Call of Duty: Black Ops 5

Call of Duty: Black Ops 5
Developer(s)	Treyarch
Publisher(s)	Activision
Director(s)	Dan Bunting Jason Blundell Corky Lehmkuhl
Designer(s)	David Vonderhaar
Writer(s)	Craig Houston Dave Anthony Adam Gascoine
Composer(s)	Jack Wall
Series	Call of Duty
Engine	IW (modified)
Platform(s)	PlayStation 4 PlayStation 5 Windows Xbox One Xbox Series X and Series S
Release	November 13, 2020
Genre(s)	First-person shooter
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer

Call of Duty: Black Ops 5 is a 2020 first-person shooter game developed by Treyarch and published by Activision. It is the seventeenth installment of the Call of Duty series and the sixth entry in the Black Ops sub-series, following Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 (2018). The game was released on November 13, 2020, for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X and Series S.

Following the absence of a traditional story mode in Black Ops 4, Black Ops 5 reintroduces a single-player campaign. Set primarily in 2046, the campaign continues the narrative established through the Specialist Headquarters missions and Project Blackout storyline of Black Ops 4. It follows Jessica Mason-Green, Donnie "Ruin" Walsh, David Mason and Erin "Battery" Baker as they investigate Savannah Mason-Meyer's experiments involving artificial memories, neurological conditioning and recreated versions of Alex Mason, Frank Woods, Viktor Reznov and Raul Menendez. The campaign chronologically takes place between Call of Duty: Black Ops II (2012) and Call of Duty: Black Ops III (2015), while incorporating several choices and optional objectives that affect its ending.

The multiplayer component returns to a more traditional style of Black Ops gameplay, removing the Specialist weapons and abilities of the previous two games. Automatic health regeneration, conventional scorestreaks, faction-based teams and the Pick 10 create-a-class system return, while advanced movement mechanics such as wall-running and boost jumping remain absent. The cooperative Zombies mode continues the Chaos storyline from Black Ops 4, following Scarlett Rhodes, Diego Necalli, Bruno Delacroix and Stanton Shaw after their confrontation with Medusa in Delphi. The Aether storyline does not appear in the game.

Development of Black Ops 5 began shortly before the completion of Black Ops 4. Treyarch sought to address criticism directed at the previous game's lack of a campaign, reliance on Specialist abilities and divisive post-launch monetization. Raven Software was assigned to co-develop the campaign, while Treyarch's principal multiplayer team focused on restoring systems associated with earlier Black Ops games. The game was formally announced in May 2020, followed by separate campaign, multiplayer and Zombies reveals throughout the year.

Black Ops 5 received generally favorable reviews. Critics praised the campaign's performances, player choice and continuation of unresolved storylines, though its short length and complex narrative drew criticism. Multiplayer was well received for its faster, less ability-focused gameplay, while Zombies was praised for its maps and continuation of the Chaos storyline. The game grossed more than $600 million within five days of release. A sequel, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, was released in 2022.

Gameplay

Call of Duty: Black Ops 5 is a first-person shooter featuring three primary modes: Campaign, Multiplayer and Zombies. The game supports shared progression between Multiplayer and Zombies, with experience earned in either mode contributing toward a unified player rank. Weapons can similarly be levelled across both modes, unlocking attachments, camouflage patterns and cosmetic customization options.

The game retains the grounded movement system introduced in Black Ops 4. Players can sprint, crouch, slide, mantle over low objects and swim in designated areas, but cannot perform the wall-running or powered jumps featured in Black Ops III. Sliding is shorter than in Black Ops 4 and gradually reduces the player's momentum, limiting repeated slide-based movement.

Campaign

The campaign consists of fourteen story missions and is playable exclusively in single-player. Players primarily control Jessica Mason-Green, Donnie "Ruin" Walsh and David Mason, with several shorter sequences placing the player in control of Battery, Alex Mason and Frank Woods. Missions take place across locations including Alaska, Panama, Singapore, Russia, Germany, Switzerland and the Arctic Circle.

Between missions, the player returns to a CIA safehouse known as the Annex. The safehouse contains an evidence board, character conversations, weapon selection stations and optional puzzles. Evidence collected throughout missions can be examined at the board to unlock additional dialogue, side missions and alternate approaches to later objectives. Several missions contain open combat areas in which the player can choose between direct assaults, stealth infiltration or the use of environmental systems.

Dialogue choices are included during conversations and interrogations. Certain decisions alter character relationships, determine the survival of supporting characters and influence which of the campaign's three endings is received. Unlike the branching structure of Black Ops II, the overall sequence of missions remains mostly linear, with optional operations appearing between major story missions.

The campaign introduces the Neural Disruption Device, a tactical tool capable of disabling electronic equipment, disrupting enemy targeting systems and briefly interfering with neurologically enhanced soldiers. Other equipment includes a grappling launcher, optical camouflage, remote surveillance drones and traditional explosive devices. Most equipment is restricted to particular missions rather than being permanently available.

