Black Ops 6 Season 4 highlights include three new weapons, three multiplayer maps, and Grief returns in Zombies.
Treyarch revealed that the iconic Black Ops 3 map Fringe is returning for the first time since Black Ops 3’s release in 2015. The map was designed explicitly for wall running and jetpacks, so when it was discovered that wall-running was found in the BO6 game files, some players assumed the movement mechanic would return in Season 4.
However, leaks suggest that fans will have to wait until Black Ops 7, and fans will also wait for Fringe, as it isn’t coming until the mid-season update. That being said, Season 4 still has a lot of new content.
Black Ops 6 Zombies Season 4 Patch Notes Explained
Activision went over the entire roadmap in a blog post.
New Weapons
Black Ops 6 Season 4 introduces five new weapons, with three coming during the first half of the season.m
- LC10 SMG (Launch): Full-auto submachine gun. Excellent accuracy and range, with a moderate rate of fire. Average mobility and very slow handling for its class.
- FFAR 1 AR (Launch): Full-auto assault rifle. Very high rate of fire and excellent CQB power, but slower handling and mobility.
- Essex Model 07 (In-Season): Lever-action marksman rifle. High damage potential. Balanced by slower rate of fire and handling.
The Olympia Shotgun and Picaxe melee weapon are coming in Season 4 Reloaded.
Three New Multiplayer Maps
- Shutdown 6v6 (Launch): Small-sized map set in a hydroelectric power plant on the volcanic terrain of Iceland.
- Fugitive 6v6 (Launch): Medium-sized map on a secret CIA black site in Iceland. This was the location where Stitch was imprisoned.
- Blitz 6v6/2v2 (launch): Once again set in Iceland, Blitz is a small-sized map that takes place in the mountainside with a bridge on top.
Team Elimination & One in The Chamber Explained
- Team Elimination: In this twist on Kill Confirmed, two teams are given a limited amount of lives each round as they fight to be the last surviving team. Players drop a dog tag on death that can be picked up by the enemy to confirm the kill or by a teammate to deny the opposing team. Survive longer than the other team or hold the most remaining lives when the timer ends to win the round.
- One in The Chamber: Another Black Ops fan-favorite mode returns as One in the Chamber shows up in Season 04! In this free-for-all mode, each Operator is given one pistol, one bullet, a knife, and three lives. Precision is king, as bullets always eliminate on impact and the only way to earn another bullet is to get an elimination.
Grim Reaper Scorestreak
For the first time since Black Ops 1 in 2010, the Grim Reaper returns in Black Ops 6 Season 4. The Scorestreak is a multishot rocket launcher that allows you to fire up to four rockets before reloading. In multiplayer, the weapon locks onto aircraft, but is free fire against enemies.
In Black Ops 1, if you get a direct shot, the rocket launcher deals 500 damage and still does 150 for the explosion radius, even if you miss. It’s unclear if it will be the same in BO6.
Grief Black Ops 6 Zombies Game Mode Explained
Grief first appeared in Black Ops 2. The game mode challenges two teams to see who can survive longer in Zombies. The 4v4 game mode is back in Season 4, and has players capture zones to debuff zombies, and you can’t do any direct damage to the other team.
The game mode will be available on Liberty Falls, Terminus, Citadelle des Morts, The Tomb, Shattered Veil. Wonder Weapons and the Idle Eyes, Wonderbar, Time Out, and Flavor Hex GobbleGums are restricted.
While you can’t damage the other team, you can body block them or slow them down by using a melee weapon, guns, or projectiles. The match goes until one team gets taken out by Zombies.
Grief Gameplay Features Explained
Activision went over a few features.
An Open Environment: Grief Arenas are clearly defined areas where any critical doors have already been opened, and the power will already have been turned on. All other Door Buys are inactive. Both teams spawn on opposite sides of the Arena, each in a group of four.
Player Respawning: Any team members that are downed – provided one or more of their team are still alive – can be revived at any time, though rival teams, undead enemies, and Shock Charges can hamper this action! Additionally, a Wave Respawner triggers every third round, automatically reviving any eliminated teammates from both teams.
Join In Progress: Any player not in the game can join up until Round 10 has been completed and has a small grace period to orient themselves before they’re swarmed by zombies. Additionally, if a team has won back-to-back Capture Zones (see below), join-in-progress is not available.
Essence and Salvage: Unlike in Standard playlists, Salvage pickups in Grief are worth 100 Salvage, visible to all players, and can only be picked up by the first player to grab it.
Zombies: Rounds will progress faster than usual and the amount of zombies per round has been increased to account for 8 players! All undead entities – except for bosses – are to be expected. If players fail to kill zombies, the round will turn.
Core Mechanics: The Arsenal, Pack-a-Punch, Mystery Box, Crafting Tables, Perk machines, GobbleGum machine (with Exit Strategy, Idle Eyes, Wonderbar!, Time Out, and Flavor Hex restricted), Armor Wall Buys, and Der Wunderfizz machine are available in a Grief Arena where they normally reside, or in a new location if they don’t normally exist in this portion of their respective maps. Note: While the current GobbleGum restrictions are in place to keep matches dynamic yet balanced, additional restrictions may be made in the future as the developers keep an eye on game balance, similar to Ranked Play.
Capture Zones: Appearing at a regular cadence during a match, these are smaller areas within a Grief Arena where players are required to stand and earn specific types of kills to trigger a Grief on the opposing team.
What is a Grief?
The Black Ops 6 devs also explained how the grief system works. Each capture zone will display what grief it will cause if you capture the zone.
- Weapon Nerf: The affected players inflict considerably reduced damage to zombie enemies.
- Ammo Drain: All ammo-based weapons, including those stowed, receive an ammo drain with bullets or shells being removed constantly while the Grief is active.
- Zombie Ambush: An Elite zombie is summoned, and it solely focuses its killing power on the enemy team until either the Elite or the team are defeated, or the timer runs out.
- Weapon Carousel: The rival players’ weapons are randomly swapped every few seconds.
- Frozen: This Grief reduces the enemy players’ movement, along with frost and ice coating the characters.
In other gaming news, the director behind Avowed left Obsidian for Netflix Games, Doom: The Dark Ages is the biggest launch in ID Software history, and Treyarch revealed a highly anticipated multiplayer map remake coming in Season 4.
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