I've seen enough – CoD Multiplayer is back on top with Black Ops 6

Yet holding on to my thoughts for this game has been a very deliberate choice. Far too often recently, video games – particularly video games from big studios – have led me on with a strong start, only to betray me with a dodgy update that breaks one thing or overpowers another.

I’ll voice my glee at finding a new game for the post-work rotation, only for me to quickly rescind that glee in due course. I wasn’t going to let that happen again.

XDefiant, Ubisoft’s CoD rival that recently announced that it is sunsetting, is a prime example. When it debuted earlier this year, it felt fresh, fast-paced, but with a distinct focus on objectives over K/D ratios, a blend of traditional first-person shooters like CoD and team-based shooters like Overwatch.

As 'Seasons' were introduced, though, and the barrier to entry was raised by having to reach an insanely high level to play competitive games, it quickly became more stressful than satisfying.

As sad as it is to see yet another title collapse, it isn’t surprising that plenty of players like myself looked elsewhere.

A similar thing happened with Destiny 2, a follow-up to one of my favourite shooters of all time, but one that added flashy gimmicks and complicated processes that may have helped it to establish a core fan base, but that also made it a grind to properly get into.

With a deep breath and fingers firmly crossed, though, it feels like enough time has passed to come out and say it: Black Ops 6 has taken CoD’s Multiplayer back to the top.

For those like me, who may get a spare hour to play here and there, the game has delivered the perfect blend of fast-paced chaos and tactical consideration.

While there may be an absence of long-range maps with the traditional three-lane structure, ruining things slightly for seasoned snipers, the small-to-mid-size offerings are entertaining in their own way.

Donning the XM4 class with a submachine as back-up, maps from the tiny – like Stakeout – to the significantly less tiny – like Rewind – are fun without the need to constantly shift meta.

What’s even more impressive is that this has been achieved without an over-reliance on nostalgia. While recent releases in the franchise, like the new Modern Warfares, have explicitly harkened back to the glory days, BO6 has forged new ground, adding Nuketown for a hit of the good times but creating future cult classics of its own.

The feel of the gunplay is back to its peak, too, with every bullet seeming like it’s doing serious damage, all while deaths aren’t so rapid that you can simply get jumped out of nowhere (XDefiant, I’m looking at you).

The satisfying 'ting' of a headshot brings the same feelings of excitement that the likes of CoD 4 managed way back when, and each one-on-one provides a genuine battle of skill.

Also, so far I have experienced few games where the matchmaking is so unbalanced that I may as well have dropped my controller and gone for a walk.

Too often in titles like Overwatch or Halo Infinite, there is a clear gulf in class between one team and the other, essentially making you waste 15 minutes of your life playing the equivalent of a respawn simulator.

Here, though, especially with a wide range of objective-based game modes to play, there’s always a fighting chance of success, even if that fifth-prestige try-hard with a Krig 6 is giving you grief.

And while there are microtransactions and battle passes, the fact BO6 has the backing of Game Pass and isn’t a free-to-play live-service release means it isn’t (yet) pay-to-win, with plenty of freebies dropping for gamers without having to splash the cash.

This enables you to build a satisfying loadout without forking out, such a rarity in this day and age.

The best multiplayer titles offer a blend of challenge and enjoyment, all without bordering into rage, and up to now, that rage has stayed well away from my controller – high praise indeed.

Now, of course, all of this could still be undone as more season passes arrive and new metas formulate, and I may be forced to return with a follow-up comment piece in January to revoke everything I’ve written above.

But for now, I’m drinking in the joy that is seeing Call of Duty back to its peak, making the most of a Multiplayer that outranks any other on the market right now. It feels like 2009 all over again.

Read more on CoD BO6:

• How to get Double XP tokens in CoD BO6
• CoD BO6 Prestige - system explained
• How long is the CoD BO6 campaign?
• CoD BO6 ending explained - unpacking the campaign
• How to exfil in CoD BO6 Zombies
• CoD BO6 Safe House puzzles - all solutions
• CoD BO6 Zombies Vault Code
• CoD BO6 Ranked - what we know
• CoD BOD trophy guide - all achievements
• CoD BO6 Mastery Camos - the full list
• CoD BO6 Monster Energy - collab explained
• How to dive in CoD BO6
• Can you disable crossplay in CoD BO6?
• How to get the Nuke in CoD BO6
• CoD BO6 Perks - the full list

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