Everything in Black Ops 6 Season 1: New maps, game modes, Ranked Play, more

2 weeks ago 4

Black Ops 6 Season 1 is just around the corner as new multiplayer maps, game modes, and core features all join the mix just weeks after launch. From the release date to a look at all the new content on the way, here’s the full rundown.

While Black Ops 6 only just went live on October 25, as a live-service game, we’re already barreling towards the first jam-packed seasonal update. The grind never stops and with Season 1 just on the horizon, players have plenty to look forward to.

New maps top the bill, but there are also fresh game modes coming alongside the implementation of a Ranked playlist. As always, there’s a full-fledged Battle Pass coming too, plus plenty more cosmetic bundles set to appear in the store.

So before it all gets underway, here’s the full rundown to get you up to speed on Black Ops 6 Season 1.

Season 1 kicks off a big year ahead for CoD in the Black Ops 6 era.

Black Ops 6 Season 1 release date

Black Ops 6 Season 1 is set to kick off on Thursday, November 14, 2024.

This comes just three weeks after the launch of the new CoD installment, meaning fans haven’t got long to wait for new content. It falls in line with previous years too, with Season 1 updates historically marking the real ‘start’ of live-service support.

Ranked Play arrives in Season 1

Treyarch has confirmed Ranked Play is arriving “at the start of Season 1.” Devs announced the early launch of this year’s competitive mode during the 2024 CoD Next event.

At the time of writing, there’s no further details on how Ranked Play will function in Black Ops 6, though we can obviously expect a similar structure to previous years. There will no doubt be a set of ranks for players to grind through, advancing up the tiers with good performances and match wins.

For now, there’s no telling if Ranked Play will start with an early Beta period, giving players a few weeks to test things out first, or if Season 1 will properly kick things off with the full-fledged Ranked experience right away.

Check back soon as we’re sure to receive specific details in the coming days as Season 1 draws near.

New multiplayer maps

Three new core multiplayer maps are on the way as part of the Season 1 update. That means proper, 6v6-style maps for regular playlists. We got our first look at the new arrivals in a November 4 teaser trailer.

Extraction is up first as a sunny, coastal map hanging over the water. Looking to be a medium-sized layout, the location features a mix of wide open spaces and buildings to run amok in.

Next we have Heirloom, an indoor map set in an art gallery of sorts. Expect lots of close-range gunfights on this map, with plenty of tight corners and corridors to slide around.

Rounding out the trio of new maps is Hideout, a cliffside map boasting a three-lane layout. The left and right take players outside with various containers and smaller obstacles to navigate, while the central path goes inside a makeshift military hangar.

It’s expected that all three maps will join the rotation for all core multiplayer playlists as soon as Season 1 is live.

New game modes

We also know for certain new game modes are on the way as part of the Season 1 update, though exactly which modes remains to be seen.

A developer comment on the Call of Duty Podcast implied a “party mode” is among those on the way, meaning we could see anything from One In The Chamber to Gun Game. We’ll just have to wait and see what Treyarch has in store for the first major content drop.

Season 1 Battle Pass

While we know the Season 1 Battle Pass will be available straight away on November 14, we’re yet to see what’s included. There’s no quite telling what the cosmetic theme may be, nor what new Operator skins might be included.

As usual, fans can expect progress to carry over across all core pillars, meaning you can earn Battle Pass experience in multiplayer, Zombies, or Warzone.