The player can select one of three difficulty levels in addition to the returning Recruit, Regular, Hardened and Veteran settings. The Realistic difficulty removes most interface elements and causes both the player and enemies to die after sustaining one or two bullets. A separate Classified difficulty randomizes enemy placements, available equipment and several mission objectives.

Multiplayer

Black Ops 5'ss multiplayer removes the Specialist system used in Black Ops III and Black Ops 4. Multiplayer characters are cosmetic and do not possess unique weapons, equipment or abilities. Teams are instead divided between conventional factions, including the CIA, JSOC, Winslow Accord, Cordis Die, Common Defense Pact and several independent mercenary organizations.

Automatic health regeneration returns after being absent from Black Ops 4. Players begin with 100 health, which regenerates after avoiding damage for a short period. Manual healing is not available outside specific limited-time modes. Weapons primarily use hitscan ballistics at shorter ranges, while sniper rifles, tactical rifles and several high-powered weapons use projectile calculations over longer distances.

Create-a-class uses the returning Pick 10 system. Weapons, attachments, equipment, perks and Wildcards each consume allocation points, requiring players to balance weapon customization against additional perks or tactical equipment. Primary Gunfighter and Secondary Gunfighter Wildcards increase the maximum number of attachments available for their respective weapon classes, while Perk Greed allows the selection of an additional perk from each category.

Perks are divided into three categories. The first category focuses on resistance and survivability, the second on movement and weapon handling, and the third on stealth and information. Returning perks include Flak Jacket, Tactical Mask, Lightweight, Scavenger, Dexterity, Ghost, Dead Silence and Engineer. Wildcards allow players to equip multiple perks from the same category.

Scorestreaks return to the traditional system in which progress is lost upon death unless the player has equipped the Persistence perk. Returning scorestreaks include the RC-XD, UAV, Counter-UAV, Care Package, Sentry Gun, Napalm Strike, Attack Helicopter and Gunship. New streaks include the Interceptor Drone, which automatically targets hostile aerial streaks, and the Blackout Array, which temporarily disables the enemy team's minimap, optics and deployable technology.

The game launched with fourteen standard multiplayer maps. Most maps are designed for six-versus-six matches and use the traditional three-lane structure associated with earlier Black Ops titles. Four additional maps support the twelve-versus-twelve Combined Operations playlist, which includes larger environments and limited vehicle use. Remastered versions of Summit, Launch, Grid and Raid were added during the game's first year.

Traditional modes including Team Deathmatch, Domination, Search and Destroy, Hardpoint, Free-for-All, Kill Confirmed and Gun Game return. Control, first introduced in Black Ops 4, also returns. New modes include Infiltration, in which teams compete to extract neutral intelligence packages, and Black Site, an objective mode centered around attacking or defending a fortified interior location.

League Play was added in February 2021 and follows the rules used by the Call of Duty League. Players complete placement matches before being assigned to one of several skill divisions. Restricted weapons, attachments, equipment and scorestreaks are unavailable in the playlist.

Zombies

See also: Zombies (Call of Duty mode)

Zombies returns as the cooperative multiplayer mode for Black Ops 5. Its core gameplay is similar to that of Black Ops 4, with players surviving progressively more difficult rounds of undead enemies while opening new areas, purchasing weapons, completing objectives and discovering hidden narrative quests. Up to four players can participate online, while local split-screen is available on console versions.

Players create a custom loadout before beginning a match. Each loadout includes a starting weapon, special weapon, equipment item, four selected perks, Elixirs and a Talisman. Starting weapons are considerably weaker than weapons obtained from the Mystery Box or wall purchase locations, though they can be upgraded through repeated use.

The Chaos perk system returns, with players selecting four perks before entering a match. Each perk is assigned to one of four statues or altars found within a map. The perk placed in the final slot receives an additional modifier once the player has acquired all four selected perks. Several perks from Black Ops 4 return alongside new additions, while classic perk machines from the Aether storyline remain absent.

Elixirs return as consumable items that provide temporary benefits. Classic Elixirs are permanently available and recharge during a match, while Common, Rare, Legendary and Epic Elixirs are consumed upon activation. Talismans provide passive modifiers at the beginning of a game and are consumed when the match starts. Both item types can be created using Prima Materia, an in-game resource earned through gameplay.

The system was adjusted following criticism of Black Ops 4. Duplicate Elixirs can be converted into Prima Materia, players are guaranteed an item of a selected rarity after a set number of creations, and gameplay-affecting consumables cannot be purchased directly with COD Points. Players can also disable consumable items entirely when hosting private matches.

Special weapons return and can be activated after filling a meter through kills and completed objectives. Each special weapon has three upgrade levels unlocked during a match. Returning weapons include the Scepter of Ra, Hammer of Valhalla, Chakrams of Vengeance and Viper and Dragon, while additional special weapons are unlocked through progression.

