Image: callofduty.com / Activision
Call of Duty's original battle royale DNA is making a comeback. Black Ops Royale, initially announced as a "Blackout Experience," is a new game mode arriving in Call of Duty: Warzone as part of the Black Ops 7 Season Two Reloaded update. It launches on Thursday, March 12 at 9 PM PT (midnight ET on Friday, March 13) and is free for all players.
Described as an evolution of Blackout from Black Ops 4, Black Ops Royale aims to deliver a unique experience that pays homage to Blackout's core gameplay while keeping the flow feeling right for modern Warzone players.
The Core Concept: Scavenge to Survive
Black Ops Royale strips away many of the systems Warzone players have grown accustomed to. There are no Loadouts, no Gulag, no Buy Stations, and no in-game cash systems. Every player drops into the match on equal footing with only a pistol and a Wingsuit, and must scavenge weapons and equipment from the ground, Supply Boxes, or eliminated players.
At launch, matches feature 100 players in 25 Quad teams. The objective is straightforward: be the last squad standing. An electrified boundary shrinks over the course of the match, with its starting location shifting each game to ensure the full map gets used.
Omnimovement — including wall-jumping — is fully available. Vehicles spanning land, sea, and air are also present on the map.
The Avalon Map
Black Ops Royale is played exclusively on Avalon, a large-scale map that was previously available in the Black Ops 7 Endgame mode. For Black Ops Royale, the map has been modified with less water to improve traversal, and it features enhanced visual clarity. Treyarch has indicated the map's geography will continue to be updated in future seasons.
Avalon is divided into five zones packed with named points of interest:
- Northwest: Golf Club (an homage to the Hazard MP map from the original Black Ops), Residences, Trinity Stadium, Casino, High Town
- Northeast: Winery, Resorts, Excavation Site, Colosseum
- Southwest Coast: Coastal Security, Firing Range, Fort, Listening Post
- South Central: Low Town, Pier District, Heliport, Chop Shop
- East/Southeast: Cliff Town, Water Treatment, Car Factory, Old Arsenal
A free interactive Tac-Atlas map is also available on the Call of Duty website.
Weapons: Rarity and Archetypes
Weapons in Black Ops Royale work differently than standard Warzone. Each weapon has a preset Archetype (its intended playstyle) and can be found at any rarity tier. Rather than hunting for individual attachments, players find Attachment Kits to upgrade a weapon's rarity, which adds pre-determined attachments and stat boosts.
The five rarity tiers are:
- Common: 1 Attachment + Class Benefit
- Uncommon: 2 Attachments + Class Benefits
- Rare: 3 Attachments + Class Benefits
- Epic: 4 Attachments + Class Benefits
- Legendary: 5 Attachments + Class Benefits
Each weapon class receives specific Global Class Benefits as rarity increases — for example, Assault Rifles and SMGs gain recoil control and reload speed, while Sniper Rifles get faster rechambering, improved idle sway, and flinch resistance.
Archetype themes include CQB, Raider, Covert, Viper, Heavy Metal, and Stalker, giving players a quick read on a weapon's attachment philosophy. There are also Exotic Weapons that fall outside the standard archetype rules.
Redeploy System: No Gulag
Instead of a Gulag, Black Ops Royale uses a Redeploy Token system. Players begin each match with one token. If eliminated, the token is automatically spent, and after a short delay the player drops back into the match. Additional tokens can be looted but you can only carry one at a time. Redeploy Towers also let squads capture Guild towers to redeploy their entire team.
Equipment and Perks
The inventory system allows players to carry two Lethals, two Tacticals, two Field Upgrades, and two Killstreaks — all of different types (no duplicate items). Returning Blackout fan favorites in the ground loot pool include the Grappling Hook, Sensor Dart, Cymbal Monkey, and Trauma Kit. A new Killstreak, the Psych Bomb, is also available. The Trauma Kit and certain perks let players exceed their maximum health.
Perks follow a flexible system with five swappable, consumable boosts — no fixed slots. They come in Short, Medium, and Long Duration varieties and can be looted and shared among squadmates.
Players also use a Tiered Armor Vest system for protection.
Activities Replace Contracts
Traditional Warzone contracts are replaced by Activities that appear as players explore certain areas:
- Target Uplink Station: Search for player bounties
- Surprise Shipment: Secure Guild shipment containers guarded by robotic enemies for an Armor Satchel
- Surveillance Drone: Destroy a Guild Drone for additional activity reveals
- Strongbox Crack: Hack a safe for Level 2 Armor
- Relay Antenna: Activate hardware for a temporary UAV and Redeploy Drone
- Redeploy Tower: Revive eliminated squadmates
- Supply Drops: Care packages with randomized high-value loot
Cradle Breaches: High-Risk Zombies Content
Cradle Breaches cover portions of Avalon in red gas, spawning zombie hordes and revealing loot that's invisible outside the zone. Inside, players can encounter two unique activities:
- Mangler: Defeat a Cradle Boss for Level 3 Armor and high-tier loot
- Mystery Box: Fight through zombie waves to access a mystery box that can reward Exotic Weapons — including the Ray Gun
Events and Progression
All Warzone and Global Progression systems are active in Black Ops Royale. The mode features exclusive Daily, Weekly, and Calling Card challenges, plus Operator Orders completable during matches. A cross-mode Counter Skies Event Pass runs from March 17 through April 2, offering rewards including the Swordfish A1, new accessories, and operator skins.