The Story So Far: Time to Execute the Mission

“This is Wraith. The Verdansk tests are looking good… that clears the way for you.”

Having emerged from the shadows with a direct assault on the Ground Station in South Africa and the de-orbiting of an American satellite constellation, Perseus continues their offensive.

Wraith hands off Dragovitch’s data, stolen from the Soviet facility on Mount Yamantau to a mysterious operative, along with details of the next phase of Perseus’s nefarious plan.

“Told you it would be easy.” – Kitsune

In the early hours of July 23^rd 1984, Woods and an assault team take to the air, in response to a distress signal sent from a NATO listening station in Teufelsberg, Germany… the base has been overrun by unknown assailants.

Inside, Woods is confronted by a threat he thought long buried, a weapon from the past that could change the conflict forever…

Don’t fall to the mind games – Black Ops Cold War and Warzone Season Five comes online on August 12, following updates to Black Ops Cold War on August 10 at 9 PM PT and Warzone on August 11 at 9 PM PT. Keep reading, even though this declassified intel will almost certainly fall into the hands of double agents in our ranks….

BLACK OPS COLD WAR CONTENT:

Become a Double Agent in the Newest Multiplayer Game Mode

The new Double Agent mode infiltrates into Season Five, an investigative Multiplayer party experience where each match assigns Double Agents who are there to sabotage the mission. Communicate, investigate, and expose the traitors – or successfully wipe out the investigating team – to win.

It starts with up to ten players in a lobby who are assigned one of three roles:

·      Double Agents, who must either eliminate everyone else or successfully set off explosive charges around the map.

·      The Investigator, who can use clues to target suspected Double Agents as Wanted criminals.

·      Operatives, who must work together to identify and eliminate the Double Agents before it’s too late.

Each player starts with a pistol. Weapons and Equipment are introduced in the Preparing Stage, where all players can grab weapons in different parts of the map.

Each role gains access to unique skills and content during the round. Double Agents gain access to Gas Mines, Counter Spy Planes, Combat Bows, and Attack Helicopters, and also have protection from the radiation spreading from the bombs they’ve set.

Investigators gain access to Trophy Systems, Stimshots, and Hand Cannons, and can see the footprints of an attacker when examining a player's death location. Investigators can also issue a Wanted Order on a player that they find to be suspicious.

Voice chat is strongly encouraged, and this party mode can be played with the wider community or up to nine of your best friends. Hopefully, they can still be considered your closest allies at the end of the operation.

Demolition Returns In-Season

Later in Season Five, the classic Demolition game mode makes its debut in Black Ops Cold War.

Two teams battle it out as attackers attempt to destroy a pair of active bombsites, while defenders must prevent the detonations. All-out chaos ensues when time is extended after the first bomb site is destroyed, and you’d better be prepared with plenty of Scorestreaks and squadmates for backup should one final bomb be planted at the last second.

Five Fresh Multiplayer Maps

Prepare to seek and destroy Double Agents – and execute missions across a variety of Multiplayer modes – in a collection of locales both fresh and familiar, especially to true veterans of the Black Ops series.

Echelon (6v6, Launch)

In this brand-new map seen in the Season Five intro cinematic, you’ll need to keep your ear to the ground if you want to leave this listening station alive.

Set at Teufelsberg – also known as “Devil’s Mountain” – in Berlin, Echelon sees Operators fighting through the rain and ash in the aftermath of Perseus’ latest operation. From either infiltration point, you’ll fight to control the central control room inside the main dome, a natural hotbed for combat that gets even hotter in objective game modes.

This NATO compound was partially blown to pieces during the attack, so mind the gaps in the roofs unless you’re planning to plunge onto the plateau below.

Slums (6v6, Launch)

Take to the streets and fight through this tight three-lane vintage map, which rounds out the three Multiplayer maps available at Season Five’s launch.

First introduced in Call of Duty®: Black Ops II, Slums is set deep within Panama City, where a town square featuring a central fountain invites long-range combat across lanes and plenty of aerial Scorestreak bombardments.

A variety of combat tactics can work here, as always… just be mindful of the sightlines into the parking lot and laundromat at the ends of this classic locale.