Custom Mutations return, allowing players to modify enemy health, speed, damage, starting round, available weapons, points, perk rules and numerous other settings. Matches played using heavily modified rules do not contribute toward leaderboard statistics or main quest completion.

A new mode called Gauntlet Trials replaces the individual Gauntlets released for Black Ops 4. The mode presents thirty consecutive rounds with randomized restrictions and objectives. Players receive a strike for failing an objective, with the match ending after three strikes. Rush also returns as an arcade-oriented competitive mode focused on scoring, multipliers and rapid movement between designated areas.

The game exclusively continues the Chaos story. Scarlett Rhodes, Bruno Delacroix, Diego Necalli and Stanton Shaw return as the primary playable characters. The story begins immediately after the events of "Ancient Evil", with Diego attempting to protect an unconscious Scarlett after discovering that the Oracle of Delphi is Medusa. Bruno and Shaw remain unknowingly controlled by the Order through their revived darker selves.

Unlike Black Ops 4, the game does not contain maps belonging to a separate Zombies storyline. Treyarch stated that concentrating entirely on Chaos allowed the narrative team to expand its mythology, develop its antagonists and address the unresolved ending of "Ancient Evil". Three maps were available at launch, with a fourth map included in the game's special editions. Additional maps were released during the game's post-launch seasons.

Synopsis

Characters and settings

The campaign takes place primarily in 2046, one year after the events depicted through the Specialist Headquarters missions of Black Ops 4 and approximately two decades before Black Ops III. The story follows a joint CIA and JSOC investigation into Project Blackout, a private neurological research program operated by Savannah Mason-Meyer (Evangeline Lilly).

The primary playable characters are former specialist Jessica Mason-Green (Alexa Kahn), infantry soldier Donnie "Ruin" Walsh (Christian Rummel), JSOC commander David Mason (Rich McDonald) and demolitions expert Erin "Battery" Baker (Morla Gorrondona). Jessica and Ruin operate independently after uncovering evidence that Savannah arranged the 2043 mission in which Jessica was believed to have been killed. David leads a covert CIA unit assigned to investigate Savannah's activities, while Battery suffers recurring visions of numbers and events she cannot remember.

Returning characters include retired United States Marine Corps operative Frank Woods (James C. Burns), Alex Mason (Sam Worthington), Soviet soldier Viktor Reznov (Piotr Michael) and former Cordis Die leader Raul Menendez (Kamar de los Reyes). All four were recreated by Project Blackout as "archetypes", artificial human bodies implanted with reconstructed memories. The accuracy of these memories and the extent to which the archetypes can be considered the original individuals form a central part of the campaign.

Other characters include CIA neurologist Doctor Maya Kline (Jennifer Hale), who formerly worked with Savannah; JSOC operative Marcus "Bishop" Kane (Lamonica Garrett); Winslow Accord intelligence director Helen Park (Lily Cowles); and Friedrich Steiner (Dee Bradley Baker), a former Coalescence Corporation researcher who developed portions of the project's neural architecture.

Savannah is initially presented as the campaign's principal antagonist. She believes Project Blackout can preserve the personalities, experience and strategic knowledge of influential individuals after death. However, Menendez secretly manipulates the project and intends to connect its archetypes to a global neurological network known as the Chorus. He plans to use the network to overwrite memories, revive Cordis Die and eliminate the distinction between authentic and manufactured identity.

The Zombies story begins beneath the ruins of Delphi shortly after Medusa renders Scarlett unconscious. Diego escapes with Scarlett and reunites with Bruno and Shaw, unaware that both men have been corrupted by the Order. The crew searches for the Library of the Nine, a repository of knowledge connected to the Sentinel Artifacts, the Prima Materia and the ancient gods worshiped by the Order.

Returning Zombies characters include Scarlett Rhodes (Courtenay Taylor), Diego Necalli (Christian Lanz), Bruno Delacroix (Andrew Morgado), Stanton Shaw (Nick Boraine), Alistair Rhodes (Charles Dennis) and Medusa (Cissy Jones). Other figures include the High Priest of Chaos (Fred Tatasciore), members of the Nine and several mythological beings connected to the earliest Sentinel Trials.

Plot

Campaign

In 2046, Jessica Mason-Green and Donnie "Ruin" Walsh raid an isolated research compound in northern Alaska after tracing encrypted communications connected to Savannah Mason-Meyer. They discover artificial bodies suspended in cryogenic chambers, including incomplete recreations of Alex Mason, Frank Woods, Viktor Reznov and Raul Menendez. Before they can extract the facility's data, a mercenary force attacks the compound. Jessica and Ruin escape with a damaged memory core, while a fully conscious Woods archetype is removed by Savannah's forces.

