Nicolas Cage Is a Call of Duty Operator Now. Season 4 Reloaded Has More Going On Than That, Though.
They added Nicolas Cage to Call of Duty. As a playable operator. In Season 4 Reloaded, dropping June 25. I don't know what to tell you about the state of the world, but here we are. "Summer of Action" is what they're calling the promotion, which is either the most accurate description possible or deeply ironic. Both, probably.
Anyway, the Cage thing is the headline but it's not close to the most interesting part of this update.
The Maps
Two new multiplayer maps: Zenith, which is brand new, and Launch, which is a remaster of the original Black Ops map. Launch is the one set around a rocket launch facility. Good map. Tight sightlines, a few open areas that punish you for being stupid, one of those layouts that actually rewards learning the flow rather than just sprinting everywhere.
Getting a classic map back is always a gamble but Launch holds up. This is one of the better original Black Ops maps they could have brought back.
Black Ops Classic Mode Goes Permanent
This is the part that actually matters for people who want classic CoD. Black Ops Classic mode is now a permanent addition, not a limited thing, with four maps: Launch, Fringe, Hacienda, and Gridlock. Four maps isn't a huge rotation but it's enough to play seriously.
New modes this update include Team Blueprint Sharpshooter and Knife Fight. Knife Fight is exactly what it sounds like and I'm genuinely interested to see how that plays out.
Zombies: Kowakujō
New round-based Zombies map set in a feudal Japanese castle inside the Dark Aether. Called Kowakujō. New enemy types: the Oni, who carries a kanabō war club and has electricity powers, Scorched Zombies, and fire-drenched Hellhounds.
Electricity-powered demon with a war club in a Dark Aether Japanese castle is a legitimately good concept. Whether the map delivers is another question, but the setup is there.
New Weapons
Two worth knowing about. The AN-94 Assault Rifle is the headliner. It's a real rifle with a distinctive recoil system in real life and it tends to be interesting in CoD when they do it right. The Tracer Pack: Ironclad Mastercraft Bundle includes the "Chronovox" Mastercraft blueprint for it.
The Executioner's Duet is dual axes as a melee weapon. Fine.
New attachments include the XR-3 Ion Vulcan Minigun, DS20 Mirage Dual Fire Kit, and Velox 5.7 Carbine Chassis. The Minigun attachment in particular will be interesting to see in practice.
Warzone Stuff
Rebirth Island is getting a summer weather update, dropping the winter aesthetic. Squad Gun Game is a new mode with squads of three. Buy Back Quads comes back as a Weekend LTM.
The Turbine POI stays, it was added back in Season 02.
Endgame: Operation King Killer
Ten escalating challenges in Zone III and higher. New Guardian Skill Track. New Psych Grenade Minor Ability with hallucinogenic effects. The whole thing is free to play through end of Season 05. The Psych Grenade is the most interesting addition here conceptually. Hallucinogenic grenade in a CoD mode is either going to be chaos or completely forgettable depending on implementation.
Free Trial
Multiplayer and Zombies are getting a free trial that includes Zenith, Launch, and Kowakujō. If you want to try the new maps before committing, that's your window.
The Dave Chappelle Thing
They added a Dave Chappelle tracer pack to Black Ops 7 previously. Now Nicolas Cage. I don't have a take on where this goes next. One possibility is that this becomes a running thing where Season X Reloaded always drops a celebrity operator. Could mean anything. Could mean nothing.
Also: Modern Warfare 4
Not part of Season 4 Reloaded but worth flagging. Modern Warfare 4 from Infinity Ward releases October 23 on Xbox Series X|S, PS5, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC. It'll be playable at Fanatics Fest from July 16 to July 19 if you want to try it before launch.
Nintendo Switch 2 on the list is the interesting data point there. Day one on Nintendo hardware is a different posture than CoD has had historically.
Bottom Line
Season 4 Reloaded is a solid update with a weird celebrity operator attached to get attention. The Launch remaster is good, Kowakujō sounds genuinely interesting, and the AN-94 has potential. If you've been playing Black Ops 7 you'll probably enjoy this. If you haven't, the free trial is a reasonable way to check it out.
Nicolas Cage is in it. That's real. Season 4 Reloaded drops June 25.
Source: Ign