As someone who has been deeply immersed in the Call of Duty universe for over two decades now, I can certainly appreciate the anticipation surrounding the integration of Black Ops 6 into Warzone. The promise of omnimovement-centered game modes is particularly intriguing, as it feels like a natural evolution of the series’ iconic movement mechanics.
As a gaming enthusiast, I can hardly contain my excitement as Black Ops 6 is set to drop on October 25! During Activision’s Call of Duty: Next event on August 28, we were treated to a wealth of information about the multiplayer and Warzone aspects. Among the highlights was a live demonstration showcasing Treyarch’s innovative omnimovement system. Yours truly was lucky enough to attend the event and engage in a conversation with Treyarch regarding the advancements they’re making for the game, particularly their transition to a shared engine that has allowed them to craft Call of Duty’s cutting-edge movement mechanics.
The latest game developed by Treyarch was 2020’s Black Ops Cold War, a Call of Duty title that had a faster production timeline and necessitated adjustments to accommodate remote work due to the pandemic. Now, Treyarch is back at it with a four-year development span for Black Ops 6, marking their debut on Call of Duty’s new collective engine, which was unveiled with the 2022 Modern Warfare 2 remake.
In terms of ambition, this latest Call of Duty game rivals Infinite Warfare from the jetpack era, thanks to Black Ops 6’s innovative omnimovement system. This enables players to sprint, slide, dive, and even go prone while spinning a full 360 degrees. Essentially, it provides a platform for players to live out their action-hero fantasies in multiplayer, Zombies, and Warzone modes of Call of Duty.
We spoke with associate design director Matt Scronce and senior director of production Yale Miller, and while the discussion held a focus on the development cycle and movement system, we were also able to touch a little on Black Ops 6’s integration into Warzone.
As a gamer diving into the topic of Black Ops 6’s extended production period, Miller shed some light on the initial phase of development. He shared that a significant chunk of that time was spent on establishing the core Black Ops gameplay, rebuilding it from scratch, and honing multiplayer to embody the essence of Black Ops once more.
Miller expressed his belief that the transition to a new engine may have been essential for the development of Black Ops 6’s innovative movement system. He suggested that key features like omnimovement might not have evolved in the same manner, and he wasn’t certain if it was purely due to time, but believes some part of it was because they had to rebuild movement from scratch, starting anew.
According to Miller’s explanation, the situation compelled the team to consider all crucial aspects, which ultimately guided us towards the idea that adaptability holds the utmost importance.
In the development of Black Ops 6, Miller and his team prioritized making the gameplay seamless and dynamic, which sparked numerous discussions on character movement within the game. Ultimately, these conversations culminated in the decision to incorporate omnimovement.
Miller mentioned, “Perhaps your thinking would have been different if you were starting from the previous codebase.”
Games developed by Treyarch are renowned for their fast-paced gameplay, arcade-style design, and vivid color schemes. Before the unveiling of Black Ops 6, there were questions about whether Treyarch might abandon its unique approach when using a common game engine.
Scronce discussed the studio’s emphasis on preserving Treyarch’s unique style while transitioning to the new engine. He explained, “We put great importance on this aspect, not necessarily out of concern, but more so to ensure it feels like a Call of Duty: Black Ops game. During that first year, our aim was to make it feel familiar. Then, we began contemplating what truly defines a Black Ops experience. By asking tough questions, we were able to uncover some intriguing answers and solidify the essence of Black Ops.”
According to Scronce, each Black Ops operation has its unique narrative. This one, in particular, was almost revolutionary in terms of setting a new standard for what it means to play a Black Ops game.
In Black Ops 6, the standout feature is called Omnimovement, and since its integration into Warzone, it will be a key aspect to watch in the battle royale genre for the upcoming year. When discussing ways to keep Warzone engaging, Miller mentioned, “I believe the most significant alteration to Warzone, essentially, revolves around movement, and that’s where our primary focus lies. Collaborating with Raven Software on ensuring these changes feel seamless is a top priority.”
