After a slight postponement, "Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War" and "Warzone" have finally started in Season 1. Publisher Activision promises nothing less than the biggest drop in content in the history of "Black Ops". We have created an overview of the innovations that await you in the two shooters.

Black Ops Cold War: three new operators & five new weapons

In Season 1 of "Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War" you can look forward to three new operators and five new weapons. However, not all content will be available at the launch of the season.

New operators:

• Stitch : A former KGB chemical weapons expert belonging to the Warsaw Pact faction. You can get it at level 1 of the Battle Pass. If you reach level 100 in the pass, a legendary skin will be unlocked for him.
• Bulldozer : A US Marine belonging to the NATO faction. Bulldozer is currently not available, you can only purchase it in the store later in the season.
• Zeyna : A heavy weapons specialist at the French foreign intelligence service DGSE. It will also appear in the in-game store at a later date.

New weapons:

• MAC-10 : The MAC-10 is a fully automatic submachine gun with a high rate of fire and moderate damage. You can get them in the Battle Pass at level 15.
• Groza : A fully automatic assault rifle that offers a fast rate of fire and does medium damage. As soon as you reach level 31 in the Battle Pass, it is yours.
• Street Sweeper : Street Sweeper is a fully automatic shotgun that offers the highest rate of fire and has the most ammunition in its weapon class. However, the gun comes into play later. As soon as Street Sweepers are available, you can either buy their blueprint in the store or unlock them via challenges.
• Sledgehammer : A terrifying, huge hammer. The hammer is also not yet available and can be bought or unlocked later.
• Wakizashi : The wakizashi is a fine Japanese short sword, unfortunately it is also not yet available. Like the two previous weapons, you can get it either in the store or through challenges after launch.

These are the new multiplayer modes & maps in "Black Ops Cold War"

So that it doesn't get boring in multiplayer, Treyarch has given the game a whole host of new maps and game modes.

New modes:

• Firefight (2v2): The well-known from "Modern Warfare" game mode is now finally in "Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War" at the start. The mode offers entertaining, action-packed duels for 2-player teams.
• Prop Hunt (6vs6): A fun game mode in which the members of a team disguise themselves as objects and hide on the map. The other team has to track them down and take them down.
• Linked weapons: Stance (12vs12): The well-known King-of-the-Hill mode in which two teams fight for control of an area.
• Atomic suitcase (6vs6): In this mode, two factions fight for a suitcase with launch codes for nuclear missiles. Possession of the suitcase generates points. Whoever collects the most points wins the game. This game mode will only be available at a later point in Season 1.

New multiplayer maps:

• The Pines (6vs6): The mall where Agent Adler meets his archenemy Stitch again. The multi-storey shopping center offers small shops and narrow streets for CQC fights. The long corridors are also inviting for snipers.
• Raid (6vs6): Raid is a classic map from "Call of Duty: Black Ops 2". The luxury villa in the Hollywood Hills offers a classic three-lane design and is therefore particularly suitable for object-based game modes.
• Nuketown '84 Holidays (6vs6): What would a "Call of Duty" be without the map Nuketown? The remake of the classic shines in festive Christmas lights.
• Game Show (2vs2): A firefight map in the style of an 80s game show. Instead of using clever answers, you defeat your opponents with firepower.
• ICBM (2vs2): A secret missile launching base for the Firefight game mode. The map offers a round playing area with several struts and many cover elements.
• KGB (2vs2): KGB is another firefight map in the famous Lubyanka building, the former headquarters of the KGB. Between bookshelves and desks you and your comrade fight for fame and honor.
• U-Bahn (2vs2): An exciting little map in the tunnels of the West Berlin U-Bahn.
• Sanatorium (Fireteam): An experimental Soviet "sanatorium". The circular building is located deep in the Urals, where it went undetected long before NATO. This map will only be available at a later point in Season 1.

More innovations and the new global prestige system

The innovations already mentioned are far from over. As Leaks already indicated, a new Scorestreak is now available.   That is HARP   a reconnaissance aircraft that not only reveals the position but also the direction in which enemies are facing on the map. Originally, five new scorestreaks were expected for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War , but one is still better than none.

Also new is O du Tödliche – a mod for the zombie mode that decorates the zombies for Christmas. There are also little gadgets like snowballs that can freeze zombies. In the further course of Season 1 you can look forward to the game mode Aufgeputscht . There it comes down to chasing down zombies. If no undead comes before the shotgun for a long time, a spectacular explosion will tear you into pieces.

And of course we don't want to forget the introduction of the new global prestige system . After you have fought your way through the military ranks (levels 1 to 55), you can achieve four additional prestige levels per season and receive huge rewards for this. Here is an overview of the Prestige Levels and the corresponding rewards:

• Level 50: first prestige level, emblem, prestige key, weapon blueprint and Battle Pass increment
• Level 100: second prestige level, emblem, prestige key and battle pass increment
• Level 150: third level of prestige, emblem, prestige key and a Battle Pass step
• Level 200: fourth prestige level, emblem, prestige key, battle pass increment, master prestige business card and activation of all seasonal challenges

By the way, after level 200 it goes on for a long time, but every 50 levels you only get a new prestige key. It's pretty cool that the prestige level is now synchronized between "Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War", "Modern Warfare" and "Warzone". So it no longer makes a difference in which game you hunt for the coveted titles.

"Call of Duty Warzone": Rebirth Island is battle royale in the smallest of spaces

There are also many new features in "Call of Duty Warzone" at the start of Season 1. The game is now more closely linked with "Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War". The operators and weapons from the current "CoD" are now available in "Warzone".

The biggest innovation in "Warzone" is the new map Rebirth Island . Stitch's former chemical weapons research laboratory is located on the small Battle Royale map. In addition to a chemical weapon manufacturing facility, you can also visit other interesting places on the map – such as a prison, laboratories and barracks.

Rebirth Island is suitable for trio and quads games with a small number of players. The new map even offers an exclusive game mode: In Resuscitation you don't get into the Gulag after your death, but you are automatically resuscitated after a timer. The only requirement: at least one team member must be alive by the end of the countdown.

Two nice new gulags for "Warzone"

Don't get too used to the automatic resuscitation, because Rebirth Island also has a chic new gulag to offer. After your death in the classic Battle Royale mode, you end up in the island's underground prison. There you have to compete with another prisoner in a duel. Fighting takes place either in a chamber in the middle or in the hallways. Those who like to play mind games can also use the metal detectors installed in the hallways to deceive opponents.

The Verdansk standard map is also getting a new gulag at the start of Season 1: a cardboard replica of the Nuketown map – only one size smaller than the original. In such a small space, duels can end faster than expected.