revival of round-based zombies, and the fact that it takes place within the beloved Black Ops setting, have gotten many a player's hopes up. Now, as it turns out, Black Ops 6 might also bring back a beloved feature from previous games in the series - although it may not be received as many fans expect it.
In an interview with IGN on YouTube, longtime Call of Duty level designer Adam Hoggat revealed that the classic Nuketown map will be returning in Black Ops 6. Nuketown was first introduced in the original Black Ops, and has been iterated on in every single Black Ops game since. Depicting a model town (usually with a 1950s aesthetic) used for nuclear weapons testing in the setting's lore, Nuketown has become one of the most iconic CoD locations, basically synonymous with the Black Ops subseries.
As the CoD player base has remained fairly young over the decades, and the original Black Ops is over a decade old, Hoggat explains that he's especially excited for a new generation of players to experience the original Nuketown - still his favorite Call of Duty map - for the first time ever. "Recently it started occurring to me that probably a large percentage of our players never actually experienced the original one," Hoggat said, "And so I'm really excited that with Black Ops 6, we get to basically revisit the original Nuketown...looking better than it has ever looked."
Nuketown May Not Be As Nostalgic As Once Thought
Plus, When Nuketown Is Coming To BO6
For many players, Nuketown is a source of nostalgia. It's been around in the Call of Duty series since 2010, and has appeared in every single Black Ops game since. Anyone who's played more than ten minutes of Black Ops multiplayer has played Nuketown. The fondness with which they it definitely depends on the versions they may have played, and their experience level with each game, but regardless, it's something almost every Black Ops player has experienced.
Nuketown will not be available in Black Ops 6 at launch. It'll be released as DLC on November 1.
And while many players have grown with the series, its fan base has expanded to encom younger gamers who were far too young to play the original Black Ops. Their first experience with the series might be Black Ops 4, Cold War, even 6 - meaning they've only actually played later iterations on Nuketown, and the original will be a new feature for them in Black Ops 6.
To aid in bringing this classic map to a new audience, Nuketown has undergone an extensive process of graphical enhancement. While old-school fans will still recognize it as the map they know and love, it'll look and feel better than ever with a fresh coat of paint.
Our Take: A Small-Scale Map With Hectic Battles
Nuketown Is Classic For A Reason - But Will It Hold Up?
Nuketown has earned its enduring popularity, in no small part due to its cheery, retro aesthetic, which clashes ironically with its morbid concept and the violence of the battles that take place there. But besides that, Nuketown is also a brilliant piece of map design. It's an incredibly small area, which forces frequent, large-scale confrontations. The mazelike homes that dot its suburban streets provide excellent hiding spots. Its bright colors make for simple landmarks and easy navigation, which is helpful for strategizing - control of the school bus means everything to some players.
Call Of Duty Black Ops 6 Pre-Load Dates, Times, & Launch Details
Players who pre-order the digital version of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will be able to the game a few days before it launches.
If Nuketown has been transferred perfectly into Black Ops 6, with no changes, all of the above should be intact - or should it? The gameplay of Black Ops 6 is somewhat different from that of Black Ops 1. Players have come to prefer larger, more spatially impressive maps. There's every possibility that the new generation of CoD players just doesn't take to Nuketown like Black Ops players did when seeing it for the first time.
Hopefully, Nuketown's merits are enough that it translates well, even in a modern setting. Its inclusion will certainly be welcome to longtime Call of Duty players, but whether it'll take root with new fans remains to be seen. Either way, it'll take a little while after Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 releases to determine just how Nuketown holds up in the modern day.
Source: IGN/YouTube
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
-
- Top Critic Avg: 83/100 Critics Rec: 92%
- Released
- October 25, 2024
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Suggestive Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
- Treyarch, Raven Software
- Publisher(s)
- Activision
- Engine
- IW 9.0
As tensions rise during the Gulf War, Black Ops veterans find themselves facing a covert group within the CIA, now branded as traitors. Players navigate intense missions across new multiplayer modes, including dynamic environments and innovative features like body shields, while the Zombies mode returns with classic round-based action and new maps.
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
- Franchise
- Call of Duty
- Platform(s)
- PC
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