Summary
An almost overwhelming amount of information has been released regardingCall of Duty: Black Ops 6in recent weeks, including a huge reveal of the upcoming project’s Zombies mode that was shown to fans on August 8. Of course, a lot of information about the title also came out during its worldwide reveal following the Xbox Games Showcase on June 9, although this largely focused on the characters and core mechanics of the game’s campaign mode.
That said, there’s still more to learn about the multiplayer experience ofCall of Duty: Black Ops 6, and it seems that this will finally happen during theCall of DutyNEXT presentation on August 28. Some very important elements ofBlack Ops 6’s multiplayer have already been confirmed by Treyarch, however, such as the return of the franchise’s iconic Theater Mode in the upcoming game. Long-time fans ofCall of Dutywill know just how exciting it is to see the return of Theater Mode, and if Treyarch implements it correctly, thenBlack Ops 6could have a sense of community involvement and competition that it most certainly needs.
Black Ops 6could just be home to the most popular version of Theater Mode that theCall of Dutyfranchise has ever seen.
Treyarch Should Lean Into the Community Benefits of Theater Mode in Black Ops 6
Theater Mode was first introduced to theCall of Dutyfranchisewith 2010’sBlack Ops, allowing players to re-watch their most recent games from a range of angles and player perspectives. In a time before widespread console DVR capabilities, this allowed players to capture, save, and upload their most hilarious or impressiveCall of Dutymoments, making Theater Mode a staple mechanic of the 2010 release.
Following the popularity of Theater Mode, the mechanic would go on to appearthroughout theBlack Opsfranchiseas well as the originalModern Warfare 3.Treyarch recently confirmed that Theater Mode will also be present inBlack Ops 6when it launches on October 25. While instant clip-recording is now a staple of modern consoles and PC platforms to an extent, there is still a definite use for Theater Mode, with the ability to track things like cross-map throwing knives being just one of them.
The main potential utility ofTheater Mode inBlack Ops 6is the way it could create a sense of community in the game, with Theater Mode hopefully coming with a hub where players can upload and showcase their most attention-grabbing clips and screenshots. If this is implemented in the right way, then the most popular clips could rise to the forefront of the Theater Mode hub through a trending tab, allowing theCoDcommunity to directly influence which clips are considered to be the best of the best.
Theater Mode Could Become a Key Part of Black Ops 6’s Content Cycle
Treyarch could then hold monthly or even weekly competitions that reward the most popular clips for that time period, perhaps giving the creators of these clips rewards in the way ofunique cosmetics orCoDPoints. If Treyarch makes these potential rewards attractive enough, thenBlack Ops 6could just be home to the most popular version of Theater Mode that theCall of Dutyfranchise has ever seen.
It is no secret thatCoD’s sense of community has waned in recent years thanks to things like the reduced necessity of game chat. Treyarch has been presented with a golden opportunity to really lean into a feature that has the game’s playerbase as its lifeblood. By giving power to the players in creating clips and deciding which ones are the most impressiveacross both multiplayer and Zombies,Black Ops 6’s Theater Mode could see the franchise’s community flourish in a way that has not been seen for some time.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
WHERE TO PLAY
Forced to go rogue. Hunted from within. This is Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.Developed by Treyarch and Raven, Black Ops 6 is a spy action thriller set in the early 90s, a period of transition and upheaval in global politics, characterized by the end of the Cold War and the rise of the United States as a single superpower. With a mind-bending narrative, and unbound by the rules of engagement, this is signature Black Ops.The Black Ops 6 Campaign provides dynamic moment-to-moment gameplay that includes a variety of play spaces with blockbuster set pieces and action-packed moments, high-stakes heists, and cloak-and-dagger spy activity.In a best-in-class Multiplayer experience, players will test their skills across 16 new maps at launch, including 12 core 6v6 maps and 4 Strike maps that can be played 2v2 or 6v6.Black Ops 6 also marks the epic return of Round-Based Zombies, the fan-favorite mode where players will take down hordes of the undead in two brand-new maps at launch. Post-launch, players can look forward to even more exciting maps and groundbreaking experiences dropping into both Multiplayer and Zombies.
