Summary
Activisionhas announced several big changes coming toCall of Duty’s HQ app, namely to its UI and the out-of-control file sizes that have been at the top of players' complaint lists for years. This is all set to happen during the lead-up toCall of Duty: Black Ops 6, a direct sequel toBlack Ops Cold WarandBlack Ops 2set in the early 90s surrounding the events of the Gulf War.
Ever since the initial launch ofCall of Duty: Warzonein 2020, file sizes of each annualCall of Dutytitle have continued to balloon year over year. Last year,Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3took up an eye-watering 240 GB of space for PlayStation 5 users. Theintroduction of the Call of Duty HQ, the all-in-one app containingWarzoneand each recent annualCall of Dutygame, was riddled with controversy around its launch, with many players unhappy with its bloated UI.
In anew Activision blog post,Call of Dutyhas unveiled its plans to cut back on file sizes and rework the HQ’s UI, which has been the source of many players' frustration over the past several years. Over the course of the next few months, a set of updates will roll out that will aim to give players more control over what they download, helping to reduce theamount of spaceCall of Dutytakes up on devices. Activision also confirmed thatCall of Duty: Black Ops 6will be smaller in file size than last year’sModern Warfare 3, though by how much is unknown.
Upcoming Call of Duty Updates
The first of these updates is set to coincide withModern Warfare 3’s Season 5 Reloadedpatch, set to go live on August 21. This update will be a larger one, but Activision ensures that it’s paving the path for subsequent updates to further optimize the experience. The next update, on August 30, gives players access toBlack Ops 6’s open beta, though it’s not known whether this update will also continue the optimization work to the Call of DutyHQ.
The third update, slated to release sometime in mid-October, will bring aboutCall of Duty’s revamped UI ahead ofBlack Ops 6’s full release. The new design, shown off in the blog post, does away with having players scroll to get to their content, and instead features all the major pieces ofCall of Duty, such asWarzone,Modern Warfare 3,Black Ops 6, and Zombies as large tiles near the top of the screen. Upon clicking onBlack Ops 6,a simple old-school home screen is displayed with just three available options: Multiplayer, Zombies, and Single Player.
It’s great to see Activision finally address the issues theCall of Dutycommunity has continued to bring to light since the launch of the HQ. All of these updates should result in a smallerCall of Dutyfootprint and easier navigation of the HQ app just in time forBlack Ops 6’s highly anticipated October 25 release.
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.
