Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is coming in October, but the current version of the popular series isn’t slowing down.
On Wednesday, July 17, the official social media accounts for the series dropped the release date: July 24 for all platforms, and a pretty dynamic trailer featuring cel-shaded maps that’ll make you think of Borderlands and American Pop, as well as WWE superstars like Rhea Ripley and new WWE-themed melee moves.
We’re not joking. The trailer features crossroads and hurricanes. Musically, it is powered by Black Prez’s They Don’t Know About Me, which provides solid energy and vibes well with the new content.
Take a look and listen:
How big of a star is Rhea Ripley? Her name is often mentioned throughout the video’s comment section on CoD’s official YouTube account.
One commenter said:
“That rhea Ripley skin bought to be the most used skin since that black roze skin from verdansk.”
Another viewer said, “No way rhea ripley Mami’s is here.”
A third viewer commented: “Mami’s here.”
Many viewers and commenters also expressed their desire for this version to make way for BlackOps 6.
From a WWE standpoint, the timing of this release couldn’t have been more perfect, considering Ripley just returned to Monday Night Raw following a legit shoulder injury. Her appearance on the show’s latest episode went viral, as did her surprise return the week before.
In addition to Ripley, the new update also includes Cody Rhodes and Rey Mysterio.
This massive collaboration with the WWE comes on the same day that WWE SuperCard announced a deal with Street Fighter 6.
The level of crossover between WWE and previously non-related video games is at an all-time high. For CoD, this addition is just the latest expansion and inclusive concept that draws the attention of an entirely different fanbase.
WWE Superstars have such a wide range of appeal and feasible crossover with video games. We’ve also seen them added to Fortnite, and it wouldn’t be a shock to see others added to more games soon.
You have to wonder if this addition will lead to Xavier Woods and Co. playing some CoD on an episode of Up, Up, Down, Down.
The ranked play grind has new rewards that come with the update.
Here is a look at the newest weapons and melee attacks as well.
There are new Warzone rewards and new gameplay modes headed to Modern Warfare III mid-season.
The cel-shaded maps are the other major star of this season’s update, along with the addition of WWE superstar operators.
This treatment makes the game look almost like a new experience. It’s wild to think how big of an impact a color treatment can have on an old gaming experience that users have become accustomed to over the years.
I’m a sucker for cel-shading in games, especially on the current-gen consoles where the visuals already pop. It’s probably my favorite filter, as this look has room for entire games to be rendered.
There will likely be a gameplay patch that closely follows the season update, getting down to the game’s nuts and bolts.
This update will, if nothing else, provide a solid bridge between the current versions of CoD and the upcoming release of Black Ops 6.
