It was released on May 3, 2011 for the Xbox 360, June 2 on the PC and June 10 for the PlayStation 3. The four learn of The Flesh, a cannibalistic cult that chooses to eat zombie meat, as well as the beginnings of a new airborne pandemic of Element 115. On April 17, 1961, Mason, Woods, and Bowman take part in Operation 40 to assassinate Fidel Castro and assist the CIA sponsored Cuban exiles during the Bay of Pigs Invasion. By activating various meteor pieces throughout the map, players can hear an Easter Egg song, "115" written by Kevin Sherwood, and sung by Elena Seigman,[39] who is the lead singer in many of Treyarch Sound's songs. By this time, Group 935's operatives have been wiped out, and Maxis himself was lobotomized when he began to turn into a zombie. The Die Rise map is a larger zombies survival map taking place in two semi-destroyed skyscrapers in Shanghai, where one to four players use elevators to travel between floors. [145] Some estimates had placed sales of the game as reaching 18 million units sold, earning a revenue of $818 million. The group is eventually successful, and while Maxis meets his daughter, they enter Agartha to be rewarded. She ends up in 1918 in France during World War I, where Group 935 was formed much earlier, with Maxis as one of its leaders, operating to secure German victory in the war. The game is a sequel to the 2010 release, Call of Duty: Black Ops, and features returning Black Ops characters Sgt. A Japanese voice-dubbed version was released separately on December 20, 2012. In the year 2025 at Nevada, a team of CIA and CDC operatives investigate a nuclear testing site known as "Nuketown", where they are attacked by zombies. Different teams within the company focused on a certain game mode. [30] Dedicated servers are exclusively provided by Game Servers. [51][52] Although having a historical background, the classified aspect of these Cold War black operations allowed the studio to create its own fictional story. As with the previous installments, each Zombies map contains "Easter eggs" side quests, which is used to progress the story. They are then teleported back to the prison, with no memories of their previous attempt (except Weasel, who keeps a journal of the ongoing events). Known as "Strike Force missions", these branching storylines appear during the 2025 storyline and feature permanent death. Call of Duty: Black Ops II received "generally positive" reviews for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii U versions, but "mixed or average" reviews for the PC version, according to review aggregator Metacritic. Dr. Edward Richtofen (Nolan North), one of the previous playable characters from the previous game, returns as the demonic announcer, overseeing the four characters. [81] On November 5, 2013, IGN confirmed that the game sold 24.2 million copies,[82] making it the third highest selling game in the series, behind 2010's Black Ops, and 2011's Modern Warfare 3. David, now a Navy SEAL Lt. On February 25, 1968, CIA operative Alex Mason is strapped to a chair in an interrogation room, bombarded with questions by his unseen captors about the location of a numbers station. The name is a reference to the immensely popular Dead Series created and directed by Romero. [81] In Japan, the game is distributed by Square Enix. [77] In late September, viral site GKNOVA6 was updated revealing fuzzy footages of zombies. Treyarch confirmed that the Zombies mode would return for Black Ops II with new game modes. A zombie cooperation mode, titled "Zombies", is included in the game. Stuhlinger is threatened by Richtofen, who knows of his past as a member of The Flesh, which allows only him to hear Richtofen and not the others. In 2025, Menendez reemerges as the charismatic leader of Cordis Die, a militant populist movement. [49] The studio also consulted special forces veterans from both belligerents of the Cold War: Major John Plaster (US Army-Ret.) "[139] Martin Gaston at VideoGamer.com gave the Wii version 6 out of 10, complaining of Treyarch's reworking of in-game sequences as movies, poor AI, and gameplay problems from lower-resolution graphics. Whereas players still receive in-game rewards, these are unlocked by performing certain actions – such as killing other players, successfully capturing territory, and so on – rather than simply killing other players. How Salazar's betrayal pans out is determinant on the fates of Lynch, Farid, and DeFalco. Returning characters include Alex Mason's CIA squadmates Frank Woods (James C. Burns) and Jason Hudson (Michael Keaton), former Soviet Army Colonel Lev Kravchenko (Andrew Divoff), and disgraced Red Army Captain Viktor Reznov (Gary Oldman). [32], The Wii version of the game includes in-game voice chat. [54][55] It was later released as an individual download for PC on April 13, 2013. These files were codes to be decrypted, only to find a mysterious teaser site for an unknown game. Jimmy Kimmel cameos as himself in one of the game's endings, while the rock band Avenged Sevenfold makes a non-canonical appearance at the end of the game. Maxis, who was retrieved by Group 935 scientists, apologized to his daughter and committed suicide in front of her, prompting her to assume control of the zombies and seek vengeance on Richtofen. Opposing the CIA are the leaders of Project Nova: former Red Army General Nikita Dragovich (Eamon Hunt), Colonel Lev Kravchenko (Andrew Divoff), and former Nazi scientist Doctor Friedrich Steiner (Mark Bramhall). [41] In November 2009, only