David Mason is recalled to active service and ordered to lead a covert investigation into Project Blackout. He recruits Battery, whose unexplained visions and neurological abnormalities match those observed in personnel exposed to Savannah's Combat Immersion program. Doctor Maya Kline determines that Battery has been subjected to a modernized version of the numbers conditioning once used against Alex Mason. The conditioning contains hidden geographic coordinates pointing toward a Project Blackout relay station in Singapore.

David's team infiltrates the relay and encounters Jessica and Ruin, who initially mistake the CIA unit for Savannah's operatives. After a confrontation, the groups agree to cooperate. The recovered data reveals that Project Blackout has been collecting memories from soldiers connected to historical covert operations. Savannah intends to create archetypes capable of reproducing the instincts and personalities of deceased operatives, believing that their experience can prevent future global conflicts.

The team travels to Panama, where a surviving Cordis Die cell has taken control of an abandoned Menendez compound. They discover that the Menendez archetype has been communicating with the cell and possesses memories that Savannah claims were never included in his reconstruction. Jessica concludes that Menendez has either recovered memories independently or was never under Savannah's control.

During an operation in Berlin, Battery's conditioning is activated by a numbers broadcast. She attacks Jessica and escapes with the recovered memory core. David pursues her through the city's underground transit system and disables the signal, but Battery is captured by Woods. Woods appears to recognize David and claims to possess memories of raising him after Alex Mason's death, despite being unable to explain whether those memories are authentic.

Savannah contacts David and proposes an exchange. She claims that Menendez has infiltrated Project Blackout's central system and intends to activate the Chorus, a network of satellites, civilian implants and military Combat Immersion systems. Once activated, the Chorus would allow Menendez to alter memories on an international scale. Savannah requests David's assistance but refuses to release Battery or Woods.

Jessica reveals that Savannah personally shot her during an argument in 2043 and later altered the memories of Ruin, Battery and the other Specialists to conceal the event. Jessica survived after being recovered by Kline, who had become suspicious of Savannah's experiments. Ruin initially distrusts Jessica's account, believing portions of his own memories may have been fabricated.

The team travels to Vorkuta, where Savannah stored the Reznov archetype. Reznov helps the group enter the facility but admits that his memories were reconstructed primarily from Alex Mason's recollections. He concludes that he is not the original Reznov, but an interpretation created from another man's trauma. Reznov sacrifices himself by destroying the facility's broadcasting array, preventing Menendez from transferring additional archetypes into the Chorus.

David and Jessica assault Savannah's headquarters beneath a decommissioned Coalescence facility in Switzerland. They rescue Battery and confront the Alex Mason archetype. Alex recognizes David but suffers from conflicting memories of his death, the events of Vorkuta and experiences belonging to Reznov. David can either reassure Alex or reject him as an artificial copy. The decision determines whether Alex later assists the team or becomes hostile.

Menendez takes control of the facility and reveals that Savannah's reconstruction process gave him access to every memory stored within Project Blackout. He intends to use the Chorus to eliminate what he considers humanity's dependence on inherited history, replacing genuine memories with a collective narrative controlled by him. Savannah attempts to shut down the system, but Menendez transfers his consciousness into its central network.

The final operation takes place at the Janus Array, a transmission facility beneath the Arctic ice. David, Jessica, Ruin and Battery fight through mercenaries, corrupted archetypes and soldiers controlled through Combat Immersion implants. Woods confronts David and begs him to disable the conditioning controlling him. Depending on evidence recovered during earlier missions, David can free Woods, kill him or leave him trapped within the collapsing facility.

At the Chorus control chamber, Jessica confronts Savannah while David enters a Combat Immersion simulation to locate Menendez's digital consciousness. Menendez recreates locations and memories from David's life, attempting to convince him that identity is determined by perception rather than physical existence. David rejects Menendez and destroys the primary Chorus construct, but portions of Menendez's program escape through civilian networks.

Savannah is mortally wounded while manually severing the Janus Array from the remaining satellites. Before dying, she admits that Project Blackout began as an attempt to preserve Alex Mason for Jessica and David, but developed into an obsession with controlling death and memory. The facility collapses, and the surviving team escapes by aircraft.

In the standard ending, Project Blackout is publicly exposed and its surviving archetypes are placed into permanent suspension. Jessica and Ruin disappear after transmitting the project's files to several journalists, while Battery joins David's intelligence unit. Kline warns that Coalescence Corporation recovered portions of Savannah's research, including early designs for a direct neural interface.

Alternate endings can occur depending on the player's decisions. If insufficient evidence is collected, Menendez successfully embeds himself within the Chorus and begins broadcasting numbers across several major cities. If Savannah is spared and the Chorus is captured intact, she continues Project Blackout under CIA supervision. In the most complete ending, Woods and Alex voluntarily terminate their archetype bodies after accepting that their recreated memories do not make them the original individuals. A post-credits scene shows Coalescence engineers beginning work on a device identified as the Direct Neural Interface.

