You won’t have to wait long for all of this content, either - Season 4 Reloaded drops on the 15th of July, meaning tomorrow!
We covered the map itself previously when Activision released the trailer for Mauer der Toten, taking the agents of Requiem to a ruined Berlin overrun with the undead, hunting down Maxis after she turned traitor - now we’ve got the gameplay scoop as well. Long-time fans will be elated at the return of the Mule Kick perk, a classic element of the Zombies experience as we knew it in the original Black Ops. This new perk will allow players to carry a total of 3 weapons instead of the usual 2, vastly expanding your tactical options. Activision is going to give players a deeper look into how Mule Kick and its upgrade tiers will work sometime before the launch of Season 4 Reloaded, but you can expect various ammo capacity and damage increases - surely, adding a 4th weapon slot at the maximum upgrade tier would be a bit overpowered, but suitably epic.
There’s more on the table than just a new perk, though - the LT53 Kazimir grenade is a new craftable equipment item that’s essentially a black hole bomb, creating a vortex that will suck in weaker zombies not unlike the Gersh Device in past Zombies experiences. The black hole also affects players, and there might be an easter egg for you if you get sucked in as well… We also get a new wonder weapon, the CRBR-S, which is a transforming futuristic pistol. The base model is a heavy hitting energy weapon with a little autonomous drone that gives off an extra shot, and you can upgrade it into one of three powerful variants by finding specific upgrade kits throughout the map. These versions include one that fires off a volley of target seeking missiles, and more.
A new map also means new challenges, intel and rewards. Completing various Mauer der Toten challenges will let you unlock special goodies like calling cards, while uncovering all the intel will propel the story forward. Meanwhile, PlayStation players will have exclusive access to a new Onslaught map, an LMG blueprint and extra intel. Leaving behind the undead infested alternate reality and stepping into the real world in the grips of the Cold War, fans of Multiplayer have plenty to look forward to. The classic, fan-favorite paintball arena map from Black Ops 2, Rush, is coming to the game in all its glory. The actual paintball course is the highlight of this 6v6 map, but you can freely explore portions of the facility around it, including an exterior area, offering varied opportunities for combat.
Two new game modes will be hitting multiple maps, not just the new Rush - capture the flag is a game mode older than video games, and has been part of the FPS genre from the very beginning. It’s odd that such a classic pillar of shooters isn’t in Black Ops Cold War by default, but now you’ll be able to engage in good old fashioned CTF fun across a variety of maps. Paintball won’t be confined to just Rush either - the new limited-time Paintball Moshpit mode will apply paintball pellet visual and audio effects as you engage the enemy across other maps as well, allowing you to mess up the scenery with splotches of color as you trade the lead for plastic. These new modes will form the backbone of some new seasonal playlists with special rewards as well.
Things are being shaken up in Verdansk as well as Warzone gets its first objective-based limited time mode. Payload not only revolutionizes the Warzone experience, but also furthers the on-going storyline in a new way. Two teams of 20 players get divvied up as defenders or attackers, with the objective based around a convoy delivering wreckage from the satellites Perseus brought down at the beginning of Season 4. As a defender, your goal is to repel the offensive of the attacking team trying to destroy the crucial intel you are escorting. As an attacker, your job is simple - stop the convoy, and slay the defenders. The action isn’t just centered around the convoy, however. As players deploy across Verdansk, they can seek out valuable resources and kill streaks to turn to their advantage, or set up barricades further along the convoy’s path.
There’s also a brand new global event on the horizon, here to shower players in fancier and fancier weapons. Blueprint Blitz will cause Contraband Contracts to spawn for your squad as a guaranteed reward for completing any two contracts. These Contraband Contracts, provided you complete them successfully, will reward you with a permanent weapon blueprint to add to your loadout. The best part? Legacy blueprints are included. If you missed out on a particularly good weapon in the past or simply began your Warzone career after they came and went, this is a great opportunity to fill those gaps in your gun collection.
While camping is hardly a viable or honorable tactic in Warzone as the circle keeps collapsing around you, fortifying a secure position is an essential tactic, especially when running specific Contract missions. The new automated Sentry Gun Killstreak is perfect for these situations, which allows you to plant a minigun sentry that will target opponents on its own. Meanwhile those mysterious killer red doors that seemingly lead into a weird alternate dimension consisting entirely of glowing numbers are getting more… mysterious. If you are big on easter egg hunting in video games, this should be an interesting challenge.
Spanning all Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War game modes and content are new weapons and operators. Unleash a burst of hot lead with the OTs 9, a new close-range SMG with an impressive kick and rate of fire offset by a relatively small magazine size. If your enemy is still kicking, whip out the new Mace and get medieval on them. Weaver jumps from the Zombies universe into the broader Call of Duty conflict as a new operator, available as part of the Tracer Pack: Weaver Operator Bundle which includes a finishing move you can’t get anywhere else. Joining Weaver are a number of other brand new store bundles with various blueprints and customization items.
Call of Duty: Warzone has opened up the game to millions of new players by virtue of being free to play, and thus highly accessible. If you’ve been curious about trying out the whole experience with Black Ops Cold War, but are on the fence about buying the game, you’re in luck - there is a free trial week coming between the 22 and 29th of July, allowing you to get a taste of the complete package before buying in. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Season 4 Reloaded launches on the 15th of July.
