Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War continues to receive robust free content updates, even as the inevitable release of Call of Duty 2021 nears week by week. The newly announced Season 5 content update for Black Ops Cold War may be one of the game's biggest yet, with an entirely new game mode having been revealed. Introducing Double Agent, a Call of Duty game mode that mixes first-person shooter action with social deduction gameplay elements.
Like in Among Us, Mafia, or Werewolf, Call of Duty's new Double Agent game mode is all about hunting down the enemies within. Players will matchmake into a game where they won't know who their allies or enemies are. It'll require players to use their powers of observation and communication skills to come out of the match victorious. As such, twitch response time and general FPS ability will be a secondary asset next to each player's deductive reasoning.
Each round of Double Agent will require 10 players to start. Those players will each be randomly assigned a role, whether that be the allied Operatives, the villainous Double Agents, or the helpful Investigator. As the round begins, each player has just a pistol, but as it progresses players will discover weapons and unlock unique skills for their role. Each player's gameplay behavior will provide important clues regarding what role they may be.
Operatives will work to complete mission parameters, though exactly how missions progress isn't clear. Double Agents will work to sabotage the mission, unlocking access to skills including Gas Mines, Counter Spy Planes, Combat Bows, and Attack Helicopters. Investigators will support the Operatives with abilities including Trophy Systems, Stimshots, and Handcannons. They can also see attacker footprints and can issue Wanted Orders for suspicious players.
Obviously, Double Agent will still be a Call of Duty game mode and that means certain gameplay elements will be core to the experience. Players will be able to shoot anyone else, regardless of their role affiliation. They'll also be able to assassinate them with melee attacks from behind. Expect many Double Agent rounds to end early after one or more players just start shooting as the round begins.
Regardless of how the mode turns out, it's great to see Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War's developers experimenting with gameplay like this. The team could easily have decided not to make such a dramatically different gameplay mode, especially this late after launch. Instead, Double Agent may give some Call of Duty players a reason to return in Season 5 and see what all the excitement is about.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.