Showroom (2v2 and 3v3, Launch)

All sales are final in this small-scale map built for Gunfight and Face Off variants. Showroom is set in the cordoned off Stacks emporium within the long-abandoned mall in New Jersey, The Pines.

On this map, expect to have fast fights over and around various displays and kiosks, which provide a unique aesthetic and map structure compared to the other smaller maps in Black Ops Cold War.

Gunfight Tournament fans can expect Showroom to have a big summer blowout later this season as the marquee location of a future tournament.

Drive-In (6v6, In-Season)

Shortly after the Season Five launch window, get your popcorn ready for the return of Drive-In, a cult classic from the original Black Ops, set in a movie drive-in out in an abandoned midwestern United States ghost town.

Remastered for the first time in honor of its 10-year anniversary as part of the Black Ops Annihilation Map Pack, Drive-In features close-quarters fights and powerful overwatch points, particularly around the big screen of the Galactic Drive-In, where snipers and other long-range weapons can shine.

Be sure to tread lightly through the mostly barren parking lot if enemies take up the big screen or the red building on the opposite side, using the alleyway flank routes to drop bad guys with a Finishing Move worthy of an action hero.

Zoo (6v6, In-Season)

Rounding out Season Five’s trio of classic maps is another post-launch theater of battle: the intense 6v6 incarnation of Zoo from the original Black Ops, arriving later in the season.

There’s no cage that can hold you as you fight through bear pits and aquariums in Zoo, whose original version was part of Black Ops’ second DLC pack Escalation. Be sure to take a “ride” on the monorail to get an incredible vantage point on the action below, or head to the souvenir shop to dole out plenty of free pain to your enemies.

New Scorestreak – The Flamethrower (Launch)

With the DZ hotter than ever before, both sides have brought the heat to extinguish the opposition.

The Flamethrower seeks to round out the game-changing Multiplayer support items as a low-cost Scorestreak Weapon.

A ranged incendiary device that is lost upon death (functioning in the same way as the Combat Bow or Hand Cannon), the Flamethrower shoots a steady stream of flame, immolating enemies within close range.

It’s sure to help contribute to your higher-cost Scorestreaks, so long as you keep engagements within a few meters of its deadly blaze.

New Zombies Content – New Perk, Field Upgrade, Support Weapon, and More

New Perk, Field Upgrade, and Support Weapon (Launch)

Expect the introduction of even more helpful items to assist you across all round-based maps and Outbreak in Zombies, in the form of a new Perk, new Field Upgrade, and new Support Weapon.

First up, Death Perception makes its debut as Black Ops Cold War’s ninth Zombies Perk, granting any agent who drinks it the ability to “see” obscured enemies by giving them a bright outline. Of course, the real “secret sauce” of this Perk lies in its five additional upgrades through its Skill Tiers; use those Aetherium Crystals to gain access to powerful new effects designed to help your squad survive even longer.

In terms of Field Upgrades, you’ll be shocking spirits with more voltage than ever before thanks to the all-new Tesla Storm. Upon activation, lightning will shoot out between you and your allies, stunning and damaging normal enemies. Upon upgrading its Skill Tiers, this electricity can start stunning Special and Elite Zombies, and even boost your squad’s movement speed!

Last but not least, the Flamethrower arrives as an additional Support Weapon to aid in tough Exfil situations or whenever a bit of extra firepower is needed most. Consider it a step up from the Combat Bow if you happen to have a bit of extra Rare Salvage and you’re not afraid to get a bit closer to the soon-to-be burning undead.

Expect even more Zombies content set to drop during Season Five, including the new Ikari EggXit bonus map in Dead Ops Arcade 3 and new narrative Intel to be found across Outbreak and Onslaught. Collect every bit of Intel Season Five has to offer to discover the latest secrets of the Dark Aether story for yourself.

New Outbreak Content – New Region, Objective, Tank, Grapple Gun, and Intel

With agents of Requiem surviving captivity from Omega Group in “Mauer der Toten” – along with their beloved pilot, Raptor-1 – the operation in Outbreak has grown beyond the Ural Mountains and brings plenty of new armaments to boot.

