Update: Black Ops 6 is now live globally, releasing early for all platforms in all regions. And the launch appears to be going incredibly smoothly so far! Have fun out there!
Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6 is nearly upon us, and gamers will be able to boot up the game and try out its single-player campaign, round-based Zombies mode and multiplayer within hours. Depending on your region and platform of choice, the game will launch at different times. Read on to find out exactly when you can get boots on the ground.
Black Ops 6 launches with a campaign set during the Gulf War in the early 90s’, the first round-based Zombies mode in years and 16 brand-new multiplayer maps, with an old favorite returning just days after launch in the form of the original Nuketown map. The free-to-play Warzone integrates with Black Ops 6 mid-November, with a brand new Resurgence map joining the rotation and all of the Black Ops 6 guns as well as its exciting “Omnimovement” system.
For Xbox Game Pass subscribers, Black Ops 6 will be free-to-play, though you’ll still be able to spend money on in-game purchases, including the Battle Pass which will launch with Season 1.
Here’s when you can start playing the main game on Steam, Battle.net, Xbox and PlayStation.
Black Ops 6 PC Launch Time
Black Ops 6 launches on PC at 9pm PT on Thursday, October 24th. This means that the game will go live at the following times based on your timezone on Steam and Battle.net:
- 9 pm PDT on Oct. 24 for the West Coast of North America
- 12 am EDT on Oct. 25 for the East Coast of North America
- 5 am BST on Oct. 25 for the U.K.
- 6 am CEST on Oct. 25 for Western Europe/Paris
- 1 pm JST on Oct. 25 for Tokyo
Microsoft Store players will follow the same release schedule as console players.
Black Ops 6 Xbox and PlayStation Launch Time
For console players, the calculation is a bit easier. Basically, Black Ops 6 goes live on the Microsoft Store, Xbox and PlayStation at midnight local time on Friday, October 25th.
This means that theoretically you could switch your region in-game and unlock the game early, though this always comes with a risk of endangering your account as it is technically against the terms of service. Players do this every year, however, and I’ve yet to see anyone get in trouble for it. The so-called “New Zealand trick” allows players in later regions to start playing much earlier. Midnight in New Zealand on the 25th is 4am PT on the 24th. Players who choose this path do so at their own risk.
Season 1 Release Date And Warzone Integration
While Activision has yet to officially announce the start-date for Black Ops 6 Season 1, we have a pretty good idea when that will be thanks to a leak from a pizza partner. This should also mark the date of Warzone’s full integration with the new game and hopefully the launch of the Area 99 Resurgence map. The leak is almost certainly reliable, since the in-game season countdown currently shows the current season ending in 20 days.
You can read my interview with Treyarch on Black Ops 6’s smallest maps and Gunfight mode’s return right here. Check out my impressions of the game here. I’ll also have a review up once I’ve had time to play the full campaign, Zombies and multiplayer here on this blog. Stay tuned.
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