5 Things to Know From Call of Duty NEXT

Call of Duty NEXT has come and gone, heralding the imminent arrival of Black Ops 6. Treyarch has been hard at work cooking up something new, and the big reveal event in Washington D.C. pulled back the curtain on everything coming up. The show was a veritable feast, but don’t worry if you missed the live broadcast. We have you covered with the five most important things to catch up on ahead of CoD’s latest evolution. 

Break ankles and cameras with Omnimovement

Black Ops 6’s omnidirectional movement upgrade redefines the rules of engagement, allowing players to sprint, dive, and shoot in any direction in the heat of combat. Call of Duty has never had freedom of movement like this. Skirmishes are faster and more complex, making it an ideal upgrade for those who like to outskill the competition. Chaining unexpected moves together—like a backward slide into a balcony-clearing dolphin dive, for example—can shift fights in your favor in the blink of an eye. Getting creative will make all the difference. 

New systems are never easy to learn, so a training course has been added to the game to help veterans and newcomers alike adjust to this major change. It may take some time, but after a while, you’ll be moving like a Call of Duty League pro without a second thought. 

A touch of Prestige 

Prestige was a defining Call of Duty feature for over a decade. The classic risk-it-all reward system will be in Black Ops 6, offering players ten chances to restart from rank one in exchange for rare rewards (including Operator Skins). But that’s only the beginning. Anyone brave enough to complete the 10th Prestige climb will jump into Prestige Master, where 1000 more levels–and a ton of new rewards–await them. It’s not for the faint of heart, but more goodies than ever line the trail to the top. 

Each time someone takes a bold step forward and resets their level they will be rewarded with one Permanent Unlock token, making the scramble back to the top a bit easier with every try. Still, there’s no getting around the hard work. Grab your favorite Monster Energy can and lock in when the time comes. 

Zombies all the way down

Zombies fans are in for a special year. Call of Duty NEXT gave us a look at Liberty Falls, one of two all-new Zombies experiences arriving with Black Ops 6. This picturesque West Virginia town has fallen into utter chaos thanks to the arrival of the undead. Our job is to fight through the horde and uncover what happened to this once-idyllic neighborhood. 

Liberty Falls and Terminus will be available at launch, complete with their own Main Quest and Easter eggs. A Directed Mode will be available sometime after launch, allowing newcomers to the Zombies storyline to jump in and solve some of the secret puzzles. Additionally, the beloved GobbleGum system from Black Ops 3 will make its grand re-entrance, providing another layer of complexity to an already chaotic experience. Combine your favorite chewables with the different perks around the map (and a few familiar Killstreaks) to reach unprecedented zombie-slaying heights. 

There’s no place like home

As much as the game is constantly innovating, it’s always nice to have something familiar to return to, and Warzone fans are getting just that. Verdansk, the original Battle Royale map, is returning to the big stage in 2025. Caldera, Al Mazrah, and Urzikstan each brought a unique flavor to the beloved BR, but fans have been clamoring for the return of the king, and Treyarch is delivering what they need. Prepare for Downtown helicopter dives and thrilling Superstore drops all over again. 

All that classic Warzone flavor will be enhanced by a medley of modernization. First, prepare to unlearn so much of what you know about fighting in those familiar halls. Omnimovement isn’t just changing Multiplayer. There will be a flood of new strategies to learn, challenges to prepare for, and gunfights to win, now that there’s even less holding players back on the movement front.

Next, a remixed looting system aims to bring back the simplicity of Verdansk. Armor Satchels, as well as their Munitions counterparts, are back in the field. These familiar lootables will replace the Backpack system entirely, meaning each player will carry far less equipment on average; every Killstreak, Lethal, and Tactical matters that much more. 

Finally, a dedicated Melee weapon slot will free up room in all loadouts. No more sacrificing a sidearm to keep Dual Katanas on your back.

Area 99 is a Resurgence revival

In another huge piece of the Call of Duty Next puzzle, Treyarch is delivering a brand-new Resurgence arena. Area 99 aims to take everything players love about the Black Ops classic map Nuketown and expand it to a Rebirth Island-sized battlefield. This retro-futuristic military compound takes direct inspiration from its predecessor, with the heart of the map centered around a nuclear testing ground.

Each match will be filled with chaotic close-quarters combat across seven major Points of Interest. Whether fighting for control of the central reactor's rooftops or looting the depths of underground bunkers, each locale perfectly sets teams up to collide at electrifying speed. 

That’s everything you need to know to be ready for launch day. Don’t rest on your laurels, though. While Modern Warfare 3 content won’t carry forward to Black Ops 6, all MW2 and MW3 progress will remain in Warzone, so there are still mountains to be climbed before it’s all said and done. Good luck out there, and we’ll see you on the battlefield.