New Outbreak Region – Collateral (Launch)

After the events in Berlin, Dark Aether Outbreak Zones have continued to appear far beyond Eurasia, with the latest site crackling to life in the Algerian Desert.

This huge new region (codenamed “Collateral”) has become an incredibly unstable area, making it a prime spot to harvest Aetherium Crystals and further investigate the Dark Aether.

Cut through the undead hordes among the massive natural rock structures, de-orbited satellite, and oil drills to complete all tasks set forth by Requiem, including a new vehicle-based Objective introduced in Season Five.

New Outbreak Objective – Transport (Launch)

Players will encounter the all-new Transport Objective, which tasks you and your squad with ensuring an important drivable Requiem machine makes its way across the Outbreak Zone safely.

And speaking of vehicles, the king of them all comes to Outbreak in Season Five to help you lay waste to the undead...

New Outbreak Vehicle – Tank (Launch)

Need a bit more firepower than the FAV? How about a Tank straight from the Warsaw Pact? This new Outbreak vehicle is ready to blow holes in Ordas, Krasny Soldats, and everything else without a pulse with its massive cannon, available in several regions at the start of the season.

There’s also a mounted minigun atop the Tank for your fellow agent to take down scores of undead foot soldiers, and it’s got plenty of armor to withstand many a scratch and bite from the clawing masses.

The Tank’s only weakness is its speed; don’t expect to run from Tempests or even a regular zombie, but the massive boost in munitions from this goliath can help you demolish even the toughest undead enemy.

New Outbreak Crafting Item – Grapple Gun (Launch)

Outbreak players will also get access to a new Crafting Item in Season Five: the Grapple Gun. Getting around the Outbreak Zone becomes trivial with this handy device, allowing Operators to spend less time on foot and more time shooting zombies in the face. Visit the Crafting Table to get your hands on the Grapple Gun at the start of the season.

New Onslaught Content (PlayStation®) – New Map and Intel (Launch)

PlayStation players should pack their bags for Devil’s Mountain this season, as the Onslaught Orb looms over the plateau on the new Echelon map.

Grab your partner and prepare to fight back waves of increasingly difficult enemies, making sure to pick up every last piece of new Intel along the way.

Later this season, expect another limited-time mode to arrive in Onslaught, in addition to a new Weapon Blueprint and other surprises for PlayStation players.

WARZONE CONTENT:

Led by Raven Software, Warzone saw a fair share of balance changes over the past few months to the 100+ base weapons on offer, all designed to provide the best Battle Royale experience possible.

Season Five starts off with two new Perks to shake up the meta, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg for what lies deep beyond the surface of this update.

New Perks – Combat Scout and Tempered

Similar to Lethal and Tactical Equipment, Perks in Warzone are shared with the Perk selection from Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare®, albeit with minor adjustments to fit the large-scale battles currently under way in Verdansk. For the first time ever, Warzone receives two exclusive Perks, each with their own benefits that could definitely change how you choose your Loadouts.

The first is Combat Scout; with this Perk, Operators receive a burst of in-field intel, as damaging an enemy briefly highlights the foe in bright orange and automatically pings them. Whether it’s confirming a callout or finding someone cooped up in a building behind penetrable cover, this Perk only grows stronger if the Operator behind it can communicate effectively to their squadmates.

The other is Tempered, which looks to fundamentally change Armor values within Warzone. When an Operator is under the effects of Tempered, their Armor Plates are heavier and more reinforced – only two of them are needed for an Operator to be considered “fully armored” compared to the standard three. In other words, Tempered allows each Armor Plate to absorb 75 points of damage instead of the standard 50, but an Operator will only be able to wear two at a time instead of three. This unique change also comes at the sacrifice of your Perk 2 slot, so choose your perk setup wisely before bulking up with those reinforced plates. 

New Points of Interest – Mobile Broadcast Stations and [[REDACTED]]

To help Stitch and Perseus bring about a new world order, this network of clandestine entities has deployed Mobile Broadcast Stations to boost the numbers signal all around Verdansk.

