What you need to know
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is the next premium title in the first-person-shooter franchise now owned by Microsoft.
- The game's multiplayer component was included in a recent update to COD HQ, the shared launcher for the last three Call of Duty titles, in preparation for Black Ops 6's open beta.
- Players with jailbroken PlayStation 4 consoles have been able to access the multiplayer, sharing leaks of the content on throwaway social media accounts.
- Cheaters and hackers have also gotten in on the leak action, uploading unlock tools for the game even before its public debut.
- Activision has issued DMCAs, resulting in screenshots and videos being taken down by platforms, but the leaks continue.
If you’re on the Call of Duty side of any social media platform, you’ve likely been inundated with a rash of Black Ops 6 leaks recently. With just weeks to go until the Call of Duty: Next showcase and multiplayer beta, the multiplayer of Black Ops 6 has been released online. Video clips showing Zombies mode, multiplayer maps, weapons, and the new omnidirectional movement system have been splattered across socials, stemming primarily from an anonymous leaker with a jailbroken PlayStation 4.
At first, the leaks were more manageable. Screenshots of maps, short video clips of omnimovement, and preview stills of the menu started to trickle out. Following an update to COD HQ in preparation for the upcoming Black Ops 6 Beta, however, the dam broke loose and the entirety of multiplayer became playable provided you have a PlayStation 4 and the willingness to jailbreak it. At this point, leakers began sharing gameplay videos with the returning end-of-match Winner’s Circle. Emotes and Sprays, create-a-class perks, and the option to use another player as a human shield all leaked, alongside masterclass blueprints and weapon inspection videos.
ALL CURRENT BLACK OPS 6 BETA WEAPON INSPECTS(huge thanks to @MirHavinYT for getting me these clips)1. Cigma 28 Launcher pic.twitter.com/Ser57gCv0nAugust 6, 2024
Activision has been hasty in issuing DMCA takedowns of leaked videos and screenshots. Many of the anonymous, disposable accounts sharing the information are left as little more than a blast of white copyright infringement notices where the leaks once were. Still, more information continues to find its way to socials, with Twitter user @ForwardLeaks posting Call of Duty: Black Ops 6’s full achievement list. Windows Central has reached out to Activision’s representatives, but we have not received an official comment at the time of writing.
The Call of Duty team has been slowly dripping out teasers for the game’s Zombies mode, a much-anticipated return to the round-based format that was often requested by the community. Multiple teaser trailers have been released, each packed with clues and Easter eggs for the community to pour over. One new Perk-a-cola, a drink that provides the player character with melee enhancements, has been revealed via these teasers. A longer cinematic trailer was also released, with an announcement that a Zombies gameplay trailer is to come on August 8.
The onslaught of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 leaks aren’t just spoiling the anticipation buildup ahead of the latest trailer releases or even the Call Of Duty Next showcase. They’re also allowing cheat developers to create unlock tools and other multiplayer-breaking cheats ahead of the game’s open beta and eventual release. An anonymous throwaway account on Twitter for a user calling themself zhm86 has already developed and shared an Unlock tool in GitHub. Unlock tools give players access to weapons and camos without completing the gameplay grind to earn them. In some cases, it can also be used to unlock items unavailable to players not using cheats.
Activision has continued its efforts to stop cheaters in MW3 and Warzone, recently issuing a sweeping ban of 65,000 accounts across Modern Warfare 3 and Warzone. Earlier this year, a judge ruled in Activision’s favor in a case that resulted in a cheat distributor owing the publisher more than $14.5 million in damages and fees. Still, plenty of cheat distributors and leakers alike continue despite the ban waves and DMCA takedowns.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is scheduled to release on October 25, 2024. The game will feature a standard edition on PC, a cross-gen edition on consoles, and an upgraded Vault edition. You can preorder Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 now for $69.99 at Best Buy. We have a handy guide on how to choose which edition of Black Ops 6 you should preorder, or you can read this guide on how you can subscribe to play Black Ops 6 Day One via Xbox or PC Game Pass.
