{"id":573,"date":"2026-04-10T08:09:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-10T08:09:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/5f68f897e4b082e810c67d73"},"modified":"2026-04-10T08:09:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T08:09:08","slug":"cod-black-ops-cold-war-multiplayer-review-in-progress-launch-impressions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/cod-black-ops-cold-war-multiplayer-review-in-progress-launch-impressions\/","title":{"rendered":"CoD: Black Ops Cold War Multiplayer Review in Progress: Launch Impressions"},"content":{"rendered":"

My time with Cold War\u2019s multiplayer since launch has been rocky. Not due to the gameplay itself, which largely feels unchanged since the Beta, but mostly down to the state of the online servers. I\u2019ve had numerous disconnections, a fair bit of lag, and one hard crash back to the PlayStation 5\u2019s home screen so far. When it does work (which is rarely at this stage) it provides solid if unspectacular gunplay with the new maps failing to impress and some balancing still needing to be done. Yes, it\u2019s launch day in a nutshell.<\/output>It\u2019s easy to tell early on that although snipers do still pose a significant threat on larger maps, sub-machine guns are currently king in multiplayer. While the Milano is not the powerhouse it was pre-release, it is still more than effective due to its absurdly high rate of fire. Likewise, the MP5 appears very popular and has become my go-to weapon when playing on all of the smaller 6v6 maps. It\u2019s currently an all-round monster that does significant damage at short-to-medium distances while allowing for maximum mobility.<\/p>\n

The MP5 is so good, in fact, that at times it feels fruitless to choose any other loadout.<\/p>\n
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The MP5 is so good, in fact, that at times it feels fruitless to choose any other loadout. Imbalance can always be expected at the start of a multiplayer meta cycle, but it\u2019s never a good sign when nine out of 10 guns you run over on the floor are exactly the same.That\u2019s not to say I haven\u2019t been experimenting with different weapons though, and that\u2019s something I\u2019d recommend to anyone playing on PS5. The DualSense\u2019s adaptive triggers really do feel different with each gun you wield and add an extra appreciated layer to the overall experience. The rapid rattle of the controller when laying fire down with the MP5 is in stark contrast to slow thud of the Pellington sniper rifle, and both of these send shudders down your fingertips differently to the resistance of the combat bow as you pull back its explosive ammunition. These trigger effects, alongside the smooth 4K 60fps gameplay, are the most \u201cnext-gen\u201d feeling aspects of Cold War\u2019s multiplayer on console.Even after playing hours of multiplayer over the past few weeks I still find myself wrestling with how much I\u2019m actually enjoying it. It\u2019s clear that efforts have been made to strip back elements such as the more basic map design on show throughout (especially when compared to Modern Warfare) but at this point I feel like Treyarch may have gone a bit far in that direction. There are also more subjective factors in play like time-to-kill, which is longer in Black Ops than in recent games and not to my personal taste. Thankfully, the launch version comes with hardcore playlists (where modes plays more realistically with less bullets needed to confirm a kill) \u2013 which is how I tend to play Call of Duty multiplayer anyway \u2013 so this sweetens the pill quite a bit for me and offers the option for everyone, regardless of TTK preference.<\/p>\n

It’s sometimes just plain difficult to see enemies.<\/p>\n
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Some aspects are less subjective, however, and one of those has to be enemy visibility. Players hiding in Cartel\u2019s shrubbery remains an issue, but more than that it\u2019s sometimes just plain difficult to see enemies even if they\u2019re running out in the open as their silhouettes blend too easily in with the numerous earth tones on show. Then there\u2019s those dreaded dark corners which admittedly aren\u2019t an issue on every map, but do provide campers with opportunities to obnoxiously capitalise on a handful of maps.<\/p>\n

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Every IGN Call of Duty Review<\/p>\n