Brand new to Modern Warfare last year, Gunfight is back for Black Ops Cold War in Season One. The popular 2v2 mode is the ultimate test of individual skill. Speed, accuracy, and an unquenchable thirst for victory are the name of the game, as duos square off in a fast-paced battle on maps built for high-energy close combat.

If you played Gunfight in Modern Warfare, the rules and gameplay are the same. But if you’re new to this mode, here are the basics:

Rules of Engagement:

Gunfight features two teams of two players, or duos, in a round-based deathmatch.

Within a 40-second time limit, duos must reduce the other team’s health to zero in order to win a round. Unlike a traditional Multiplayer game, health does not regenerate during a round of Gunfight, making it even more of an important resource to manage within an engagement.

If time runs out within a round and neither duo is eliminated, then an Overtime Flag spawns with a 10-second time limit. The first team to capture the flag – which takes three seconds – or take down the other team during this Overtime period wins the round.

If neither team wins during Overtime, the team with the highest total health will take the round. On the incredibly unlikely chance that both team’s health pools are identical, the round ends in a draw with both teams earning a “round victory” for the sake of scoring.

In place of Create-a-Class, every player gets the same exact loadout, which comprises of at least one weapon randomly chosen from a predetermined pool of armaments. Some loadouts include a Secondary and Equipment pieces, also randomly chosen from a selection of items that would normally be equipped in Create-a-Class. This loadout changes every two rounds, making Gunfight a test of both skill and adaptability to whatever weapons and equipment pieces are available.

The first team to take six rounds of combat wins the match.

Operation Overview – The Maps

There are four extra-small maps that offer their own unique Cold War-inspired locale. Because they’re small in size, these four maps play host to intense and fast-paced battles.

Game Show

Test your close-quarters gunfighting skills on the glitzy game show set in Los Angeles, California.

This map is divided into several clear lanes, including the stage, behind the stage, front of the stage, and the dressing rooms. Use the contestant podiums for cover or dive underneath the stage to the dressing rooms to come up behind on the other end of the stage.

Because of how the lanes funnel into key chokepoints around the maps, teams should expect to fend off flanks and unconventional attacks from the enemy duo.

ICBM

This nuclear missile silo deep in the Cheyenne Mountain Complex of Colorado features a circular design that allows players to rotate around the center for frenetic out-in-the-open combat.

With a bit of practice, the curved walls around the facility can be used to bank equipment pieces at unique angles, should they be available in a random loadout.

There’s a little more safety on the edges with crates and desks for cover, while a tunnel running underneath the middle can be utilized to take out opponents with a quick flanking maneuver.

KGB

A straightforward map that will take teams right into the headquarters of the Soviet Union’s secretive intelligence apparatus.

This building boasts high ceilings, large marble columns decorated with hammer and sickle flags, and a polished floor populated with desks and tall bookcases.

 There are a lot of options to engage – around desks, over bookcases, or from upon high on the balconies – which should make this map highly competitive.

U-Bahn

Descend into an abandoned underground subway tunnel in West Germany beneath the Berlin Wall that now serves as a black market for weapons.

This is as tight-quarters as you can get, as teams will storm the parked train and open subway carriage for cover.

Take up position behind graffiti-covered pillars or get up close by dropping down on the debris-laden tracks for more aggressive play.

Tips and Tactics

Now that you’ve got the lay of the land, let’s talk about some tactics you can use that will help you clear out the competition and capture those six rounds you need to win:

1. Check your loadout before the round starts. This seems obvious, but your loadout will change every two rounds. It’s best to familiarize yourself with each loadout item and plan a winning strategy around its strengths. For example, a loadout with a sniper rifle best performs with a bit of patience and accurate shots to the chest or head, while a loadout that only includes a pistol and some equipment pieces may work better with more aggressive play.

2. Because these maps are on the smaller side, knowing where – and when – to take cover could be the difference between life and death. Keep your health in check constantly during each round, and try not to spend too long running out in the open.

3. Take control of the center right away. This is where most of the action is going to take place in Gunfight, from the start of the round to the last second of overtime. The quicker you can stake out a position in the middle of the map, the better chance you have at catching your enemies trying to do the same and taking them down before they see you.

4. Don’t sit still. The small map and 40-second timer means you should constantly be moving to hunt down the other team. Staking out a hiding spot and hoping to catch a passing enemy can make you a sitting duck, especially if they’ve got the higher ground and can fire from their perch.

5. Do you and your duo have more health than the enemy team when Overtime hits? Then consider the Overtime zone a potential piece of bait rather than a win condition. Especially if your team is ahead in the round count, use the enemy team’s desperation of capturing that flag to your advantage and consider waiting them out near the objective.

We’ll see you online.

For more information on Call of Duty®: Black Ops Cold War, check out: www.callofduty.com, www.youtube.com/callofduty and follow @Treyarch, @RavenSoftware, and @CallofDuty on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

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