Xbox And PC Players Have To Wait For This Black Ops Cold War Content
The fight between console exclusivity and multi-platform releases is a constant tango of one step forward, two steps back. Console manufacturers have taken to making deals with publishers for console-exclusive content. This trend resulted in many controversies gamers won't soon forget, such as Square Enix locking Spider-Man to the PlayStation version of Marvel's Avengers. Call of Duty: Black Ops – Cold War is the latest game to be part of this movement.
Recently, PlayStation unveiled a Black Ops – Cold War-themed blog, as well as a "Sony Advantage Trailer." These posts detailed how the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 will give gamers what Sony describes as "the edge." And no, these aren't cosmetic edges. PlayStation players will secure players a hefty 25% bonus weapon XP (if they join parties), two extra weapon loadout slots, monthly 24 hour double XP events, and five bonus battle pass bundle tier skips (when players buy the $20 Battle Pass Bundle). Since the game will feature crossplay with Xbox and PC ports, PS4 and PS5 players will get the privilege of levelling up and acquiring rewards faster, simply because they're playing on a Sony-built console.
The PlayStation benefits don't end there, though. You remember the fan-favorite Zombies mode? Well, it's returning in Black Ops – Cold War, but if you own the PS4 or PS5 version, you will also get a different, two-player co-op zombie-themed mode in the form of Zombies Onslaught. Unlike the regular Zombies version, Zombies Onslaught will take place on a multiplayer map, but you aren't given full reign. You need to stay within the confines of an orb that protects you from a deadly miasma, and you have to survive wave after wave of brain-munchers and their bigger, deadlier mutant brethren. The longer you survive, the more rewards you reap.
While the Zombies Onslaught PlayStation exclusivity has been common knowledge since October, the other Sony advantages are ruffling many gamers' feathers. Exclusive content in Black Ops – Cold War ceases to be exclusive on Nov. 1, 2021, but until then, PS4 and PS5 players will still have a year-long head start on everyone else. Many gamers seem to believe that whatever deal was brokered between Sony and Activision is anti-consumer for PC and Xbox players. While the Call of Duty franchise has locked certain maps and modes to a console in the past, that exclusivity only lasted one week to a month. One year of exclusivity is a bridge too far for many gamers.
Only time will tell if Activision backtracks on this exclusivity deal, or at least gives the console-locked bonuses early parole.