Player Count In Call Of Duty: Black Ops 4's Battle Royale Mode Still Undecided

One of the biggest new features being introduced in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is Blackout, a battle royale-style game mode in which players compete to be the last one standing. Other battle royale games, particularly the two most popular examples of the genre, PUBG and Fortnite, support up to 100 players in a match, but Black Ops 4 developer Treyarch says it still hasn't settled on how many will be supported in Blackout.

Speaking to GameSpot, David Vonderhaar, studio design director at Treyarch, revealed that the developer is still experimenting with the player count for Blackout mode. "We haven't actually decided," Vonderhaar said. "We have to create the best experience, and to create that experience in a Call of Duty universe, you have to try various flavors of that until you find the right one."

During the Black Ops 4 reveal presentation, Treyarch described Blackout as a battle royale game done "the Black Ops way." It features the largest map the developer has ever created--approximately 1,500 times larger than Nuketown, the iconic map from the first Black Ops. The mode draws heavily from previous Black Ops games. Players will be able to use characters, items, and weapons from every past installment, including the RC Car. It can also be played solo or in teams and features ground, air, and sea vehicles.

Prior to its release, Activision will host a pre-launch closed beta for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. Activision hasn't announced when the beta will take place and what modes it will feature, but those who pre-order the title will gain access to the beta.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 launches for PS4, Xbox One, and PC on October 12. We recently learned a lot of new details about the title, including its expanded Zombies mode. Activision also revealed that the game won't feature a traditional single-player campaign, but a variety of solo missions for each of its Specialists. You can watch all of the trailers from the Black Ops 4 presentation in our roundup.