Summary

  • Activision is making changes to Call of Duty's HQ app to reduce file sizes and improve UI frustration.
  • Black Ops 6 will have a smaller file size than Modern Warfare 3, with a beta on August 30.
  • A new UI design for the Call of Duty HQ app is coming in mid-October for easier navigation before Black Ops 6's release on October 25.

Activision has announced several big changes coming to Call of Duty's HQ app, namely to its UI and the out-of-control file sizes that have been at the top of players' complaint lists for years. This is all set to happen during the lead-up to Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, a direct sequel to Black Ops Cold War and Black Ops 2 set in the early 90s surrounding the events of the Gulf War.

Ever since the initial launch of Call of Duty: Warzone in 2020, file sizes of each annual Call of Duty title have continued to balloon year over year. Last year, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 took up an eye-watering 240 GB of space for PlayStation 5 users. The introduction of the Call of Duty HQ, the all-in-one app containing Warzone and each recent annual Call of Duty game, was riddled with controversy around its launch, with many players unhappy with its bloated UI.

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Call of Duty Black Ops 6 Introduces Big Changes in Movement, HUD, and Progression.

Black Ops 6 will feature omnidirectional movement, revamped HUD, and classic prestige system to excite fans of the franchise.

By 

In a new Activision blog post, Call of Duty has unveiled its plans to cut back on file sizes and rework the HQ's UI, which has been the source of many players' frustration over the past several years. Over the course of the next few months, a set of updates will roll out that will aim to give players more control over what they download, helping to reduce the amount of space Call of Duty takes up on devices. Activision also confirmed that Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will be smaller in file size than last year's Modern Warfare 3, though by how much is unknown.

Upcoming Call of Duty Updates

  • Reorganizing Game Content / Season 5 Reloaded - August 21
  • Black Ops 6 Open Beta - August 30
  • New User Interface - Mid-October
  • Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Launch - October 25
  • Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Season 1 - [REDACTED]

The first of these updates is set to coincide with Modern Warfare 3's Season 5 Reloaded patch, set to go live on August 21. This update will be a larger one, but Activision ensures that it's paving the path for subsequent updates to further optimize the experience. The next update, on August 30, gives players access to Black Ops 6's open beta, though it's not known whether this update will also continue the optimization work to the Call of Duty HQ.

The third update, slated to release sometime in mid-October, will bring about Call of Duty's revamped UI ahead of Black Ops 6's full release. The new design, shown off in the blog post, does away with having players scroll to get to their content, and instead features all the major pieces of Call of Duty, such as Warzone, Modern Warfare 3, Black Ops 6, and Zombies as large tiles near the top of the screen. Upon clicking on Black Ops 6, a simple old-school home screen is displayed with just three available options: Multiplayer, Zombies, and Single Player.

It's great to see Activision finally address the issues the Call of Duty community has continued to bring to light since the launch of the HQ. All of these updates should result in a smaller Call of Duty footprint and easier navigation of the HQ app just in time for Black Ops 6' s highly anticipated October 25 release.

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Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Tag Page Cover Art
9 /10

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
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FPS
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Systems
PlayStation-1 Xbox-1 PC-1
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Top Critic Avg: 83 /100 Critics Rec: 91%
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Released
October 25, 2024
ESRB
Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Suggestive Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
Developer(s)
Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher(s)
Activision
Engine
IW 9.0
Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
Cross-Platform Play
Yes - PlayStation, Xbox, PC
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WHERE TO PLAY

SUBSCRIPTION
DIGITAL
PHYSICAL
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Forced to go rogue. Hunted from within. This is Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.

Developed by Treyarch and Raven, Black Ops 6 is a spy action thriller set in the early 90s, a period of transition and upheaval in global politics, characterized by the end of the Cold War and the rise of the United States as a single superpower. With a mind-bending narrative, and unbound by the rules of engagement, this is signature Black Ops.

The Black Ops 6 Campaign provides dynamic moment-to-moment gameplay that includes a variety of play spaces with blockbuster set pieces and action-packed moments, high-stakes heists, and cloak-and-dagger spy activity.

In a best-in-class Multiplayer experience, players will test their skills across 16 new maps at launch, including 12 core 6v6 maps and 4 Strike maps that can be played 2v2 or 6v6.

Black Ops 6 also marks the epic return of Round-Based Zombies, the fan-favorite mode where players will take down hordes of the undead in two brand-new maps at launch. Post-launch, players can look forward to even more exciting maps and groundbreaking experiences dropping into both Multiplayer and Zombies.

Franchise
Call of Duty
Genre(s)
FPS