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Black Ops Royale: A New Blackout-Inspired Battle Royale
A brand-new Call of Duty Warzone experience is on the way. Black Ops Royale draws heavy inspiration from the original Call of Duty Battle Royale — Blackout — and drops players onto Avalon, a sprawling war zone where 24 rival squads fight to be the last team standing.
The mode launches on March 12 at 06:00 AM, with Blackout officially evolving starting Friday, March 13 at 05:00 AM.
Core Gameplay: No Loadouts, No Gulag, No Buy Stations
Black Ops Royale strips things back to a pure loot-and-survive formula. There are no Loadouts, no Gulag, and no Buy Stations. Players infiltrate via wing suit and must build their strength entirely through scavenging. It's all about plundering, upgrading weapons, mastering Cradle Breaches, and outlasting the competition.
Weapons, Archetypes, and Upgrades
After infiltration, the gameplay revolves around ruthless scavenging. You'll find Black Ops 7 weapons with fixed build archetypes and upgrade paths featuring five attachments. Hunt down Attachment Kits to increase your weapon's rarity and unlock your preset build. The goal is to push your arsenal to Legendary level before your opponents do.
Perk System
The original Call of Duty BR perk system returns with a flexible twist. Instead of fixed slots, you get five swappable, consumable boosts that you activate when the moment calls for it. Perks can be looted and shared with your squad, and each temporary advantage can swing a firefight — or decide the fate of your entire team.
Equipment
Black Ops Royale features a fully Blackout-inspired equipment arsenal. You can carry two types of equipment simultaneously, with returning favorites like the Grappling Hook, Sensor Dart, and Trauma Kit. Powerful Killstreaks and a Tiered Armor Vest system round out the toolkit. Smart looting and well-timed equipment use are key to surviving Avalon's escalating chaos.
Match Features and Movement
The mode introduces several changes to how matches flow:
- Wing suit infiltrations
- Wall-jumping omnimovement
- Navigable waterways and traversable mud pools
- Land, sea, and air vehicles
There is no Gulag. Instead, teammates can regroup via tokens or by capturing towers. You'll need to outmaneuver rivals while staying ahead of the ever-shrinking circle.
Activities on Avalon
Avalon features optional activities that add calculated risk to the looting phase:
- Bounties — Hunt targets for rewards
- Strongboxes — Crack them open for armor
- Relays — Capture for UAV scans and redeployment options
- Guild defenses — Fight through for premium loot
These activities let you set the pace and determine how aggressively you play each match.
Cradle Breaches
Cradle Breaches cover parts of Avalon in red gas. Inside these zones, hallucinatory zombie hordes appear alongside highly sought-after loot that remains invisible outside the breach area. Brave the chaos to defeat a Mangler boss or unlock a mystery box containing top-tier weapons, equipment, and other high-value rewards — if you survive.
Progression and the Counter Skies Event Pass
Black Ops Royale ties directly into Black Ops 7 and Call of Duty: Warzone progression, offering exclusive challenges, missions, and camo unlocks. The cross-mode Counter Skies Event Pass runs from March 17 through April 2, giving players the chance to earn the Swordfish A1, new accessories, operator skins, and more.