All sorts of information has been dug up from game files included in the Season 5 Reloaded update for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone, mainly from pre-loaded in-game ads, banners and other assets that, while currently inert, would be activated after official reveals via tunables. Let’s take a look at all the information that has been uncovered about this year’s Call of Duty title.
Release Date
According to text ripped from Modern Warfare game files, Cold War will launch on the 13th of November, 2020. This is going to be a Friday, and it’s up to you to decide whether the timing is a boon or a curse. November releases are common for the Call of Duty franchise, almost to the point of tradition, so this isn’t surprising in the least. Activision has repeatedly stated that despite difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s game won’t be delayed. There isn’t a whole lot of time left until launch, which is great, but it also leaves little time to reveal much of the info we typically expect to be revealed about an upcoming game. On that note, Cold War’s multiplayer reveal, including a trailer and gameplay footage, will be posted on the 9th of September, which will be on a Wednesday.
Game Editions
Also found in game files are references and images regarding various editions that will be available for purchase, including a curious and potentially troubling one called the Cross-Gen Bundle, implying a lack of free upgrades. Here’s what we discovered:
Standard Edition Includes Call of Duty: Black Ops - Cold War game for PC/Xbox One/PS4 Cross-Gen Edition “Includes Call of Duty: Black Ops - Cold War game (current-gen version and next-gen version when it launches) and Confrontation Weapons Pack.” Presumably available only for Xbox One and Series X/PS4 and PS5 Ultimate Edition Cross-Gen Edition if bought on consoles Land, Sea and Air Pack 3 Operator Skins 3 Vehicle Skins 3 Weapon Blueprints Battle Pass Bundle (1 Season Battle Pass + 20 Tier Skips) Confrontation Weapons Pack
Pre-ordering either edition will also get you early access to the open beta, Frank Woods operator and an assault rifle Weapon Blueprint for immediate use in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone, as well as 10 Tier Skips. Incidentally, the operator skins included in the ultimate edition confirm that the operator game mechanic is making a return in some way - likely tied to the fact that Warzone will accompany Cold War much the same way it accompanied Modern Warfare.
Description and Details
Other tidbits of information were also discovered in the files, including the game’s official description we will soon see plastered under every listing for it at online retailers and digital distributors. Though pretty formulaic as far as shooter descriptions go, there is one exceedingly important sliver of information in there - confirmation that, unlike Modern Warfare last year, Cold War isn’t a reboot. This is a direct sequel to Black Ops released in 2010! We’ll see how the events play out in Cold War, but it may inadvertently decanonize Black Ops 2, 3 and 4, depending on the plot. The title, Cold War, does give us a ballpark as to what years the story will cover, so technically there is a chance it neatly slots into the existing Black Ops series’ storyline right after the events of the first game, but we’ll have to wait and see. Stay tuned for more breaking news about Call of Duty: Black Ops - Cold War Black Ops Cold War will drop fans into the depths of the Cold War’s volatile geopolitical battle of the early 1980s. Nothing is ever as it seems in a gripping single-player Campaign, where players will come face-to-face with historical figures and hard truths, as they battle around the globe through iconic locales like East Berlin, Vietnam, Turkey, Soviet KGB headquarters and more. As elite operatives, you will follow the trail of a shadowy figure named Perseus who is on a mission to destabilize the global balance of power and change the course of history. Descend into the dark center of this global conspiracy alongside iconic characters Woods, Mason and Hudson and a new cast of operatives attempting to stop a plot decades in the making. Beyond the Campaign, players will bring a Cold War arsenal of weapons and equipment into the next generation of Multiplayer and Zombies experiences. Welcome to the brink. Welcome to Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War.