As the name suggests, these mobile stations can be placed in a variety of locations in Verdansk, differing from match-to-match to keep one area from being signal boosted by the rewards they offer. See what they’re all about by going closer to them, but be sure to keep your head and tune out the broadcast each one emits…

NATO is aware of these recent Perseus efforts and has decided to [[REDACTED]]. Operators should look for [[REDACTED]] when it arrives on [[REDACTED]] within Verdansk, as a highly important [[REDACTED]].

New Gulag – Rush

At the start of the season, the Gulag sees an updated format as it converts into the classic Black Ops II map, Rush. Specifically comprised of the main speedball arena, Rush should feel right at home for paintball fiends who know how to dart from cover-to-cover toward their enemy.

Need to practice in anticipation of being sent to the Gulag? Head into Black Ops Cold War and play Rush in Multiplayer; you could be a savant of the stadium by the time it arrives in Warzone.

Clash Debuts In-Season

A spiritual successor to Warzone Rumble is ready to bring 50v50 combat back into Verdansk during Season Five.

Featuring select areas around Verdansk, Clash pits quads against each other in an unlimited respawn deathmatch to 200 points. Starting Loadouts are enabled, meaning you can level up your weapons and finish those camo challenges as you work to defeat the opposing platoon.

Eliminating enemies will grant your team one point toward victory, but you may want to keep your ears open for Contracts and public events that can spawn in at any time during games, similar to traditional Battle Royale matches. In fact, plenty of improvements are being taken from the standard Warzone modes and being added into Clash, including the Ping system, Armor Plate drops, Cash and Buy Stations, and vehicles.

Plus, all damage profiles for weapons directly reflect how they will operate in other Warzone modes, compared to just having Modern Warfare® Multiplayer’s damage statistics, making it easy to test out your new favorite Black Ops Cold War and Modern Warfare mashup loadouts in a respawn-enabled environment.

The Red Doors Grow Unstable… Mid-Season Event Coming

Whatever broadcast Perseus set up is causing the Red Doors to become more volatile than ever before, as Operators are now reporting [[REDACTED]] in their post-mission briefings.

Beware of these doors sending you to locations other than the main room we all thought to be its lone destination point, and above all else, keep your head.

This event may also have something to do with those Mobile Broadcast Stations seen around Verdansk… but at this time, we cannot declassify further intel for fear of double agents.

WARZONE AND BLACK OPS COLD WAR CONTENT:

Double Agents are running rampant in Black Ops Cold War while Mobile Broadcast Stations are popping up all over Verdansk in Warzone. And that’s just the tip of the spear for the missions to come across both games.

Fortunately, three new Operators and four new weapons are ready to act as your reinforcements for whatever comes next.

Three New Operators

Kitsune: Warsaw Pact (Launch)

This Japanese self-taught cybersecurity expert and world-class thief is ready to make her presence known as a key Perseus operative in Season Five.

Born in Kobe, Kitsune left her family’s organized crime past behind to join Perseus, aligning her values with that set by the new world order they are trying to install. Cautious, thorough, and effective, Kitsune relishes any chance she has to use her enemy’s tools against them.

Get access to Kitsune for use in Black Ops Cold War and Warzone at Tier 0 in the Season Five Battle Pass and unlock an additional Ultra-rarity Operator Skin at Tier 100. New to Season Five, a second, limited-time Kitsune Operator Skin can also be instantly unlocked with the purchase of the Battle Pass Bundle during the first two weeks of the season.

Expect the Battle Pass to be fully revealed in the next week, and check the surrounding images for a sneak preview at her hannya-inspired Ultra-rarity Operator Skin.

Stryker: NATO (In-Season)

Accompanying Woods in response to the distress signal from the besieged NATO listening station, is Stryker – an ultimate one-man army, who represents the cutting edge of US Special Forces response teams.

A soldier whose dedication to excellence borders on obsession, Stryker is the product of a 1980s Future Warfare program designed to combat test the synthesis of advanced technology and military expertise. Stryker offers a glimpse of the battlefield of tomorrow.

Hudson: NATO (In-Season)

Later in the season, Adler’s old colleague and Weaver’s former CIA interrogation partner will arrive to help NATO across Multiplayer and Zombies.

