Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Update Reverts Controversial Zombies Change

Summary

Treyarch reversed a controversial change to Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's Zombies Directed Mode, following player feedback. This update also includes bug fixes for the Citadelle des Morts Zombies map and significant buffs to the Shadow Rift Ammo Mod. Further bug fixes and adjustments are planned for the January 28th Black Ops 6 Season 2 update.

After listening to player feedback, Treyarch has reversed its decision on a recent change to the Zombies Directed Mode in the latest Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 update. This update also includes adjustments to the Citadelle des Morts map and the Shadow Rift Ammo Mod, aiming to improve the overall player experience.

The January 3rd Black Ops 6 update introduced Directed Mode to the Citadelle des Morts map, implementing a significant change: an extended time between rounds and a delay in zombie spawns after five looped rounds on round 15. This alteration frustrated the community, hindering kill farming and camo challenge completion. Concerns arose about potential further changes, including XP and reward limitations. However, Treyarch acknowledged player frustration and addressed these concerns.

The January 9th patch notes confirmed the reversal of the Directed Mode spawn delay change. Treyarch stated their commitment to a fun and rewarding Zombies experience, recognizing the unpopularity of the previous alteration. The spawn delay is now reverted to approximately 20 seconds at most after five looped rounds. Additionally, various fixes were implemented in Citadelle des Morts Directed Mode, resolving glitches and bugs impacting quest progression and stamp functionality. Fixes also addressed visual effect glitches and crashes related to the Void Sheath Augment for Aether Shroud.

Furthermore, the update introduced four buffs to the Shadow Rift Ammo Mod: Normal and special enemy activation rates increased to 20% and 7%, respectively; the elite enemy activation rate (with Big Game Augment) increased to 7%; and the cooldown rate decreased by 25%, significantly enhancing the Ammo Mod's effectiveness.

The patch notes announce the start of Black Ops 6 Season 2 on January 28th, promising additional bug fixes and changes in a subsequent update. Players still have time to complete the Citadelle des Morts main quest and earn rewards before Season 1 Reloaded concludes.

Call of Duty Black Ops 6 January 9 Update Patch Notes

GLOBAL

Characters:

• Resolved an issue where Maya’s “Joyride” Operator Skin was invisible beyond 70 meters.

UI:

• Addressed visual issues within the Events tab.

Audio:

• Fixed an issue preventing audio playback for in-game Event milestone banners.

MULTIPLAYER

Modes:

• Red Light, Green Light: Increased XP awarded from match bonuses.

Stability:

• Implemented various stability improvements.

ZOMBIES

The team is dedicated to creating a fun and rewarding Zombies experience, but acknowledges that not every change is perfect on the first attempt. Some fixes are prioritized based on urgency, and others are scheduled for later updates. The recent changes to Big Game for Shadow Rift, the Shock Charge speedrun step in Terminus, and Directed Mode spawn delays exemplify this.

To address player feedback, the Directed Mode changes have been reverted, Shadow Rift has received four buffs, and a fix for the Terminus speedrun issue is in testing. The Directed Mode and Shadow Rift changes are live; the Terminus fix requires further testing.

Thank you for reporting visual effects issues in Citadelle des Morts and crashes occurring when using a sword with Aether Shroud and the Void Sheath Augment. Fixes for these are now live.

Maps:

• Citadelle des Morts:
  • Resolved crashes occurring when using the Void Sheath Augment for Aether Shroud with Elemental Swords.
  • Fixed issues causing visual effects to stop playing.
  • Directed Mode:
    • Corrected guidance issues arising from player disconnections and stamp spawns.
    • Resolved an issue preventing quest progression after picking up Solais following a stamp spawn.

Modes:

• Directed Mode: Removed the extended time between rounds and the zombie spawn delay after five looped rounds at the round cap.

Ammo Mods:

• Shadow Rift:
  • Activation Rates:
    • Normal enemy activation rate increased from 15% to 20%.
    • Special enemy activation rate increased from 5% to 7%.
    • Elite enemy activation rate (with Big Game Augment) increased from 5% to 7%.
  • Cooldown Timer: Decreased cooldown by 25%.

The Big Game Augment for Shadow Rift was not intended to one-shot Elites, but due to player feedback regarding the recent changes, four buffs have been added to increase activation frequency and maintain its power and fun factor. This includes a 25% cooldown reduction.

LTM Highlights / Adjustments:

• Dead Light, Green Light:
  • Added Liberty Falls to the map selection.
  • Increased the round cap to 20 before Exfil.

The initial launch of Dead Light, Green Light featured a single map and a 10-round cap to provide an accessible experience. Based on player feedback indicating it was too easy, Liberty Falls has been added and the round cap increased to 20. Future round cap adjustments will be based on community response.

Stability:

• Various stability fixes implemented.

Some bugs, while appearing fixed in testing, may persist in the live game. This can lead to inaccuracies in patch notes. Fixes for the Vermin double-attack bug and the Terminus speedrun issue will be included in the January 28th Season 02 update.