Zombies

No.	Title	Original air date
1	"Library of the Damned"	November 13, 2020
Following the collapse of Delphi, Diego escapes with an unconscious Scarlett and reunites with Bruno and Shaw in the catacombs beneath the city. Using symbols found in Alistair's journals, the crew discovers a hidden entrance to the Library of the Nine, where prolonged exposure to Prima Materia has corrupted its archives and unleashed undead cultists, animated statues and mythological creatures. As Scarlett experiences visions of her father and the Sentinel Artifacts, the group learns that the Nine used the Library to contain forbidden knowledge connected to the Chaos dimension. They also discover that Medusa intends to access its sealed core and merge reality with Prima Materia. After restoring several ancient seals, the crew defeats the Keeper of Thresholds and uncovers a map of dimensional gateways. As the chamber collapses, Medusa reveals that Scarlett has unknowingly completed the first stage of her ascension.
2	"City of the Forgotten"	February 5, 2021
Using the gateway map recovered beneath the Library of the Nine, Scarlett, Diego, Bruno and Shaw travel to a forgotten section of Alexandria trapped within the Chaos dimension. While navigating the unstable city, Scarlett experiences visions suggesting that Alistair is imprisoned beneath its ruins. The crew learns that the Order previously attempted to access Alexandria's buried gateway, causing a corruption event that removed the region from reality. After restoring the dimensional anchors protecting the city, they discover that Medusa is corrupting the Forgotten Gate, a seal preventing Chaos from merging with other realities. The group descends into the Sunken Necropolis and confronts the Ferryman, an ancient guide of corrupted souls who has been consumed by Prima Materia. Before dying, he reveals that Medusa intends to destroy the barriers separating all realities. Although the crew disrupts the ritual, Medusa escapes with another artifact as dimensional fractures begin spreading beyond the Chaos dimension.
3	"Blood of Olympus"	June 17, 2021
Scarlett, Diego, Bruno and Shaw travel to Olympus, where Prima Materia has left the kingdom trapped within a collapsing dimensional fracture. Scarlett's visions reveal that the Olympian gods caused their own downfall by attempting to weaponise the substance. Medusa tells the crew that the Olympian Heart can destroy the barriers between realities and claims Alistair once searched for it. Beneath Olympus, the group discovers Perseus imprisoned after trying to destroy the Heart. Medusa corrupts him, forcing the crew to defeat him before he can escape. Afterwards, the Oracle warns that the dimensional fractures spreading across reality may soon become impossible to contain.
4	"The Hollow Earth"	September 25, 2021
Following the collapse of Olympus, Scarlett, Diego, Bruno and Shaw pursue Medusa into Abyssus, an ancient realm formed from the remains of destroyed dimensions. They learn that the Architects constructed the Convergence Engine to merge surviving realities during a dimensional collapse, although its activation would erase every existing timeline. Medusa has used the Sentinel Artifacts and corruption spread throughout their journey to weaken the prison of the World Maw, a primordial entity sealed beneath the Eclipse Citadel. After defeating the Devourer and entering the Citadel, Scarlett discovers that Alistair reached Abyssus years earlier but was transformed by Prima Materia into the Jailor, guardian of the Engine. The crew defeats him as Medusa shatters the black sun sealing the Maw, causing all remaining timelines to collapse toward Abyssus. Realising the creature cannot be killed, the group reverses the Convergence Engine to sever the connections between realities. Alistair briefly regains control and sacrifices himself to restrain the Maw while the surviving worlds are separated. Abyssus and the Citadel collapse, leaving the crew's fate unknown.

Development

Development of Black Ops 5 began in late 2018, shortly before the release of Black Ops 4. Treyarch initially divided the project into separate campaign, multiplayer and Zombies teams. Raven Software, which had previously assisted with several Call of Duty campaigns, was assigned to lead production of individual campaign missions while Treyarch retained control of the narrative, characters and overall design.

The decision to restore a traditional campaign was made during the final months of Black Ops 4'ss development. Treyarch had cancelled a planned two-versus-two cooperative campaign for that game and replaced it with Blackout. Although Blackout was positively received, the lack of a conventional story mode generated criticism from players and reviewers. Activision therefore requested that Treyarch's following title contain a complete single-player campaign.

Early campaign concepts included a direct sequel to Black Ops III and an anthology featuring separate operations from different periods of the Black Ops timeline. The team ultimately chose to continue the Project Blackout story introduced through the Specialist Headquarters missions. Writer Craig Houston stated that the unresolved storyline gave the developers an opportunity to make Black Ops 4'ss multiplayer narrative relevant while exploring themes of memory, identity and technological resurrection.

The campaign was designed to bridge the technological gap between Black Ops II and Black Ops III. Developers incorporated early forms of Combat Immersion and direct neural interface technology without giving the player the superhuman abilities available in Black Ops III. The team also wanted the game to retain the unreliable narration and psychological themes of earlier entries.

