This year’s COD, which is still under wraps, will be titled Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, according to newspaper ads spotted by fans this morning.
Copies of USA Today were photographed and include a promotional insert for this year’s upcoming shooter, showcasing the game’s logo and title, and a collection of in-universe news stories.
The fictional news includes details of the defacement of Mount Rushmore, as shown in the Call of Duty Black Ops 6 teaser location last night.
“Iconic bosses are blindfolded in shameless act,” reads the in-universe headline. The story explains how an unidentified group climbed the American landmark at night to hang signs reading: “The truth lies.” The perpetrators are believed to be either “anti-government extremists” or “anarchist hoaxers.”
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Other headlines detail the failure of the American Dream (which is now “beyond the reach of the average citizen living in the United States”), and the upcoming US elections that are said to divide society.
“As the cycle ramps up, it seems clear that crucial votes will be cast in a handful of key battleground states, which will determine which political puppet is tasked with taking the blame for the nation’s stalled legislative efforts over the next four years.” He writes.
“As divisions deepen and trust in political leaders wanes, American families are left navigating an increasingly polarized landscape defined by uncertainty. As the cycle of empty platitudes continues, the fabric of American society strains under the weight of disillusionment and division.”
Again, to be clear, this is all supposed to be in-universe. I suspect.
Meanwhile, an op-ed discusses a “culture war” in which Reason and Reason were “declared dead at the scene after being mortally wounded in the crossfire.” The article continues: “Attempts have been made to revive critical thinking and common sense through the management of facts and appeals to common humanity, but the efforts have proven futile in the face of a relentless onslaught of divisive narratives and entrenched biases.”
Certainly in universe, yes.
While all of this may point to a more modern-day setting, it has previously been reported that Black Ops 6 will feature the Gulf War. In fact, some were expecting the title of the game to be affiliated with Black Ops: Cold War and that the conflict would appear in its title.
The fact that he doesn’t makes his status even more ambiguous, which may help broaden his appeal. It’s also interesting to note that the title is ditching the Roman numerals for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 – officially Black Ops IIII.
(And yes, Eurogamer’s Christian Donlan actually went to the British Museum to discover the truth about why IIII was used, as an alternative to the standard Roman numeral for four – IV.)
Microsoft will fully unveil Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 at its June Showcase event, devoting an entire hour to detailing the game. We’re still waiting to see the gameplay, of course, and find out the release date. We’re also waiting to hear details about how Black Ops 6 will launch via Xbox Game Pass – perhaps via a new, higher-priced tier.
