Call Of Duty: Black Ops 4 Makes Big Multiplayer Changes, Brings Back Pick 10 System

Activision blew the lid off of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 during this week's big Community Reveal Event, giving the world its first look at its newest online shooter. Like previous entries in the series, Black Ops 4 is being developed by Treyarch, but this year's installment features some significant changes to multiplayer.

In a post on PlayStation Blog, Treyarch confirmed that Black Ops 4 is bringing back the Pick 10 system. The developer had previously teased that the feature would return in this year's installment, and now we have confirmation that it is indeed coming back. Treyarch didn't share any other details on how the Pick 10 system will operate in Black Ops 4, only saying that it is being "revamped" for the title.

This time around, Treyarch has made combat in Black Ops 4 more tactical. Each of the game's Specialist characters feature unique abilities that can "be applied strategically across game modes." Health no longer regenerates on its own; instead, players will have to press a dedicated healing button in order regain health. Treyarch says this change makes recovering a tactical choice, as it presents a risk factor because you have to disengage in order to do it.

Additionally, players will be able to fight underwater in Black Ops 4. However, thrust jumping and wallrunning--staples of previous Black Ops games--have been removed from this installment. There's also a new category of attachments called Operator Mods, which give a specific weapon a special buff; for example, one Operator Mod for the LMG adds suppressive fire that distorts and disorients enemies.

Treyarch is also eschewing a traditional single-player campaign in Black Ops 4 for a series of solo missions that revolve around each of the game's Specialist characters. The returning Zombies mode also features some big changes; this time, it will launch with three full missions that takes players through different time periods to battle an evil cult. Additionally, Black Ops 4 will feature its own battle royale-inspired mode called Blackout.

Black Ops 4 launches for PS4, Xbox One, and PC on October 12. The game will only be available for the latter via Battle.net, making it the first Call of Duty game to appear on Blizzard's PC platform. Ahead of its big Community Reveal Event, the box art for Black Ops 4 leaked online.