Warzone’s Black Ops Royale brings back nostalgic elements from the original Call of Duty Blackout mode.
Since the launch of Blackout mode in Call of Duty eight years ago, players have not experienced quite the same thrill in the evolving Warzone standalone title. To satisfy that nostalgia, Call of Duty has announced “Black Ops Royale”–a Blackout-inspired battle royale featuring weapons and gameplay reminiscent of the original mode.
Black Ops Royale will launch on Friday, 13 March at 12:00 p.m. SGT. Progression in this update will tie directly into Black Ops 7 and Call of Duty: Warzone, with new rewards and events to look forward to. A cross-mode Counter Skies Event Pass will run from 18 March to 3 April, offering rewards including the Swordfish A1, new attachments, operator skins, and more.
What’s coming in Black Ops Royale
Warzone is bringing the classic battle royale experience back, with what feels like a Blackout 2.0 to many fans. In Black Ops Royale, players are dropped onto Avalon with no loadouts, no Gulag, and no Buy Stations. You start bare and must scavenge for weapons and armour in the chaos of a 24-squad warzone.
A returning Perk system from the original battle royale is also present, with a few changes: there are no fixed slots, just five swappable consumable boosts that you can activate when the moment demands.
Fan-favourite equipment such as the Grappling Hook, Sensor Dart, and Trauma Kit, along with potent Killstreaks and the Tiered Armour Vest system, will also make a return.
The update introduces new match features, including match flow with wingsuit infil, wall-jumping Omnimovement, swimmable waterways, and crossable tidal flats. The traditional Gulag system has been replaced with a new second-chance mechanic, allowing redeployment via Tokens or by capturing Towers to revive teammates.
A new version of the Zombie Zones from Blackout will appear as Cradle Breaches, where players must survive a Mangler Boss and unlock a Mystery Box for high-value loot, which remains invisible outside the zone.
Avalon will also be scattered with optional activities, including hunting bounties, cracking Strongboxes for armour, capturing Relays for UAV sweeps and redeploys, or battling through Guild defences for exclusive rewards.
Watch the Black Ops Royale Launch Trailer below!