a few days before Modern Warfare 2's release, Activision officially announced a new Call of Duty title for 2010 through their third quarter financial call. The screen glows red to indicate damage to a player's health, which regenerates over time. BLACK OPS COLD WAR UPDATE RELEASE TIME. They fail to apprehend him, but learn that Menendez is planning a second cyberattack with global repercussions, dependent on a quantum supercomputer engineered by rogue developer Chloe Lynch. [142] Compared to the much anticipated opening of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1, the game earned more than twice as much as the film, earning $360 million. Lacking funds, they soon turned to creating superweapons to aid the Nazis. Once done, regardless of the path they choose, they are teleported by Richtofen to a crumbling skyline in Shanghai, China. Doors will become your nightmare, and the hallways are smaller than they appear. The multiplayer of Black Ops features multiple objective-based game modes that are playable on 14 different maps included with the game. Viktor Reznov (Gary Oldman), a key character from the Soviet campaign in World at War, returns along with that game's Russian protagonist Dimitri Petrenko (Boris Kievsky) also making an appearance. Maxis continues his work on other experiments, attempting to use his daughter's dog, Fluffy, as a test subject for his own teleportation device. In January 2011, to a player complaining about the remaining connection problems for the game on PlayStation 3, an Activision customer service representative threatened that they could shut down the servers for the game for the PlayStation Network at any time. Meanwhile, Richtofen's crew arrive at a Soviet Cosmodrome site, where Richtofen intends to travel to Group 935's Moon base, Griffin Station. Having remembered the truth, Sal, Billy and Finn set out to kill Weasel once again. [93], Call of Duty: Black Ops received "generally positive" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic, except for the DS, where it received "mixed or average" reviews. One of the biggest changes added to multiplayer mode in Black Ops II is the introduction of Pick 10, a new system within the Create-a-Class menu. [54], It was announced on November 9, 2015 that Black Ops would become backwards compatible with the Xbox One. The suit sought compensation for lost profits and damages for his depiction as a "kidnapper, murderer, and enemy of the state" in the game. [25] Activision denied Gameblog's claims that it had been cut off. It runs an enhanced version of the IW 3.0 engine used in Treyarch's past title, World at War. The majority of the story follows four new characters: Samuel Stuhlinger (David Boat), Marlton Johnson (Scott Menville), Abigail "Misty" Briarton (Stephanie Lemelin) and Russman (Keith Szarabajka). It is shown after the 2nd half of the credits and also acts as the official music video of the game. Maxis and his assistant, Dr. Edward Richtofen, also work on other projects, leading to the creation of teleportation devices and 115-powered weapons. For the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of Call of Duty: Black Ops 3, two gameplay modes are offered: Multiplayer and Zombies. [12][13][14] Three sequels, Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Call of Duty: Black Ops III, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, were released in November 2012, November 2015, and October 2018, respectively. The Mujahideen then betray the Americans and Zhao, leaving them to die in the Afghan wilderness until their rescue by two unidentified civilians. [10] Black Ops II was made backwards compatible for the Xbox One in April 2017. Killstreaks from previous Call of Duty games are renamed as Scorestreaks, which are now earned by gaining points, rather than kills. Some specific features that have been removed from the PC version of Infinity Ward's Modern Warfare 2 return, such as lean,[28] mod tools, the developer console,[29] and dedicated servers. [18] The game was officially confirmed by Activision during its fourth-quarter earnings call on February 9, 2012, who promised that it would feature "meaningful innovation" for the series. ", "The Story Line Of 'Call Of Duty: Black Ops 2' Better Than A Hollywood Movie", "Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 – multiplayer hands-on preview", "Treyarch hopes Black Ops 2 multiplayer changes will make Call of Duty a team game again", "Treyarch Looking To Enhance 'Call Of Duty: Black Ops 2' Multiplayer Experience", "Call of Duty: Black Ops II will be coming at you in 3D this November", "How Square Enix Screwed Up Black Ops II for Japan", "コール オブ デューティ ブラックオプスII[吹き替え版]発売日決定！