Call Of Duty: Black Ops Cold War's Rating Is Revealed, And It's No Surprise

The ESRB has published its rating and description for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, and there are few surprises to be found.

Like every previous mainline Call of Duty game, Black Ops Cold War is rated M for Mature in the United States. The game will have blood and gore, drug references, intense violence, strong language, and suggestive themes. There will also be in-game purchases.

The ratings summary, meanwhile, sheds a little more light on the violence and themes of Black Ops Cold War. "Battles are highlighted by realistic gunfire, blood-splatter effects, and cries of pain. In addition to ranged combat, players have the ability to stab or pistol-whip enemies close-up, or use them as human shields," the description says. "Some weapons cause characters to explode into bloody chunks of flesh."

In the Zombies mode, which has not yet been formally announced, players will decapitate and dismember the undead--this is all par for the course in Zombies. You can see the full ratings summary for Black Ops Cold War below.

Intriguingly, the ESRB rating for Black Ops Cold War lists the "Xbox Series" as a platform for the game as opposed to the Xbox Series X. This could be even further evidence pointing to the long-rumored and basically open secret Xbox Series S console.

Black Ops Cold War's multiplayer will be revealed on September 9 at 10 AM PT. The surprise was spoiled early, however, as footage from the multiplayer recently leaked.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Ratings Summary

"This is a first-person shooter, set during the Cold War, in which players explore locations in Europe and Asia while engaging in combat/infiltration missions. Players use pistols, machine guns, assault rifles, and explosives to kill hostile forces in frenetic combat. Battles are highlighted by realistic gunfire, blood-splatter effects, and cries of pain. In addition to ranged combat, players have the ability to stab or pistol-whip enemies close-up, or use them as human shields. Some weapons cause characters to explode into bloody chunks of flesh. A zombie mode also depicts decapitation and dismemberment, as players use bladed weapons and guns to kill hordes of undead soldiers/creatures. In one setting, flyers with the words "peep show" and "XXX" can be seen alongside pictures of women in lingerie; a red-light-district storefront is depicted with a neon sign that reads "XXX." During one mission, players infiltrate a drug cartel—drug packages and piles of white powder can be seen in a warehouse. The words “f**k” and “sh*t” appear in the dialogue."