The Zombies experience ofCall of Duty: Black Ops 6comes with a huge amount of fresh content for players to enjoy, with this working well alongside Treyarch’s attempts to make the mode more traditional in the recently released title. This new version of Zombies comes with a returned focus on classic round-based combat and core playable characters tied to an overarching narrative, with a plethora of fresh gameplay additions really making the mode an engaging experience overall.
Of course, Zombies inCall of Duty: Black Ops 6features many of the iconic game mechanics of the mode’s long history, with things like the Mystery Box and Pack a Punch Machine making welcome returns across the mode’s two launch maps, Liberty Falls and Terminus. One of the most synonymous elements of theCall of DutyZombies experience is the concept of perks, however, andBlack Ops 6does not shy away from fully embracing and building on this aspect of the mode. A brand-new perk with an intriguing premise has been introduced withBlack Ops 6, named Melee Macchiato, and while it is fun in its current state, some future changes could allow the perk to contend with the giants of the wider franchise.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6’s Melee Macchiato Needs a Gentle Push to Become a Fantastic Zombies Perk
The concept ofperks existed from the very outset ofCall of DutyZombies, being a staple of the mode’s first-ever iteration in 2008’sWorld at War. Being purchased with points earned from killing zombies, perks are a must-have purchase in anyCoDZombies match for players wanting to survive to the more difficult higher rounds that the mode offers.
Perks can give players a variety of gameplay buffs such as increased health, faster reload speed, or even the ability to self-revive in solo gameplay, and it is difficult for newer perks to reach the same level of purpose, use, and reputation that the originalCoDZombies perks have amassed over the years. Alongside its well-received return to classic Zombies gameplay,Call of Duty: Black Ops 6has boldly introduced a brand-new perkto the fray, known as Melee Macchiato.
Once purchased for 2500 points, Melee Macchiato replaces the player’s gun melee attack with a powerful punch, being one of the only perks to have a dedicated focus onthe melee aspect ofCoDZombies. Melee Macchiato can therefore be an excellent way to conserve ammo or get out of a tight spot when reloading or cornered, with the power of the punch having the ability to send zombies flying at lower rounds.
Greater Viability at Higher Rounds Could Make Black Ops 6’s Melee Macchiato a Game Changer
The perk machine for Melee Macchiato even swings punches with comical boxing gloves when a purchase is made, killing any zombies close to it and providing a level of charm that allows it to compete more with the more classic and entrenched perks of the mode. Having said this, the perk features a long cooldown between its main attacks, with its damage also being much less viable with the increased toughness and frequency ofCoDenemies at higher rounds.
Without having to rely on improving the perk throughBlack Ops 6’s Zombies augments system, Treyarch could easily tweak Melee Macchiato to decrease this cooldown, while also increasing the damage of the perk’s melee to make it viable up into the higher rounds. It is great to see brand-new perks being added to Zombies, especially ones that target often neglected areas of combat, and a few post-launch tweaks to Melee Macchiato could make it a definite contender for the usual four-perk limit of theBlack Ops 6mode.