Regrettably, for those aiming to achieve prestige in Warzone this year, there’s some unfavorable news. Black Ops 6 reintroduces the traditional Call of Duty prestige system, which resets progression and prevents access to all weapons and attachments from levels 1-55.
In contrast to longtime Call of Duty veterans, Treyarch has revealed that this new update will incorporate a unified prestige system across multiplayer, Zombies, and Warzone. For the first time in Warzone, a traditional prestige system is being implemented, meaning players who decide to reset their progress will have to work hard to reacquire their preferred weapons and attachments. However, it’s important to note that opting for this classic-style prestige in Black Ops Cold War and Warzone is entirely optional.
Prestiging in Black Ops 6 provides some benefits such as exclusive Black Oops-themed cosmetics and permanent unlocks for weapons and perks. Additionally, the developers allow players to safeguard certain items from being reset using permanent unlock tokens. However, all content gained between levels 1-55 will be restored with each prestige, regardless of the game mode you’re playing.
In simple terms, Black Ops 6 is going to blend with Warzone by introducing the fresh Area 99 Resurgence battlefield designed by Treyarch. Unlike previous years when a new Call of Duty merged with Warzone using a typical, large-scale battle royale map, this year’s integration will center around a unique Resurgence experience. For now, Urzikstan will continue to serve as the expansive map until the original Verdansk map returns in the spring.
Scronce explained this by saying they were really focused on the new Resurgence map, because it was themed around Black Ops lore with it being the birthplace of Nuketown.
Miller emphasized, “The main point has been our focus. We’ve been thinking about introducing a fantastic new Resurgence map, something only Treyarch can create, as part of that. The upcoming news in the spring is significant. I believe Area 99 will be exciting, and we have even bigger news coming in the spring, which is not something we’ve had the chance to do like this before.”
Miller added, “Initially, you had a large map at your disposal, but not during the springtime. This leads me to believe that it’s essential to manage the pace of the experience.”
You’ll find our complete TopMob interview with Treyarch down below. For additional information about Black Ops 6, here are all the announcements for content available on launch day. Players have the opportunity to try out multiplayer during the ongoing Black Ops 6 beta. The beta is currently live, with week one in progress.
Considering the duration of the project, this has been your longest development phase yet. Has this extended period added more or less stress for your team, and is there a specific feature that might not have been included in the game if it weren’t for this extra time?
Miller: We switched over to the common Call of Duty platform instead of the Treyarch engine. Therefore, a significant portion of our time was spent in recreating the core Black Ops gameplay, starting from scratch and making multiplayer feel like Black Ops again. This was a major aspect. Furthermore, with this massive shift in technology, we had to rebuild various aspects, but also due to the numerous talented individuals across all studios transitioning from the Treyarch engine to the Call of Duty engine, we were simultaneously learning new tools and adapting to the changes. This was a considerable part of the process.
In my opinion, the unique outcomes we experienced in our rebuilding project might not have occurred under different circumstances. While it’s hard to pinpoint exactly why, I believe a significant factor was the necessity of starting anew in terms of movement development. This fresh start compelled our team, from my perspective, to carefully consider the essential components. This introspection, in turn, led us towards the philosophy that fluidity should be prioritized, as we were focusing solely on sprinting forward. This line of thinking might not have been reached if we had been working with existing code.
Is omnimovement something you guys would be open to tweaking later on?
Miller: Likely from the beta stage and continuing on, this is likely how it will be due to our experimental nature.
Did many individuals express concern that the joint engine could potentially dilute Treyarch’s distinctive flair, but it’s evidently clear that this title retains a Black Ops feel. Did any apprehensions arise for you in transitioning to this new setup?
Miller: It was a focus.
During that initial phase, it was crucial to make it remarkably similar to the Black Ops series. It wasn’t about anxiety, more like an exciting challenge. Essentially, we were trying to capture the essence of the Black Ops games. As time went on, we pondered over what truly defines a Black Ops game experience. Pondering these tough questions led us to some fascinating insights and helped us clearly define what makes a Black Ops game unique.
