UPDATE 2:30pm UK: Activision has now confirmed that this year’s COD will indeed be titled Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.
This will be the 21st mainline Call of Duty game overall, and – fun fact – the first to have a number higher than four in the title. Eurogamer’s original report covering today’s newspaper advertisement for the game is below.
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ORIGINAL STORY 10:30am UK: According to a newspaper ad spotted by fans this morning, this year’s COD, which is currently under wraps, will be titled Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.
Images from USA Today show a promotional insert for this year’s shooter, which features the game’s logo and title as well as a variety of news stories from the game’s universe.
Fictional news stories detail the destruction of Mount Rushmore, as seen on the Call of Duty Black Ops 6 teaser website last night.
“Famous Presidents Blindfolded in Brazen Act” is the headline in Universe. The story explains how an unknown group climbed the American landmark at night to hang banners reading “The Truth Lies.” The perpetrators are believed to be either “anti-government extremists” or “anarchist pranksters.”
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Found these at work
byu/Deth3588 inblackops6
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Other headlines report the failure of the American Dream (now “unattainable for the average US citizen”) and the upcoming US elections that are supposedly dividing society.
“As the election cycle accelerates, it is becoming clear that the deciding votes will be cast in a few key swing states that will determine which political puppet will have to shoulder the blame for the country’s stalled legislative efforts over the next four years,” the newspaper writes.
“As divisions deepen and trust in political leaders wanes, American families must navigate an increasingly polarized, uncertain landscape. As the cycle of empty platitudes continues, the fabric of American society strains under the weight of disillusionment and division.”
Again, to be clear, this is all supposed to take place within the universe, I believe.
One commentary, meanwhile, speaks of a “culture war” in which “rationality and logic” were “declared dead on the scene after succumbing to fatal injuries in the crossfire.” “Attempts were made to revitalize critical thinking and common sense through the provision of facts and appeals to common humanity,” the article continues, “but the efforts proved futile in the face of the relentless onslaught of divisive narratives and entrenched prejudices.”
Definitely in-universe, yes.
While all of this points to a more modern setting, it has already been reported that Black Ops 6 will feature the Gulf War. In fact, some had expected the game’s title to tie in with Black Ops: Cold War and include the conflict in the title.
The fact that this isn’t the case keeps the setting more vague, which perhaps adds to its greater appeal. It is also interesting that the title does not use the Roman numerals from Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 – officially Black Ops IIII.
(And yes, Eurogamer’s Christian Donlan actually went to the British Museum to find out why IIII was used as an alternative to the more common Roman numerals for four – IV.)
Microsoft will fully unveil Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 at its showcase event in June, spending a full hour detailing the game. Of course, we still need to see gameplay and find out a release date. We’re also waiting to hear details about how Black Ops 6 will release on Xbox Game Pass – reportedly perhaps via a new, more expensive tier.