Last week’s Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 update focused on the multiplayer side of things, so this week Treyarch is seemingly focusing on Blackout. The update is live now and it features a number of important changes.
First of all, Blightfather has moved over from Black Ops 4’s Zombie mode and will be present in Blackout, specifically in the Graveyard just south of the Asylum. Killing him won’t be easy, but it’s sure to reward you handsomely if you do manage to take him down. Usually, zombies are indicated by a blue pillar of light in the sky, but the Blightfather’s presence will be indicated by a red pillar of light in the sky. As we mentioned when we were speaking about Zombies in our Black Ops 4 review, you’ll have to be careful if you do decide to take him on; you aren’t the only people that can see that red pillar of light, so you’re bound to have some company. Speaking of Zombies, there are now Blackout Character Missions for the Chaos Storyline crew—namely Bruno, Diego, Scarlett, and Shaw—which you can complete to unlock them as playable characters in Blackout. Treyarch has also increased the drop rates of Character Mission items, meaning you’re more likely to get the opportunity to unlock new characters.
There are also a number of weapon changes (for Blackout only) such as reduced recoil to both the Spitfire and the Rampart 17 as well as increased muzzle velocity for all SMG’s, as Treyarch aims to provide more consistent gunfights when players are within SMG range. LMG’s are also getting some love, with the Titan, VKM 750 and the Hades all getting increased re-centre speed and reduced re-centre pattern offsets. What this essentially means is that these weapons will have more predictable recoil and their spray should be tightened up a bit; Treyarch is hoping that these changes will make LMG’s more “manageable”, as they have noticed that they’re being passed over by a lot of players. The Auger DMR is getting a slight buff, too, with a slightly increased muzzle velocity aimed at providing more predictable shots when firing at a moving target within the Auger’s intended ranges.
In possibly the most notable change in the update (and maybe even the most welcome), the unbelievably frustrating 9-Bang grenade is being removed from Blackout completely while Treyarch “evaluates its place in the gameplay loop”. That loosely translates as, “Everybody hates the 9-Bang, so we’ve removed it”. The 9-Bang was incredibly effective in the later stages of a game when all players are slowly getting grouped together into a tight space; hopefully, this will remove the frustration of working hard to earn your spot in the final few players of a match only to have it all taken away when you’re suddenly staggering around the map aimlessly, like a drunk person looking for a light switch in the dark. To make up for the 9-Bang’s removal, the Concussion Grenade is getting an increased throw distance and an increased stack count (up to two).
Aside from Blackout, Multiplayer is getting a little bit of love, with Team Tactical Moshpit (3v3 TDM, Kill Confirmed, and Search & Destroy) added to the Featured Playlist, while Mercenary Chaos Moshpit (6v6 TDM, Domination, Kill Confirmed, and Hardpoint, no parties allowed), Mercenary Hardcore Moshpit (Hardcore TDM, Domination, and Kill Confirmed, no parties allowed), Gun Game and Control are all now in the Featured category.
There are also numerous bug fixes and gameplay tweaks across all modes, and you can check the full patch notes out here.
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