Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Officially Revealed, Out in November

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War has finally been revealed, and will come to Xbox One, PS4 and PC on November 13, with PS5 and Xbox Series X versions set for release this holiday season.

After numerous leaks, teases and rumors, Activision today unveiled its Treyarch/Raven co-production inside Call of Duty: Warzone, alongside the announcement that it will feature a campaign, new multiplayer, a new Zombies experience, and a continuation of Warzone.

• Campaign: "Black Ops Cold War will drop fans into the depths of the Cold War’s volatile geopolitical battle of the early 1980s. Nothing is ever as it seems in a gripping single-player Campaign, where players will come face-to-face with historical figures and hard truths, as they battle around the globe through iconic locales like East Berlin, Vietnam, Turkey, Soviet KGB headquarters and more."
• Multiplayer: "Bring a Cold War arsenal of weapons and equipment into the next generation of Multiplayer in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. Engage in deniable operations as an elite operative using state of the art tools of the tradecraft across a variety of experiences from small skirmishes to all out, vehicle-fueled warfare."
• Zombies: "Uncover dark Cold War experiments that unleash a new Zombie threat to take on in frightening and intense co-operative gameplay with friends."

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Campaign Screenshots

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War's Current-Gen, Next-Gen Purchase Plans

Update: Activision has released a detailed FAQ about the ways to purchase Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, and the cross-gen possibilities are different depending on your console and physical vs. digital choices.

If you buy the standard edition on PS4, either digitally or physically, you will have an option to buy an upgrade to the PS5 version of the game. However, if you buy physically, the disc will still be required to be inserted in your PS5, even if you are playing the upgraded version.

Meanwhile, Xbox One purchases can not upgrade their version to the Xbox Series X version if you buy the physical edition. Upgrades for digital editions on Xbox One are "currently being evaluated" according to Activision.

Both current-gen versions will be backward compatible on the PS5 and Xbox Series X whether you buy digital or physical editions, but if you wish to upgrade, that's were things become murkier.

Meanwhile, for next-gen versions, the PS5 standard edition includes only the PS5 version of the game, while the Xbox Series X standard edition includes an Xbox Series X disc that can also be played on Xbox One. And there is a digital cross-gen version available, which entitles players to both current and next-gen versions of the game.

Black Ops Cold War will feature cross-play support across current and next-gen consoles, as well as cross-progression across all included modes. A Battle Pass will be available to players, offering free post-launch content like multiplayer maps, modes, Zombies updates, and other in-game events.

Warzone will of course continue and feature integration with Black Ops Cold War, which even starts today alongside the in-game teaser event. Those who preorder Black Ops Cold War instantly unlock digital rewards, including Black Ops Operator Frank Woods for both Warzone and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. Those who preorder will also receive early access to the Black Ops Cold War multiplayer open beta, however beta dates have not been announced.

While Black Ops creator Treyarch will be handling multiplayer for this year's outing, Black Ops Cold War's campaign has been handled by Raven, the studio's first original game project since 2010's Singularity.

The campaign is a direct sequel to 2010's Call of Duty: Black Ops, and will feature original characters Mason, Woods, and Hudson - although you'll be playing the campaign as a customisable player-character.

As for Call of Duty: Warzone, Modern Warfare's wildly popular battle royale, we know that Black Ops Cold War will be integrated into the existing game, but details remain scarce.