Wii U版も同日発売！", "Black Ops 2 soundtrack bolstered by Trent Reznor, Mass Effect composer Jack Wall", "Whoa, Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor Is Doing the Theme Music for Black Ops 2", "Xbox Black Ops 2 season pass holders get Nuketown Zombies today [update: Trailer] - Joystiq", "PSA: Nuketown Zombies available now for PS3/PC Season Pass owners - Charlie INTEL Blog: Call of Duty Black Ops 2, Modern Warfare 3", "Call of Duty®: Black Ops II - Nuketown Zombies Map", "Black Ops 2 'Revolution' DLC hits PS3 and PC", "Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 gets microtransactions for 'little luxuries' in game", "Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 microtransactions coming to PS3 and PC on April 12", "Black Ops 2 Uprising DLC Hits PS3/PC Next Month - IGN", "PSA: Black Ops 2, Dishonored, Forza Horizon DLC out today", "Black Ops 2 Vengeance DLC out today new maps, Zombies, Wonder Weapon", "Call of Duty: Black Ops 2's Final DLC Revealed: Apocalypse", "Call of Duty: Black Ops II Nuketown 2025 map finally lands on Wii U", "Call of Duty: Black Ops II for PC Reviews", "Call of Duty: Black Ops II for PlayStation 3 Reviews", "Call of Duty: Black Ops II for Wii U Reviews", "Call of Duty: Black Ops II for Xbox 360 Reviews", "Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Review - Xbox 360", "Call of Duty: Black Ops II review from GameInformer", "Black Ops 2 PS3 review – Ditching modern warfare for future shooter thrills", November 20, 2012 Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, "Call of Duty®: Black Ops II Grosses $1 Billion In 15 Days", "Ex-dictator Manuel Noriega sues Activision over 'Call of Duty' game", "Manuel Noriega sues over 'Call of Duty' videogame", "Call of Duty publisher sued by family of Angolan rebel", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Call_of_Duty:_Black_Ops_II&oldid=1006588365, Multiplayer and single-player video games, South African Border War in popular culture, Video games developed in the United States, Wikipedia pages semi-protected against vandalism, Articles using Infobox video game using locally defined parameters, Articles using Wikidata infoboxes with locally defined images, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2016, Album articles lacking alt text for covers, Articles using Video game reviews template in multiple platform mode, Official website different in Wikidata and Wikipedia, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz work identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, If Section executes Menendez, a video is uploaded to YouTube, where Menendez commands Cordis Die to revolt. The crew is contacted by Gersh, a member of the Ascension Group who requests to be freed from Samantha's grip. In a huge explosion, Mason presumes the two dead. Unlike past games, weapons in Black Ops II have a progression system, which is used to unlock weapon attachments. Call of Duty: Black Ops II is a First-Person Shooter (FPS) that revolves around unique gamepaly that propels the Call of Duty franchise into a world of future warfare, and back again to the modern era. Awards), Call of Duty: Black Ops was nominated for "Game of the Year", "Action Game of the Year", "Outstanding Achievement in Animation", "Outstanding Achievement in Online Gameplay", and "Outstanding Achievement in Visual Engineering". #CODBlackOps", "The #CODBlackOPs MP SOG announcer is voiced by @ICECUBE. Players can gamble with their "COD Points" in a free-for-all based playlist called "Wager Match", which is composed of four game modes. The playable characters in this map return from the World at War Zombies mode. The trailer also offers a sneak peek of a zombiefied version of George A. Romero himself, lurking out of water. Spetsnaz AIs in the game have been modeled after him, from his tactics and his movements to his face. At the same time, Dr. Edward Richtofen seizes control of the zombies by entering the Aether from Group 935's moon base. [28] A "Black Ops 2" trademark by Activision was spotted January 2012. Both time periods involve the characters pursuing Raul Menendez, a Nicaraguan cartel leader, who is responsible for kidnapping Woods in the 80s and later sparking a second Cold War in 2025. [151] By November 2013, the game had sold 26.2 million copies. The PlayStation 3 received the map pack on March 3, 2011 and the PC version was released on March 25, 2011 through Steam. American forces take Menendez aboard the aircraft carrier U.S.S. [22] New custom killstreak rewards include explosive R/C cars, guided missiles, and controllable attack helicopters.[23]. This would fall about 2 million copies and $182 million short of Modern Warfare 2. 40 in G minor, K550 (Allegro Molto), "Wii U can be the preferred platform for core games, says Nintendo", "Black Ops 2 officially confirmed by Activision", "Black Ops 2 site goes live, confirms release date, '21st Century Cold War' setting", "Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 releases on Nov. 13, will include future LA battle", "Call of duty: Black Ops II sales hit $500 million in first 24 hours", "Black Ops sold 7.5 million copies in November – NPD", "Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 teaser trailer pairs Snapchat and The Matrix", "Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 now has Xbox backwards compatibility", https://www.ign.com/articles/call-of-duty-black-ops-cold-war-first-preview-mason-returns-in-black-ops-1-sequel, https://www.gamezone.com/news/call-of-duty-black-ops-cold-war-trailer/, "48 Things That You Should Know About Call of Duty: Black Ops II", "Despite what Black Ops II says, rare earth minerals will not cause a U.S.-China cold war", "Black Ops 2 spans decades, offers branching missions and choice", "Activision announces Call of Duty: 9, multiple Blizzard titles for 2012", "Activision Confirms New Call of Duty Game in 2012", "Official confirmation on COD:BO2, title a mystery", "Call of Duty Creators Say Oliver North Helped Make Their Game More Authentic", "Oliver North is Selling Call of Duty: Black Ops 2", "Interview: 'Black Ops II' consultant Peter Singer", "Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 listed on Amazon France - report • News •", "Treyarch contract art studio employee lists 'Black Ops 2' among current projects [update: pulled!