As expected with most entries to the franchise, a huge amount of attention is being placed on the core multiplayer ofCall of Duty: Black Ops 6, with this being one of the best ways a freshCoDentry can really stamp its mark on the legacy of the wider IP. Treyarch has previously produced some of the best overall multiplayer experiences thatCoDhas ever seen, and the long development time of the recently released title immediately put high expectations on what it could offer.
Aside from its four-year development cycle,Call of Duty: Black Ops 6has had the benefit of learning from the recent pitfalls of the franchise, being able to avoid the same mistakes that the likes ofModern Warfare 3infamously made. The campaign ofBlack Ops 6is much more expansive than recentMWtitles, for example, and the approach to its launch multiplayer maps has also been completely different. While it is great thatBlack Ops 6launched with a wide range of entirely original maps, the sizing and pace of gameplay between many of them seem far too similar, leaving a big gap for future seasonal content to fill.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6’s Launch Maps Have Originality, But Lack Variety
While there are some excitingnew major mechanics ofCall of Duty: Black Ops 6’s multiplayer, such as omnimovement, the overall experience of anyCoDtitle’s multiplayer is only as good as the maps it is played within. Multiplayer maps have become a real source of contention within theCall of Dutycommunity in recent years, with 2023’sModern Warfare 3being a big example of how multiplayer locations can ultimately define a title.
Strangely releasing directly afterModern Warfare 2, the development cycle ofMW3was a rushed one to say the least, with its short campaign and largely recycled multiplayer content being huge indicators of this. For example, the entirety ofModern Warfare 3’s launch multiplayer map poolconsisted of remade versions of the originalModern Warfare 2’s maps, giving very little actual identity and charm to the 2023 release.
Because of this, it was clear thatBlack Ops 6had to step up the quality and impact of its own maps, with many fans being happy when it was announced that the game would launch with 16 brand-new maps for players to enjoy. While this is a smaller number than the 20 launch maps ofModern Warfare 3, the entirely original nature ofBlack Ops 6’s experiences is exactly what fans were hoping for, although a lot more still needs to be done.
Black Ops 6’s Smaller Maps Are Holding Back its Gameplay Range
Complaints are already arising over how small many of theBlack Ops 6launch maps are, with the likes of Babylon, Payback, Subsonic, and Skyline being examples of small-scale maps with high intensity gameplay. Of course, the four Strike Maps ofBlack Ops 6, which can be played through either 2v2 or standard 6v6 modes, are even smaller experiences that make this criticism even louder. While the high-octane nature ofCoDhas always been conducive to smaller maps, a wider variety of more traditional and somewhat larger maps needs to be introduced going forward, withthe inbound introduction of Nuketown toBO6only increasing this need.
It would be nice to see larger maps be introduced inBlack Ops 6’s post-launch seasons, perhaps even introducinghigher player-count modes akin toMW3’s Ground War, but even a simpler focus on more medium-sized maps would do the title a world of good. The originality ofBlack Ops 6’s launch maps is definitely a step in the right direction for the franchise, but it seems clear that the future needs to bring a greater variety of scale that encourages players to engage with the many different playstyles and weapon types that the game has to offer.
