Retracing the steps of the series – from the seeds planted in ‘World at War’, to the mediocrity of ‘Cold War’

It’s hard to believe that as we enter 2025, we’re going to be in the same time period that the events of the iconic and beloved Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 unfolded. 

The game, set in a dystopian society where futuristic technology meets political unrest, has not received a remaster in any way. Meanwhile, Treyarch has announced that the official trailer for ‘Call of Duty Black Ops 6’ will be revealed on June 6.

But was this the right call to make? Join us as we look back at previous entries in the series – the good and the bad – before looking ahead to the full reveal for Black Ops 6.

The roots of Black Ops

Before the Black Ops series was established, the world was introduced to some its characters in ‘World at War’, a game from 2008. It’s a fan favourite, for various good reasons.

The game’s ‘Nazi zombies’ mode was a serious innovation in the FPS genre. With the co-op survival mode attracting attention from all over the gaming world, it quickly gained infamy for its endless replayability.

The Zombies mode was a serious hit for its fun gameplay, but it also saw the start of one of the most legendary tales in gaming, as it quickly developed rich lore – attracting an extremely dedicated fan base.

‘Easter eggs’ – hidden features and puzzles that players must solve – that rewarded the player with more lore were also monumental in keeping players interested, as they provoked repeat playthroughs.

Communities soon formed, with players uploading YouTube videos on walkthroughs, which slowly started a chain of events which would shape the future of Call of Duty.

The genesis and golden era

World at War laid out the format from 2010 onwards, when the first Black Ops was released. The game saw several refinements and innovations – an expansion to the previous storyline, alongside new mechanics and maps that captivated the fan base.

However, the game also saw a single player campaign that would be remembered for generations. Featuring one of the series’ most engaging storylines ever, the game told a compelling story set in the imfamous Cold war.

The main character of Black Ops 1, Alex Mason, is a CIA operative whose past is intricately intertwined with the Soviet Union, featuring memorable characters and iconic quotes like: “The numbers, Mason, what do they mean!?” 

Mason was a fan favourite – who would become a recurring character in the series, even featuring in the latest title in the series, 10 years on.

Additionally, new mechanics of the multiplayer mode provided players with the ability to make custom emblems, leading players to showcase their creativity to other players – a feature which would stick in the series for future titles.

Whether that was promoting your clan’s logo, art of cartoon characters or anything else, it added a splash of personality as you loaded into a game. This feature gave gamers a unique way to express themselves, making each match feel more vibrant.

Arguably, the most popular map of all time, Nuketown, a nuclear test site, was revealed and has been a returning feature across the rest of the Black Ops series. Fans created their own game modes on this map, such as “Window Wars”, where players sniped each other from opposite sides of the house.

Black Ops 2, the next title in the series, was again a direct continuation of the prior. However, unlike the first, the game was set in an at-the-time far-off future era of 2025. Following the son of previous protagonist, Alex Mason, the campaign offered multiple alternative endings, providing more replay value than seen before in the series.

Zombies returned in Black Ops 2, unleashing a new cast of characters renowned for their quirky dialogue. The first half of year of the game’s release saw controversy, particularly with criticisms centred around the design of maps like Tranzit, which players weren’t pleased with. However, the latter end of the game saw the release of two beloved Zombies maps, which completely salvaged the game’s reputation.

“Mob of the Dead”, set on the infamous Alcatraz island saw players fighting hordes of zombies in a hellish recreation of the iconic prison, and “Origins” saw the return of the original cast.

The maps have been cherished by Call of Duty fans for over a decade, which alongside another thrilling multiplayer and campaign mode saw Black Ops 2 gain icon status in the community’s eyes. Sadly, the bold narratives and creative design that defined Black Ops 1 and 2 started to falter in the next instalments. 

The downfall

Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 delivered another strong showing in zombies, and a divisive but enjoyable multiplayer mode, but it also saw the campaign fall flat by all measures. The game was hardly even a continuation of the narrative of the previous entries, which left a bad taste in fan’s mouths for time to come.

The inclusion of micro transactions also received backlash, with the problem also plaguing the wider AAA industry in the period since.

The fourth instalment in the series was the lowest point of the series so far, with the multiplayer mode being widely regarded as bang average, the zombies being perhaps the worst we’d ever seen it, and the campaign mode being ditched altogether in favour of a battle royale mode – a move that would see fans of the game begin to question the game they once loved.

The latest instalment in the series, ‘Black Ops: Cold War’ released in 2020 and praised for returning to the original setting for the serious. However, the launch of the series saw several technical issues and was met with mixed reviews by players and critics.

The game also saw the series eliminate their seasonal DLC model, which would continue in Call of Duty games to follow. Instead of the season pass, players gained access to the battle pass – which offered limited items that were free to access, incentivise purchasing of the premium battle pass in order to get the full experience.

These micro transactions are often featured in free-to-play games, with Fornite setting the precedent with their battle pass – one of the most successful applications of the formula that we’ve seen.

What to expect from Black Ops 6:

In true Black Ops fashion, the teaser trailer was deliberately cryptic, unveiling hidden messages through historical political figures. Figures representing American Presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton, and former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, 

With the associated eras of the aforementioned leaders known, it’s clear that Black Ops 6 will be exploring the conflicts of the 90s – which backs up the info provided by leakers months ago that the game will likely focus on the Gulf War.

Fans speculated that ‘Gulf War’ was supposed to be included in the title of the game, before Treyarch would do a 180 on the idea, insteading branding the game as Black Ops 6 – despite there never being a fifth entry in the series, technically.

With all that being said… are you excited for Black Ops 6?

This article was edited by Eddie Bryant