On Tuesday, May 28th, 2024, Call of Duty released the live-action teaser for the next installment in the franchise, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. From the first few teaser posts, it seems this game will be set during the late 90s. This means that most likely the game will focus on the Gulf War and various controversies of the time. 

The previous Call of Duty game made by Treyarch, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, had a mixed reception from the fans. That, along with the recent Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 receiving mostly negative reviews, means Treyarch will need to up their game for Black Ops 6.

1. An Engaging Story

The original Call of Duty: Black Ops is praised for having one of, if not the best campaign in a Call of Duty game. Since then, the quality of the campaigns has slowly degraded to a point where now COD’s campaign is a mere shell of what it used to be. 

Obviously, COD is built around a single-player experience. Ever since the original Call of Duty: Modern Warfare it has been mainly focused on fast-paced arcade multiplayer action. Still, though, that does not mean Activision or Treyarch can slack on the campaign. 

With the base price tag increased a good campaign is needed in Black Ops 6 now more than ever. COD: Black Ops Cold War had a decent campaign. It was packed to the brim with espionage and action. The only thing that it could have improved upon was giving more care to the characters. Bell, the player’s character, barely had any personality. 

Giving players a main character that is recognizable and well-written will draw them to the campaign. So long as the Black Ops 6 campaign is engaging and action-packed, Treyarch will have no issue with it.

2. Make Multiplayer Feel Cared About

Multiplayer is always a tricky balancing act with COD, especially in the modern era of gaming. Back in the old days when dinosaurs still roamed the earth, game patches were not as common. This meant that whatever weapon stats were in the game when it shipped to stores was most likely what they would stay as. 

Now though, companies can change and alter their games pretty much on a whim. For COD specifically, any weapons can be nerfed or buffed to make the game more or less balanced. However, these changes are usually made with COD: Warzone in mind. Ever since its launch, Warzone has been the golden child of Call of Duty, leaving multiplayer in the dust. 

While focusing mostly on Warzone is not a bad thing, Treyarch can not forget about multiplayer in Black Ops 6. This could mean simply making new multiplayer maps, not remakes, to show that they still acknowledge the mode’s existence. In regards to gameplay, classic boots-on-the-ground action (ie. no jetpacks or exo-suits) is the best route to go for Black Ops 6.

3. Bring Back Round Based Zombies

Treyarch is known for its zombie mode. Introduced all the way back in COD: World at War, round-based zombies have been a staple in every Treyarch COD game. This is a mode where players attempt to fight off an endless horde of zombies which get stronger as the rounds progress. 

With COD: Black Ops Cold War, Treyarch started off very strong with a well-built round-based zombies mode. Some were not fans of it due to its arcadey feel, but in general, it was a good zombie mode. 

However, in the middle of COD: Cold War’s lifespan Treyarch slightly fumbled the bag with Outbreak. In concept, an open-world COD zombie experience seems fun, but in practice, it was fairly lackluster. Treyarch finished strong with the zombie maps Maur der Toten and Forsaken, but COD has not had a round-based zombie mode since then.

For Zombies fans, this has been the largest request: to have a proper round-based zombies mode. This would bring a huge chunk of fans back to the series, something COD needs desperately.