While Black Ops 6 players have been gleefully eviscerating each other on a bunch of mayhem-inducing maps, Activision has been tinkering with the shooter behind the scenes.
Through a series of updates, everything from the game’s destructive weapons to ability-boosting Combat Specialities have undergone significant changes.
Keeping track of these tweaks can help players to modify their loadouts accordingly, so that they’re only packing the most impactful guns, perks and scorestreaks.
These are the biggest changes to Black Ops 6 that you need to know.
Black Ops 6 patch notes
At the time of writing, Activision has released five Black Ops 6 updates following the game’s launch in late October.
Due to their small download sizes, these so-called patches are easy to miss. But, don’t let that fool you: they still pack a punch.
Weapons
As part of a sweeping set of changes, some of the game’s most popular weapons have been downgraded to make fights fairer.
The most recent patch nerfed the effectiveness of assault rifles (ARs) at close range while increasing their damage radius.
Many ARs also had their headshot multipliers reduced, further balancing their close-range performance.
Submachine guns (SMGs), on the other hand, were buffed to make them more powerful at mid-range.
Lastly, shotgun slugs that could cut down players in one shot have had their max damage nerfed from 106 to 92 for the Marine SP and ASG-89.
Equipment
Elsewhere, the Flashbang’s effect duration was nerfed by 20 per cent, giving you less time to take down blinded foes. XP gains were also removed for Decoys that made it easy to rack up extra points for kills and assists in matches.
Perks and Combat Specialities
One of the most contentious changes in Black Ops 6 was the addition of a Combat Speciality known as Recon. This game-changing boost lets you see other players through walls when you respawn.
After numerous complaints online, Activision nerfed Recon by reducing the duration that enemies are highlighted from two seconds to 1.5 seconds, with an additional downgrade coming in the days leading up to season one on November 14..
Furthermore, the Dispatcher perk that lets you call in non-lethal scorestreaks faster was also nerfed, with the score cost increased for UAV from 500 to 550 and for Counter UAV from 550 to 600.
Scorestreaks
Speaking of scorestreaks, Active has buffed both the health of both UAV and Counter UAV. The explosion radius of the Napalm Strike has also been ramped up as has the fly-in speed of the Strategic Bomber.
Meanwhile, the core cost for Interceptors has been decreased from 1,250 to 1,150.
Bugs
Alongside the various item adjustments, Activision has quietly fixed a number of gameplay bugs that were infuriating players.
Now, you won’t be abruptly spawned into a session in progress only to be picked off instantly. Instead, you’ll have time to choose your loadout while you spectate the action.
Adversely, there’s no more jumping outside the confines of the map to sneak up on players on Babylon, Red Card and Lowtown, as all of those exploits have been closed.
Plus, Activision has increased the XP and weapon XP earn rates across a range of multiplayer modes and the broader game, respectively.
