The fight moves to international waters as Hijacked, first seen in Black Ops II, joins the 6v6 Multiplayer map rotation as part of Season Four in Black Ops Cold War. Available to all players in Black Ops Cold War for free, Hijacked is chaotic, frenetic fun that’ll test your every reflex on the high seas.

Whether you’ve braved the decks before or you’re boarding for the first time, here’s what you need to know about Hijacked:

Lay of the Land

Let’s hope you’re feeling spry — Hijacked is small, narrow, and perfectly designed for constant battle. Teams start out on deck from either the stern (back) or the bow (front), with the option to take up position in one of the map’s two cabins or to rush the center deck from port (left) or starboard (right).

On port side, you’ll run into the hot tub, and the catwalk hanging off the side can provide a means to avoid attention from the middle. Covered showers stand on the middle deck, offering some protection from enemies shooting down from either cabin.

The cabana on the starboard side is a hot chokepoint where you’re guaranteed to have a few head-on collisions. Come out on top and it serves as a great spot to ambush enemies all along the central deck.

The cabins are designed much like the houses in Nuketown, with cramped ground floors and second-story front windows facing each other over the center of the map. On the first floor of each, find a ladder down to the engine room belowdecks, a narrow shortcut that traverses the length of the boat.

Fundamentals

Just like in Nuketown, there’s a huge temptation to rush straight into either cabin and up to the second-story windows, which provide a wide view of the action below. While certainly a viable strategy, the cabins are also two of the most highly contested points on the map. To succeed on Hijacked, you’ve got to utilize the entire yacht.

Take advantage of the long sight lines along the sides to eliminate enemies running SMGs and other close-quarter weapons from a safe distance. On the other hand, spend time below deck learning the layout of the engine room so that you no longer see it as a rabbit hole, but an opportunity for short-range tactical play.

At the bow, use the boats for cover to engage enemies coming out of the cabin or along the sides; at the stern, use the pool to obscure your position. Learn when to rush into the action and when it’s better to bait or fall back and reposition. Hijacked offers plenty of tactical opportunities, which you’ll discover and improve upon with each played match.

Scorestreak Field Guide

For low-cost fun, you can’t go wrong with the RC-XD. Send it flying toward the center deck or onto an objective point and detonate. A well-placed Sentry Turret down either side deck or at a second-story window can do great work against clustered enemies, especially if you fight alongside it. Or take the power into your own hands with the new Hand Cannon.

Any of the air-to-ground attacks are strong options, especially in objective modes near points on the deck where there’s little overhead cover. Try Napalm Strike to temporarily shut down a critical path, or pick Artillery and space out your three shots to get the most out of each.

With open skies, the Attack Helicopter is a great asset, but realize that enemies on deck can fall back to the bow or stern and fire rockets at aerial threats. If there’s a support-minded player on the other team, they’re likely to take it out with ease. Consider the Strafe Run to clear the deck in one fell swoop, or if you can earn points, call in the H.A.R.P. for advanced intelligence on enemy movement.

Objective Play

In Domination and Hardpoint, the center map takes on extra significance, with the increased focus on the B flag in the former and the concentration of hills around the middle in the latter. Don’t neglect the engine room as a means of travel, and definitely use a Trophy System whenever you’re guarding a confined area.

In Search and Destroy and to a lesser extent Control, the fighting gets a touch less chaotic and a lot more tactical. Play these modes to really learn the ins and outs of the map, including making the most out of every available sight line. Call out enemy Operators and don’t neglect rerouting to a better position when approaching hot areas.

In Kill Confirmed, picking up your own team’s tags is as important as grabbing the enemy’s. This is especially true in big battles where multiple tags drop at a time. If you need to, toss a smoke grenade for visual cover and collect as many tags as you can before the area becomes overrun. Try fighting by the bow or stern to pick off stragglers and collect their tags away from the busy center.

10 Tips

10. Taking a Dip in the Hot Tub. A refreshing feature of the superyacht, the Hot Tub’s design allows you to take cover in the otherwise busy central section. If the showers are scalding in terms of enemy combatants, jump into the tub and use its walls to take cover while healing up.

9. Keep Them Guessing. Though there’s minimal downtime between engagements on Hijacked, it still pays to get the advantage going into each fight. Use Ghost to maintain a low profile under enemy Spy Planes and keep the element of surprise.

8. Catwalk Combat. The port-side catwalk is great for moving past the center deck and for eliminating enemies thinking the same. In objective modes where they have to cross over for the point, take up sentry here to push back players attempting a stealthy entrance.  

7. Suit Up. Flak Jacket and Tactical Mask can save you from a lot of heartache here. When the lethals and tacticals are flying, consider using the Law Breaker Wildcard so you can equip both.

6. Engineer on Deck. On a narrow map with so many chokepoints, it can be a big help to get an eye on enemy Scorestreaks and placed C4. Use Engineer to avoid running into traps so you can focus on eliminations and captures.

5. Shotgun Shortcut. When you need to get to the other side of the yacht fast, always consider the engine room shortcut. It’s less chaotic than the center deck area, and with a shotgun and fast reflexes, you can blow away enemy Operators blocking your path.

4. Let ’em Fly. Pair Danger Close with Quartermaster to bombard the enemy team with thrown Equipment. It’s a great way to end a fight fast on the center deck or down in the engine room, or use it as a lead to flood objective points ahead of your entry.

3. Bull’s-eye. If your aim is true, the Combat Bow is a great Scorestreak on Hijacked. You’re almost guaranteed to get it in the match, and with so many narrow sight lines, it’s easy to get nice clean shots. Its burn effect is good for temporarily clearing doorways of enemy Operators.

2. Into the Frying Pan. Once you’ve got a handle on the map, spend time mastering the chaotic center deck. The cabana and hot tub offer great ambush points, and even the middle showers can be used in tactical maneuvering. You’ll also learn the exact spots that are open to fire from the cabin windows.

1. Prepare for Capture the Flag. The fan-favorite and highly competitive Capture the Flag game mode arrives later in Season Four. Get to grips with Hijacked now so you can easily lead your team in captures when the upcoming mode hits the high seas.

Execute the mission.

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