Call of Duty fans are counting down to the start of Season 3 in Black Ops 6. The new Call of Duty season has been given an April 2 release date and a 5pm BST UK start time by Activision. The news was announced by Call of Duty publisher Activision in a blog post, complete with a look at some of the new maps, modes and Battle Pass rewards.
“The Pantheon agents are just within reach and it’s up to you to track them down,” reads an Activision blog post. “Engage in epic, globe-trotting battles as Season 03 brings five Multiplayer maps and one 6v6 variant, six new weapons, the Shattered Veil Zombies map, and more, including the long-awaited return of Verdansk in Call of Duty: Warzone. Season 03 arrives April 2 at 9AM PT.” That’s 5pm BST on April 2 for fans living in the UK.
READ MORE: Warzone Season 3 release date and time confirmed alongside Verdansk launch plans
As you can see from the roadmap below, Call of Duty Black Ops Season 3 introduces two brand new maps at launch, alongside a remastered version of an old favourite.
From April 2, Black Ops 6 players will be able to check out the medium-sized Barrage map, as well as the smaller Nomad map and the return of Firing Range.
Barrage is a 6v6 map set in Vietnam in 1968. The map contains a Command Center and Barracks, as well as a Watchtower, Gun Pits and more.
Nomad, on the other hand, is a smaller map that’s playable in teams of six and teams of two. Set in Afghanistan, it features crumbled archways, a fortified settlement and a a big tower at the centre of the map. According to Activision, you can also navigate the map using a zipline.
Finally, Firing Range is a 6v6 medium-sized map that’s described as a remaster of an old favourite. Activision explains more: “Watch for crossfire down the long centre Road as Operators fight for control of the vantage points in the Tower and the upper levels of the Shoot House and Garage.
“Shooting targets move back and forth on their tracks behind the Office and several other spots adding a useful diversion while preparing for the next fight.
“Avoid the centre chaos by branching off to the Dirt Road, keeping your guard up against ambush as you pass the Storage unit along the way.”
More maps will be added as part of the mid-season update, including Haven, Signal and Blazetown.
New game modes include Sharpshooter and Demolition at launch, followed by Joint Operations later in the season.
Demolition sees players flit between attacking and defending two bomb sites, while Sharpshooter changes up loadouts every 45 seconds. Players will unlock bonus abilities for going on a killstreak in Sharpshooter party mode.
Elsewhere, Black Ops 6 fans will be treated to new gameplay additions, such as the Close Shave Perk and Death Machine scorestreak.
The Season 3 launch will also usher in Multiplayer Ranked Play, which features the same settings as Call of Duty League.
“Find out what you’re really made of by dropping into competitive Multiplayer matches using the same settings, maps, modes, and weapon restrictions used by the Call of Duty League,” Activision explains.
“Win matches to earn SR (Skill Rating) and progress through the Ranks while earning career rewards like Rank Skins and Win Challenge rewards.”
Rewards include the Pro Issue AMES 85 Weapon Blueprint for ten wins, as well as various Calling Cards for rising through the ranks. Weapon Blueprints are also available by playing Multiplayer Ranked Play.
Fans of the game’s Zombies mode will also be treated to new content, including the Shattered Veil map, new enemies and the Double Tap Perk-A-Cola.
Needless to say, a new season also means a new Battle Pass, complete with over 110 rewards across all game modes.
As you can see from the image above, the Season 3 Battle Pass contains new Operator skins, including Mace and Hudson.
The Battle Pass contains over 110 rewards in total, including two new weapons, the Monolithic Suppressor Attachment and plenty more.
There’s also a separate BlackCell Battle Pass containing Mace and Hudson variants, as well as Operator R0-Z3, a Martial Arts emote, COD Points and XP boosts.