Raven Software developed the Berlin, Vorkuta and Janus Array missions. The Vorkuta mission was conceived as a deliberate inversion of the prison escape sequence from the original Black Ops, with the recreated Reznov questioning whether any of his memories belonged to him. Several planned flashbacks to the original Vorkuta uprising were removed because the developers believed they interrupted the pacing of the mission.

Treyarch originally planned a fully branching campaign with several mutually exclusive missions. The system was reduced in scope due to production deadlines, though optional operations, evidence collection and multiple endings were retained. The safehouse was created to give players time to examine evidence and interact with characters between missions.

For multiplayer, Treyarch sought to return to what design director David Vonderhaar described as the "fundamental rhythm" of earlier Black Ops games. Internal testing found that Specialist abilities frequently disrupted weapon engagements and made matches difficult to read. Specialists were subsequently removed as a gameplay system, though several characters returned as cosmetic multiplayer operators.

Manual healing was removed and automatic health regeneration restored. The developers experimented with health values ranging between 100 and 150 before selecting 100 health to reduce the average time required to eliminate an opponent. Predictive recoil patterns from Black Ops 4 were retained for most automatic weapons.

The Pick 10 system was selected over the unrestricted Gunsmith structure used in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. Treyarch stated that attachment limits created clearer class trade-offs and prevented players from equipping every major weapon benefit simultaneously. A simplified Gunsmith menu is nevertheless used to display weapon statistics and preview cosmetic modifications.

Development of Zombies began under co-studio head Jason Blundell. The team elected to continue only the Chaos story, following its unresolved ending in "Ancient Evil". According to Houston, producing Aether and Chaos maps simultaneously during Black Ops 4 divided development resources and prevented either storyline from receiving consistent attention.

Blundell departed Treyarch before the game's completion, though much of the Zombies story and its launch content had already been outlined. Corky Lehmkuhl and Craig Houston oversaw the remainder of development. The developers retained the loadout, perk, Elixir and Talisman systems from Black Ops 4, but revised their economies and progression following player feedback.

The game uses an upgraded version of Treyarch's internal engine, incorporating rendering, lighting and audio technology developed for Modern Warfare. The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X versions support higher-resolution textures, faster loading, a 120 frames-per-second performance mode and hardware-based ray-traced shadows. The PlayStation 5 version also supports the adaptive triggers and haptic feedback of the DualSense controller.

Development was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, requiring most employees to work remotely during the final eight months of production. Motion capture and voice recording were completed using smaller groups, isolated recording booths and remote direction. Several planned multiplayer maps and one campaign side mission were delayed and later released as post-launch content.

Marketing

Reports of Treyarch developing a follow-up to Black Ops 4 emerged in February 2020, after promotional artwork and internal retailer listings referred to an unannounced title under the name Black Ops V. Additional leaks indicated that the game would include a campaign and continue the Project Blackout story from Black Ops 4.

Activision began teasing the game on May 11 by sending locked evidence cases to content creators. Each case contained photographs, redacted documents, number sequences and a fragment of a magnetic tape. Players were required to combine clues from multiple packages to uncover a website containing the phrase "THE NUMBERS NEVER DIED".

File:Call of Duty Black Ops 5 logo.svg

The logo for Black Ops 5, featuring the traditional orange Roman numeral design used by the Black Ops series

Call of Duty: Black Ops 5 was officially announced on May 20, 2020. The announcement trailer featured distorted footage of Alex Mason, Frank Woods, Raul Menendez and the Specialist characters from Black Ops 4. It ended with Jessica Mason-Green asking whether a recreated memory should be considered real.

A digital reveal presentation was held on June 18. Treyarch and Raven Software showed footage from the campaign's Singapore mission and confirmed that the story would continue the Project Blackout narrative. The presentation also confirmed the return of campaign choices, optional missions and multiple endings.

The multiplayer component was revealed on August 26. The presentation emphasized the removal of Specialist abilities, return of automatic health regeneration and use of the Pick 10 system. Several content creators and professional players participated in a recorded multiplayer tournament following the reveal.

Zombies was revealed on September 16 through a cinematic trailer showing Diego carrying an unconscious Scarlett through the ruins beneath Delphi. The trailer confirmed that the Chaos story would continue without the Aether storyline. Gameplay footage demonstrated custom loadouts, returning special weapons, Elixirs, Talismans and an unidentified new enemy type.

An open multiplayer beta was held over two weekends in October. PlayStation 4 players received early access from October 2 to 4, followed by a second beta on all platforms from October 9 to 12. Players who pre-ordered the game received access one day before the open portion of each beta. The beta included six maps and five modes.

A separate Zombies trial was held between October 23 and 25. It allowed players to experience the first fifteen rounds of one launch map, though the main quest and major story sequences were disabled. Progress earned during either beta did not carry into the full game.

