First Gameplay of Black Ops 4’s Battle Royale mode Blackout is here

Lots of unique twists to the battle royale genre

A new gameplay trailer for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 has been released and shows for the first time real gameplay from the newest multiplayer game mode Blackout. CoD’s take on the Battle Royale genre. Check it out!

The trailer shows a lot of nice gameplay possibilities and even holds a surprise at the end. The typical airborne entrance into the battle royale map is nicely integrated into the Call of Duty franchise by utilizing high-speed wingsuits. We see common elements here from other battle royale games. Scouring for gear, teaming up in squads, exploring nearby structures and of course, being on the lookout for hostile players.

It’s not the genre itself which is surprising anymore but the specific fast-paced style of action known from the Call of Duty franchise. To be fair, given the scope of the map and the ever-dwindling number of players remaining in a match, slow down and a more tense situation will take over the early-game high-octane action, but that is par for the course of the genre.

It’ll be interesting to see how Treyarch mixed Call of Duty’s fast action with the inherent style of battle royale. One thing they added to alleviate tedium are vehicles, which we see in the trailer. Armed helicopters, fast motorboats, quad bikes, and trucks are all present here, with unrevealed vehicles surely to be available as well.

In terms of actual first-person combat, the tried-and-true mechanics seem to be present here. Besides traditional pistols, rifles and more we also get to see a glimpse of the more exotic weaponry. A high-tech slingshot for example which fires booby traps or heavy stationary machine guns. There’s even an RC car which should be familiar for fans of the franchise. Players can even construct barbwires or mobile armored walls to hold positions or divert enemies.

Zombies are also present in Blackout as a way to create controlled chaos on the map, while it’s unclear where they spawn specifically fans will notice that the Asylum from the second World at War zombies map makes an appearance in Blackout. If we had to take a guess, you’ll likely find some of the undead there.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 comes out on October 12th for PC, PS4 and Xbox One. A beta for Blackout will be held starting next week on September 10th for PS4 with Xbox One and PC to follow the week after. Activision has confirmed the player count for Blackout will be 80 players in the beta but they could increase it for the final game.