All Articles: Call of Duty: Black Ops III

Gun to my head, I’m not sure I could tell you how the technologically enhanced soldiers of last year’s Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare differ from the ones found in this year’s Call of Duty: Black Ops III. But Activision and Treyarch want to explain it to us with the release of this brand new Story Trailer for the game.

The nearly three-minute video gives us a taste of Treyarch’s vision of 2065, along with a villainous enemy that is performing human experimentation on unwilling test subjects and a squad of augmented soldiers that is losing their grip on reality. Oh, and a sorrowful Christopher Meloni shows up for some too.

Call of Duty: Black Ops III will be released on November 6, but you might not have heard that the story campaign will only be available on the PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

I’m sure you’ve already scoped out the trailer promoting next week’s beta test for Call of Duty: Black Ops III. But late last night, developer Treyarch dropped some additional details about the test on their Community Blog.

Initially, the Call of Duty: Black Ops III beta will feature three maps: “Hunted,” “Combine,” and “Evac.” Others will be available during the course of the test, but here’s what we can expect from the first three:

• Hunted: This big game hunting lodge is situated beneath a waterfall in the lush mountains of Ethiopia, where rugged terrain opens up to long sightlines and a stealthy underwater pathway.
• Combine: Set in the remote Egyptian Sahara, this vertical farming and sustainability research facility plays fast and frenetic with tight interiors, an open middle and a dangerous flank path.
• Evac: An abandoned emergency evacuation zone atop an overgrown rooftop in the middle of Singapore’s flooded quarantine zone.

Treyarch also confirmed the test will include “a range of fan favorite game modes,” such as Team Deathmatch, Domination, Demolition, Kill Confirmed, Hardpoint, Capture the Flag, and Search & Destroy.

Finally, the developer talked a bit about the eight Specialists, characters with their own “look, personality, voice, and battle-hardened weapons and abilities,” who will be available in the beta. Each Specialist will have a unique backstory and they might even add a kind of narrative to Call of Duty’s often chaotic multiplayer mode.

The Call of Duty: Black Ops III beta test will begin on August 19 for players who’ve pre-ordered the game on the PS4. PC and Xbox One owners will be able to join the fun beginning on August 26.

Activision gave us a sneak peek at what the Call of Duty: Black Ops III beta will contain in a new trailer released this afternoon.

Beta participants can expect to test out at least seven multiplayer modes, at least three maps, eight Multiplayer Specialists, and weapon customization with the game’s “Paintshop” tool.

Do you want to be part of the beta? First thing you have to do is pre-order a copy of Call of Duty: Black Ops III on the PC, PS4, or Xbox One. Then you’ll get an invite to join the beta on August 19 (PS4) or August 26 (PC and Xbox One).

Call of Duty: Black Ops III is in development at Treyarch and will be released on November 6.