Release

Call of Duty: Black Ops 5 was released worldwide on November 13, 2020, for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X and Series S. The game was released simultaneously across both generations of console hardware, though the PlayStation 5 version became available one day after the console's North American launch.

The Windows version was released exclusively through Blizzard Entertainment's Battle.net platform. Cross-platform multiplayer is supported between all versions. Players can disable cross-platform matchmaking, though doing so restricts them to users on the same console family.

The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions can be upgraded to their respective next-generation versions for an additional fee. Physical standard editions do not include automatic upgrade entitlement, a decision which received criticism before release.

At launch, the game required approximately 140 GB of storage when Campaign, Multiplayer and Zombies were installed together. Players can remove individual modes after installation to reduce the storage requirement. High-resolution texture packs are optional on supported hardware.

Special editions and downloadable contents

Three editions of Black Ops 5 were released: the Standard Edition, Cross-Generation Edition and Ultimate Edition. The Standard Edition contains one version of the game for the selected platform. The Cross-Generation Edition contains both the previous-generation and current-generation console versions within the same console family.

The Ultimate Edition includes the cross-generation versions, the Land, Sea and Air cosmetic bundle, twenty Battle Pass tier skips and a bonus Zombies map available at launch. The cosmetic bundle contains three operator skins, three weapon blueprints and vehicle customization items.

Unlike Black Ops 4, the game does not use a traditional Black Ops Pass. New multiplayer maps, weapons and gameplay modes are made available to all players without an additional purchase. Post-launch content is distributed through seasonal updates lasting approximately eight weeks each.

Each season includes a Battle Pass with free and premium reward tracks. New functional weapons can be earned through free tiers and later unlocked through gameplay challenges. The premium track primarily contains operator skins, weapon blueprints, finishing moves, COD Points and cosmetic items.

New Zombies maps are also released without an additional map purchase. Activision stated that making the maps available to all players would prevent the Zombies community from being divided between separate downloadable content ownership groups. Players who purchase the premium Battle Pass receive cosmetic Zombies rewards but no exclusive gameplay advantages.

The in-game store sells cosmetic bundles using COD Points. Bundles include operator appearances, weapon blueprints, finishing moves, calling cards, emblems and Zombies-themed customization. Cosmetic blueprints use preset attachment combinations but do not provide statistics unavailable through normal weapon progression.

The game received six major content seasons between December 2020 and November 2021. Post-launch content included additional campaign intel, multiplayer maps, weapons, modes, Zombies maps, Gauntlet Trials and limited-time events.

Comics tie-in

In July 2020, Dark Horse Comics announced a four-issue comic book miniseries titled Call of Duty: Black Ops 5 – Blackout Protocol. The series serves as a prequel to the campaign and follows Jessica Mason-Green between her apparent death in 2043 and reunion with Ruin in 2046.

The comic was written by Justin Jordan, with story supervision from Craig Houston. Andres Ponce returned as penciller, while Dan Jackson served as colorist. The first issue was released digitally on October 7, 2020, followed by three monthly issues.

A second four-issue series continuing the Chaos Zombies story was announced following the game's release. The comic depicts Diego's attempt to escape Delphi with Scarlett and establishes events leading into the first Zombies map. Its first issue was released in January 2021.

Reception

Pre-release

The announcement that Black Ops 5 would restore a traditional single-player campaign was positively received following criticism of its absence from Black Ops 4. The decision to continue the Project Blackout narrative received a more mixed reaction, as some players were unfamiliar with the story presented through the previous game's Specialist tutorial missions.

The removal of Specialist abilities from multiplayer was broadly welcomed by players who preferred the weapon-focused gameplay of the original Black Ops and Black Ops II. However, others expressed concern that the multiplayer would lack a distinctive identity without the characters and abilities introduced in Black Ops III.

The decision to continue the Chaos Zombies story generated divided reactions. Supporters praised Treyarch for resolving the cliffhanger from "Ancient Evil", while fans of the Aether storyline were disappointed that its characters and mythology would not return. Treyarch stated that the Aether story had received a definitive ending and that reviving it would undermine the conclusion of "Tag der Toten".

The game's cross-generation upgrade model also received criticism. The Cross-Generation Edition cost more than the standard previous-generation version, while physical copies of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One editions did not include free upgrades.

Critical reception

Reception

Aggregate score

Aggregator	Score
Metacritic	PC: 81/100 PS4: 82/100 PS5: 84/100 XSXS: 84/100

Review scores

Publication	Score
Game Informer	8.75/10
GameSpot	8/10
IGN	8/10
PC Gamer (US)	82/100
The Guardian	4/5

Call of Duty: Black Ops 5 received "generally favorable" reviews across all platforms according to review aggregator Metacritic.

Critics generally considered the game an improvement over Black Ops 4, particularly due to the return of a single-player campaign and the removal of Specialist abilities from multiplayer. Praise was directed toward the campaign's performances, psychological themes, optional evidence system and integration of previously unresolved story elements. Criticism focused on its short length, dense reliance on series lore and limited impact of several choices.

