Treyarch announces changes to Blackout after the beta

By Jessie Wade

Treyarch announced Monday night the changes they will make for the full launch of their battle mode, Blackout in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, Oct. 12.

The changes come from the comments of the players after the extension of the beta earlier Monday, Treyarch has also set the course for 100 players.

Treyarch said it wants to review the biggest feedback from the Black Ops 4 community on the beta and "provide more detailed information on what we are doing to improve the game."

Some of the areas in which they will be tracked and updated include armor, audio settings, inventory and article management, and Xbox One performance.

They have been cautious with the major armor changes due to their unique role in Blackout, but have made some adjustments during the beta and will continue to do so before launch.

• Level 3 shielding has been modified throughout the beta, including reducing the frequency of spawn by 75% and breaking it down earlier, but it would still be too powerful for Treyarch to evaluate the data.
• Level 2 armor has also been adjusted during the beta and may be further improved before launch.
• Players will see a sign on the status of their armor and their teammates in the HUD so that they know when to look for new equipment.

The reactions of the audio players were sometimes irregular, some reports indicating that the steps were stronger or weaker than expected, unbalanced or that the direction of the enemies was not clear. Upcoming improvements include:

• Noise will be properly affected by environments, including walls, floors and ceilings.
• All volumes in game will be reviewed in depth and the game will have its final mix.
• The steps of the teammates will not be as noisy as those of the enemy, and the Awareness Perk will further reduce the volume of your teammates.
• The Audio Preset options will be available at launch so you can make other adjustments.

Players demanded faster recovery of items and improvements at all levels. Treyarch has already started making adjustments on this front.

• They have already made the pickup speed as fast as possible for the players during the beta phase, while still having control without accidentally picking up an object during reloading.
• Console players have requested an option in the settings that will allow them to instantly retrieve an item, and Treyarch studies and tests this idea.
• Modifications to the Quick Equip menu are in progress, for example to close it automatically if a player starts shooting with a weapon, sprinting, etc.
• The height and proximity of the objects on the ground during the interaction have already been modified and will probably retain its modifications for launch.

There were some problems specific to Xbox One players, including the lack of clarity when playing in Quads, with Treyarch saying that they will be fixed for the launch.

• Inviting friends to your group will work as expected, without the players having to go through the social menu at stake.
• There was a problem when players pressed the Xbox button and this resulted in a loss of controller input and the need to reboot, which will be fully fixed.

As we wait for the launch on October 12th, memorize the card for Blackout and watch 7 minutes of Blackout PC game at high resolution. Stay tuned to the IGN for additional updates on the Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 mode, and tell us in the comments what you thought of the beta!

Jessie Wade is a writer for IGN and has been playing Call of Duty since the release of Modern Warfare. Follow her on Twitter @jessieannwade and let them know what you thought about the Blackout beta.