This year's Call of Duty is certainly taking a few risks with the tried and true yearly formula. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is ditching the single player campaign completely to instead focus on a multiplayer-centric experience through the popular PvP side, Zombies, and the Battle Royale inspired mode Blackout. While the traditional fan-favorite multiplayer side retains a lot of familiar concepts and modes from previous games including specific operators, new features like Heist mode aims to add a new twist to the experience.

The new mode was a late addition to the most recent Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 beta test this past weekend. Heist borrows a few things from other popular games like Payday, Counter-Strike, and Battlefield Hardline by adding round-based, tactical gameplay. Unlike other modes in the game, players are downed rather than killed, giving teammates one chance to revive them before they are eliminated from the round completely.

During a Heist reveal stream last week, Treyarch referred to it as a competitive party mode which requires the team to steal a bag of cash and extract with it before the opposing team does. Instead of using previously customized characters, players start with a blank slate and $500 to spend on gear as well as two consumable health packs. Additional money can be earned by getting kills, shotting an enemy, helping your team, or winning rounds and then used to unlock new gear, perks, scorestreaks and more between rounds. As an added twist, some of the more powerful weapons and perks are locked behind cheaper alternatives that need to be purchased first. This gives players an interesting choice as to spend all of their money now or save for something bigger in the later rounds.

For those not actively participating in the beta, Treyarch may soon be planning on providing a bit more information on its anticipated Battle Royale mode. While very little is actually known about Blackout, many Call of Duty related social media accounts have all updated their profile pictures to reflect a logo from the mode, likely indicating that something noteworthy is coming soon. Outside of a small teaser trailer, Blackout remains the last piece of the game that fans have yet to really see or know much about.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 will release on Windows PC, PS4, and Xbox One on October 12, 2018.

Source: Treyarch