Game Informer awarded the game 8.75 out of 10, praising the campaign's use of unreliable memories and describing multiplayer as "a confident return to the systems that defined Treyarch's strongest competitive games". The review considered Zombies the game's most mechanically substantial component, though it criticized the continued dependence on consumable items.

GameSpot gave the game 8 out of 10. The publication praised the campaign's safehouse, Vorkuta mission and alternate endings, but argued that the story expected players to understand minor narrative material from Black Ops 4. Its review also praised the clarity of multiplayer engagements following the removal of Specialist abilities.

IGN awarded the overall game 8 out of 10. It gave the campaign 8.5, multiplayer 8 and Zombies 8.5. IGN described the campaign as "short but densely constructed", praising the recreated versions of Mason, Woods and Reznov. The publication criticized the final act for introducing several major revelations in rapid succession.

PC Gamer awarded the game 82 out of 100. The review praised the PC version's performance and control options but reported occasional crashes and shader compilation issues at launch. It considered the multiplayer dependable but conservative, arguing that many of its strongest features had originated in earlier games.

The campaign's characterization of the archetypes received particular praise. Reviewers highlighted the Vorkuta sequence involving Reznov and the interactions between David and the recreated Alex Mason. Some critics considered Savannah's motivations underdeveloped and argued that Menendez's return reduced the impact of his possible death in Black Ops II.

The multiplayer component was praised for its map design, predictable weapon handling and faster pacing. The return of the Pick 10 system was received positively, though several reviewers criticized weapon balance at launch. The MP5, M16 and AK-74U were considered disproportionately powerful before receiving adjustments in early updates.

Zombies was praised for focusing exclusively on the Chaos story and providing more coherent progression than Black Ops 4. Critics also approved of the changes to Elixir creation and the ability to convert duplicates. The continued absence of traditional perk machines and the use of pre-selected perk loadouts remained divisive.

The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X versions received praise for reduced loading times and 120 frames-per-second support. Ray-traced shadows were considered less substantial, with several reviewers recommending the higher frame-rate mode instead.

Microtransactions

At launch, Black Ops 5 contained a cosmetic store and preparations for its first seasonal Battle Pass. The store sold operator bundles, weapon blueprints, finishing moves, emblems, calling cards and other cosmetic content using COD Points.

The game received some praise for abandoning the loot box and Reserve Crate systems used in Black Ops 4. Functional weapons could be unlocked through the free Battle Pass track or later gameplay challenges, and multiplayer maps were released without additional payment.

Criticism was directed toward the prices of individual cosmetic bundles, some of which cost the equivalent of approximately US$20. Reviewers also criticized the use of rotating availability and limited-time bundles, arguing that they encouraged fear of missing out.

Weapon blueprints generated debate because their attachment configurations could be used before a player had naturally unlocked the same attachments. Activision stated that every attachment remained obtainable through gameplay and that blueprints did not contain exclusive statistical advantages.

Zombies Elixirs and Talismans could not be directly purchased with COD Points. However, premium Battle Pass tiers and cosmetic bundles occasionally contained bonus Prima Materia. Treyarch stated that the quantities were deliberately limited to prevent direct payment from becoming the primary method of acquiring gameplay consumables.

Sales

Activision reported that Black Ops 5 grossed more than $600 million worldwide during its first five days of availability, making it the largest entertainment launch of 2020 at the time.

The game set a franchise record for first-day digital sales, surpassing the previous record established by Modern Warfare. Activision attributed the result to the growth of digital distribution, cross-platform play and the simultaneous launch across two console generations.

In the United States, Black Ops 5 became the best-selling game of 2020 based on dollar sales. It was the twelfth consecutive Call of Duty title to finish as the year's best-selling game in the region. It also became the second-best-selling game of the following year, behind another Call of Duty release.

In the United Kingdom, the game debuted at number one on the physical software chart, though boxed sales were lower than those of Modern Warfare. Digital sales increased sufficiently to make its total launch larger than the previous title.

By February 2021, Activision stated that more than 30 million players had accessed the game across Campaign, Multiplayer, Zombies and promotional free-access periods. The publisher did not disclose the number of full copies sold.

Accolades

Year	Award	Category	Result	Ref.
2020	The Game Awards 2020	Best Action Game	Nominated
		Best Multiplayer	Nominated
	Golden Joystick Awards	Best Multiplayer Game	Won
		Best Audio	Nominated
		Ultimate Game of the Year	Nominated
2021	24th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards	Action Game of the Year	Nominated
		Online Game of the Year	Nominated
	British Academy Games Awards	Multiplayer	Nominated
		Audio Achievement	Nominated
	Game Audio Network Guild Awards	Best Original Song ("Beyond the Veil")	Won
	The Game Awards 2021	Best Ongoing Game	Nominated