It turns out that Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 will have a season pass after all. Activision announced the plans for the multiplayer-focused DLC during E3 2018 alongside details for the game’s deluxe editions. It will feature exclusive content for all three of the game’s multiplayer options: competitive multiplayer, Blackout battle royale, and Zombies. No pricing details are currently available.
While Electronic Arts and DICE are foregoing a season pass (and dropping any sort of loot boxes) for Battlefield V, Activision isn’t planning on switching up their business plan much. While they’ll continue the tradition of having a season pass of multiplayer content, there is one slight change from past years. Rather than releasing new content in individual expansion packs, new content will be more evenly distributed throughout the year. This move will make it more like Battlefield V’s live service, although players will have to pay to experience the new content in Call of Duty.
Included in what Activision is calling the Black Ops Pass is an exclusive Zombies experience called “Classified” that will be available when the first-person shooter launches October 12. Over time, owners will get four additional Zombies experiences, 12 multiplayer maps, and four exclusive characters for the game’s battle royale mode, Blackout. All three pillars of Black Ops 4’s multiplayer experience are covered.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 will also receive a special “Pro Edition” that will include the game, the aforementioned season pass, an exclusive steelbook, and a pop socket. Additional goodies include 10 specialist patches, three Zombies-inspired art cards, and 1,100 Call of Duty points that can be used in-game. Activision says it will be available at “select retailers” at launch.
The lesser editions, Digital Deluxe Edition (comes with 2400 Call of Duty points) and Digital Deluxe Enhanced Edition (comes with 8500 Call of Duty points) also come with the season pass and main game - the difference being the amount of premium currency which we assume is for cosmetic item purchases.
While it’s disappointing to see Activision continuing to split its multiplayer player base by having certain maps and modes only available to those that purchase the season pass (something that was previously reported to not be a part of this year’s Call of Duty), the move isn’t very surprising. Season passes have become a regular occurrence for the series, and they are a company that isn’t likely to pass up on guaranteed profits if players are more than willing to pay.
Until it doesn’t make business sense anymore, don’t expect any change in policy from Activision. It’s possible that games like Battlefield V and Titanfall 2 - and all of Ubisoft’s titles - with their more pro-consumer business models for their multiplayer games, can provide pressure on the series, but those ramifications will be had later down the line and not in the immediate future. For now, they’ll continue to offer up a season pass, and players will buy it while complaining on the internet.
More: Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Beta Expected in August
Source: Activision