After having Adler and Woods handle the dirty work against Perseus, Special Agent Jason Hudson is set to take the fight into his own hands as he leaves D.C. to finish the fight in Verdansk, Teufelsberg, and even parts unknown within the Dark Aether.

Get access to Stryker and Hudson as part of upcoming Season Five Store Bundle offerings later in the season.

Four New Weapons

Season Five comes out blasting with two powerful, high-caliber weapons within the Battle Pass. And the hits keep on coming with a notorious pistol-shotgun hybrid secondary and a new melee weapon to be released during the season.

EM2: Assault Rifle (Launch)

Full-auto assault rifle. Well-rounded British rifle with good firing control. Built in low-zoom optic improves accuracy. Slower fire rate with reliable range.

Obtain the EM2 for free and ready to use in Black Ops Cold War and Warzone at Tier 15 of the Season Five Battle Pass.

TEC-9: SMG (Launch)

Semi-auto submachine gun. Improved accuracy from longer ranges with low recoil and slower fire rate. Good damage output with moderate range.

Obtain the TEC-9 for free and ready to use in Black Ops Cold War and Warzone at Tier 31 of the Season Five Battle Pass.

Cane: Melee Weapon (Launch)

Also at the start of the season, prepare to settle your disagreements properly and with a modicum of decorum with the Cane, a bludgeoning tool that is classy as it is deadly. Give your enemies a proper sorting with a quick swing from this new melee weapon, which can knock them unconscious after a crack upside the bonce.

Marshal: Secondary (In-Season)

Break action pistol. Hand loaded double barrel pistol fires 12-gauge shells. Excellent damage at close range with a 1-shot kill potential.

The predecessor to a similarly devastating pistol seen in Call of Duty®: Black Ops III, the Marshal is the most powerful loadout pistol in Black Ops Cold War, able to clear rooms with ease despite limited attachments. Available later in the season.

Obtain the Cane and Marshal during Season Five in one of two ways: complete an in-game challenge to obtain the free base weapon or pick up a bundle with a unique Blueprint version when it appears in the Store.

ADDITIONAL BLACK OPS COLD WAR AND WARZONE INTEL:

New Prestige Levels – 23 Levels of Pure Mastery 

At the start of Season Five, your Season Level will refresh to Level 1, and your progress will resume from the highest Prestige Level you achieved previously. This season offers four additional Prestiges to achieve across the first 200 levels, as well as a new Weapon Blueprint:

·      Level 50: New Prestige, Emblem, Prestige Key, Weapon Blueprint, and Battle Pass Tier Skip

·      Level 100: New Prestige, Emblem, Prestige Key, and Battle Pass Tier Skip

·      Level 150: New Prestige, Emblem, Prestige Key, and Battle Pass Tier Skip

·      Level 190: All Season Challenges Available

·      Level 200: New Prestige, Emblem, Prestige Key, Battle Pass Tier Skip, Master Prestige Calling Card

·      Levels 250–1,000: New Prestige Key every 50 levels

This means you can earn four new Prestige Levels during Season Five — now 23 in total — and you can always catch up to the latest available Prestige if you didn’t reach it during the previous season.

Reach Level 200 in Season Five to achieve the title of Prestige Master for this season. This changes your Season Level color and grants you the ability to personalize your Prestige Icon with Legacy Prestige Icons, or customize your Player Profile with Calling Cards from previous Call of Duty® games, simply by spending some of your hard-earned Prestige Keys at the Prestige Shop. Prestige Keys can also purchase exclusive Weapon Blueprints, such as the Legendary “Confrontation” assault rifle or the “Dark Horse” SMG that both came during Season Four Reloaded.

You can continue past Level 200 all the way to Level 1,000 during Season Five, and receive Prestige Key milestone rewards at every 50 levels along the way.

Finally, don’t forget that your Prestige-leveling journey is synchronized with Warzone and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, meaning you can progress through Season Levels and increase your Prestige Level by earning XP in any of the three titles!

Look for more details about the Season Five update’s file size for Black Ops Cold War and Warzone at the beginning of next week.

Now execute the mission.

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

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