Watch today’s ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops 4’ reveal event here

By Gabe Gurwin Published May 17, 2018

Activision and Treyarch will finally show off Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 to the world on Thursday, May 17, and you can watch it all right here.

The stream will begin at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET, and we’ll be hosting a feed through the Digital Trends Twitch channel, which you can view at the top of this post. We expect to hear details about the various modes in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, as well as get a look at gameplay from the shooter for the first time.

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The pressure is certainly on Activision to deliver with this announcement, as reports claim Black Ops 4 will have one major change from other games in the series: No campaign mode. A staple of Call of Duty since the original game released in 2003, the campaigns have also been crucial components of the first three Black Ops games, as well as World at War, all of which share a continuity.

The publisher announced Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 in March, along with an October release date — the series typically launches each November. The teaser told fans to “forget what [they] know” about the series alongside footage of the earlier Black Ops games. If the reports surrounding the lack of a campaign are true, this seems to be an accurate statement.

In the campaign’s place could be the Call of Duty series’ take on the popular battle royale mode we’ve seen in games like PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds and Fortnite. Alongside that rumored mode, the game will apparently include a traditional multiplayer component, as well as a zombies mode, first introduced in 2008’s World at War.

Call of Duty’s main competitor, the Battlefield series, is also rumored to be developing a battle royale mode for its game this year, but the latter series won’t be doing it at the expense of a campaign. The unannounced game will be revealed on May 23 — about a week after Black Ops 4 — and is rumored to be returning to the series’ World War II roots.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 releases October 12. No platforms have been announced as of yet, but past games have released on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…

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Black Ops 6 might be the biggest Call of Duty release ever

Soldiers near a train in Black Ops 6.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is on track to be the most successful Call of Duty release in the franchise's history thanks to a record-breaking launch, according to Activision and Microsoft.

The companies revealed that Black Ops 6 had the biggest three-day opening for the series by many metrics. It had the most players, most hours played, and the most total matches, according to a post on X (formerly Twitter). The game also got a shout-out during Microsoft's quarterly earnings call on Wednesday.

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Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Zombies: tips and tricks for beginners

A bunch of characters standing around with guns getting attacked by flying giant bugs in Call of Duty's zombies mode

After the backlash surrounding the Zombies mode in Modern Warfare 3, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has returned to the round-based roots we all know and love. Well, the structure might be familiar, but this mode has more than its fair share of new tricks that will see you getting swarmed in seconds if you can't learn to adapt. If you're familiar with how Call of Duty handles its Zombies mode, you will know that there's a lot more you need to know besides just shooting zombies if you want to make it to the later rounds. If you want to survive as long as possible, we have the key tips and tricks to withstand the zombie horde in Black Ops 6.
The basics still apply

There are a few tips from past Zombies games that will serve you well here in Black Ops 6 that are worth a quick reminder. Starting off with the need to conserve ammo in the early game. Zombies are weakest in the first handful of rounds, but ammo is incredibly scarce. You can't count on getting more when you need it, so save as much as possible and try to melee as many zombies as possible. Only shoot if you get swarmed, need to save a teammate, or when a boss or elite shows up.

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The best Wildcards in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

Kill Order gameplay in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.

The concept of a Wildcard might sound like a risky endeavor in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, but this part of your loadout isn't random at all. We haven't seen this system since Cold War, and even those who remember it from that game will need to learn all the new cards there are in Black Ops 6. You can only equip a single Wildcard on your loadout, but they are powerful enough to completely redefine your playstyle. So far, there are only six to unlock while grinding through the levels with your friends, but picking just one is still a tough choice, especially if you want to use a permanent unlock on one after hitting Prestige. We've ranked all the Wildcards in Black Ops 6 so you can always have the winning hand.
All Black Ops 6 Wildcards, ranked

There is a level of personal preference in which Wildcard you will find better than others, but in most cases, the ones we've ranked as the best will help every player gain an edge in online matches. Here's our ranking of each Wildcard from best to worst, along with what level you unlock them at.
Perk Greed - Level 54
The last Wildcard you unlock is easily the most powerful. Perk Greed lets you unlock a fourth Perk to your loadout instead of being limited to three, which can borderline break the game if you choose the right set of Perks. It is also the most versatile of the Wildcards since it gives you the most options to play with instead of a specific bonus you may not find useful. It can also more easily unlock the special bonus buff you get for equipping three Perks from the same category.
Gunfighter - Level 33
Right in the middle of the unlock list, Gunfighter is one Wildcard you could easily make a case for over Perk Greed in some situations. This one increases your attachment points for your primary weapon by three. If you're rocking a top-tier weapon already, this Wildcard can let you tweak its stats even higher. We rank it second because it only applies to one weapon and thus is a bit more limiting.
Overkill - Level 24
For such an early Wildcard, Overkill is quite a powerful choice. This card lets you equip any weapon (except melee weapons) in your Primary and Secondary slots instead of the ones typically reserved for each. That means you can build a loadout with two Primary weapons and be far more versatile on the battlefield. Instead of having to trade off range, damage, rate of fire, mobility, or any other aspect of your game, you can cover almost all your bases by picking two Primary weapons that cover each other's weaknesses.
Prepper - Level 45
Field upgrades are powerful, don't get us wrong, but having two instead of one isn't always that much of a game-changer. It's a bit less useful than Gunfighter only because field upgrades are more situational and require more attention to use to their full potential. If that's you, then this is a great choice.
Danger Close - Level 38
Who doesn't want another grenade, Molotov, or combat axe? Is getting a second Lethal worth the Wildcard slot, though? Not in our opinion. Most of the time, Lethals are used in desperation or as a way to deny enemy movement for a time, and even then, they are risky because of how vulnerable you are while using them.
Tactical Expert - Level 15
The first Wildcard you get is better than nothing, but only just. It's exactly like Danger Close, only you can hold two Tacticals instead of Lethals. This is, by nature, a little worse since Tacticals don't have the ability to kill an enemy (unless you get super lucky and you directly hit an enemy with one who is on low HP). You can get some use out of them, but you're better off upgrading as soon as you have another option.