 vehicle combat of Combined Arms.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War will be available November 13th on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X versions will also be available.
Source: Activision Games Blog