This past weekend played host to the Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War multiplayer Alpha exclusively on PS4. At the conclusion of the event, developer Treyarch reassured fans that the feedback and data they collected during the Alpha was already being poured into “updates to gameplay mechanics and features, as well as modifications to each map and mode.” No additional specifics were offered, but they promised a full breakdown of what will be changed and added between the Alpha and Beta before the latter kicks off on October 8th.
It’s unlikely that we’ll see significant revamps to any maps or modes, but subtle tweaks and reworks could be coming to help balance out any issues players found while participating in the Alpha. Things like adjusting small geometry in maps to impact flow, or make changes to mode rules in order to help them be a little more enjoyable to play. We already know weapon balancing updates are incoming (Treyarch confirmed snipers were intentionally overtuned for the Alpha to collect data), but it’s unclear if any changes will be made to any of the game’s perks. The Alpha was an older alpha build of the game (obviously)—the same one we originally had the opportunity to play ahead of the multiplayer reveal live stream. At that time, changes were already underway, and with even more data, it seems like we could see a lot of updates with the Beta in October.
The Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War multiplayer beta will start on October 8th for digital preorders on PS4, closing on October 9th. Open Beta starts for PS4 on October 10th, ending on the 12th. The following weekend, October 15th – 19th, will be a full cross-play Beta on all platforms, starting with adding Xbox/PC preorders the 15th and 16th, and ending with a full open beta for the remainder of the weekend. Treyarch has hinted at more weapons, maps, and modes for the Beta than were available in the Alpha. It’s likely even more changes and updates could come between the Beta and full release of the game.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War releases on November 13th on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC. It will be cross-play across all consoles and tie in with Call of Duty: Warzone.
The Alpha also sparked a discussion about skill-based matchmaking (SBMM) and it’s place in Call of Duty games, which Treyarch responded to over the weekend.
[Source: Treyarch]