Working on each Black Ops title has been an enjoyable experience for me. Each Black Ops installment offers its unique narrative. This latest one, in particular, feels like we’re setting new standards for what constitutes a Black Ops game. I’m pleased with the outcome.
It appears the Gunsmith you mentioned refers to a simplified version of its global counterpart. Are we to expect the same features in this version, or are further enhancements such as aftermarket parts or additional functionalities planned for the Gunsmith in the future?
My Suggestion: From my perspective, what you’re experiencing now is likely what the beta version will offer. We’re continuing to refine certain aspects, and indeed, it does take a more straightforward approach.
Which I don’t think it’s a bad thing!
Scronce: Absolutely not. It was a big goal.
Miller: Intentional.
Scronce: In Black Ops 6, our goal is to simplify and make it more accessible. For instance, we’ve minimized the negatives on attachments so that adding one always feels rewarding. While a larger magazine might slow down reloading, for most cases, just forget about it. It’s all about your preferred play style – do you want quick ADS or fast movement? Pile on five attachments, or use a Wildcard to max out at eight, and have fun!
Of course, it’s subject to change, isn’t it? That’s merely our current observation during the beta phase. However, there could be other adjustments you might make yet.
Scronce: Yeah, for sure.
Have we showcased any game modes today that focus primarily on free movement, similar to Blitz or Gridiron? It seems like such a feature could enhance the experience. Could you share any additional game modes with us today?
Scronce: Nothing to talk about right now. It’s definitely a topic of conversation within the game modes team. And since omnimovement is a big part of Black Ops 6, we feel like it is a part of every game mode, just like you know, the weapons team make sure that it sits well within that world, but specifically movement based game modes and how can we lean into that? And some of the fun post launch stuff, we’ll definitely talk about it.
Miller: New seasons will have new maps and modes.
Is it crucial to have prepared gear sets in battle royale games, but when you advance to a higher level (prestige) in Black Ops 6, does that mean you will lose the weapons and attachments you’ve unlocked across all game modes, such as Warzone?
Miller: You can choose, and you can also choose to protect items.
Scronce: Yeah, permanent unlock tokens. But yeah, it’ll, it’ll reset your level 1 to 55 content.
How will you ensure a continuous flow of new content for Warzone, after Black Ops 6 gets integrated?
For Ted [Timmins, Warzone Senior Creative Director at Raven Software] and the entire team at Raven, they are focusing on enhancing the quality of life and overall experience. They are putting a lot of effort into areas like loot and even small details such as zip lines and ascenders. Essentially, they are constantly working on making improvements, improvements, improvements. We’re really looking forward to it!
In essence, the main transformation we anticipate in Warzone primarily revolves around movement, an area we are dedicating significant attention to. We’re collaborating closely with Raven Software to ensure that these changes feel authentic and seamless.
After carefully reviewing all the benefits, equipment, and other items, keep in mind that just because Black Ops 6 items are arriving doesn’t mean we discard any fantastic gear from past versions. In essence, it’s a blend of the finest from every title.
The foundational change, though, I think is a big one. Really talking about Season 1, it’s movement. Movement is going to be a huge change. And then I think they have a ton of plans, which we can’t talk about here, on how to take it forward.
In previous seasons, Warzone introduced a large-scale map integration during Season 1 or Season 1 Reloaded. However, it appears Verdansk will be available in the spring and Urzikstan remains. My question is, are we retaining Urzikstan for the entire season? Is there any specific reason why we won’t see a new large-scale map introduced earlier on?
Our primary focus had been on Area 99 being the origin of Nuketown in Resurgence, to put it simply.
Indeed, our main concern has been on that aspect. One method we considered was introducing a fantastic Resurgence map, which Treyarch excels at creating. The news coming in the spring is quite substantial. I believe Area 99 will be delightful, and there are more significant revelations to come in the spring, a chance we haven’t had like this before.
Initially, there was a large map available, but not during the spring season. Therefore, it seems like the design is aimed at spreading out the user’s experience.
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2024-08-30 23:10