Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Update Changes How Often One Map Appears

The latest update for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 added a Double XP period for the long weekend and [...]

The latest update for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 added a Double XP period for the long weekend and teased some content that's still to come, but one of the parts of the patch that some players will be happiest with is the adjustments for one controversial map. The Arsenal Sandstorm battleground has been a divisive one since the map was released with players claiming that it wasn't an enjoyable map to play on and that lobbies would empty when people saw that map was up next. Responding to the feedback about the map, Treyarch has now reduced the likelihood that it'll show up in the normal rotations.

Treyarch's patch notes for the May 24th update detailed the changes that have now been applied to the map rotation and Arsenal Sandstorm. The notes didn't explicitly say this map would show up fewer times, but making "adjustments to how frequently Arsenal Sandstorm will show up in rotation" leads one to believe we'll be seeing it less often. Treyarch cited player feedback in the decision and said it would take this info into consideration when creating other nontraditional maps.

"In today's update, we've made some adjustments to how frequently Arsenal Sandstorm will show up in rotation based on map voting data and player feedback," Treyarch said. "It was our intent to push the boundaries with this alternative map and see how players would react in a live environment. From playing in the wild with all of you, and armed with the data we've received, we've made adjustments and will take these learnings into account for future maps."

Back when the map was first unveiled, Treyarch previewed it as a map where players would have to adapt to the sandstorms that swept the environment, though it looks like players would prefer to just see it less than adapt to its style.

"Hot on the heels of Contraband Hurricane, Arsenal Sandstorm is our most intricate map makeover yet in Black Ops 4," Treyarch said when the map was first released. "Players will need to adapt their playstyles to waves of sand sweeping across the environment, with limited visibility throughout the facility encouraging shorter-ranged engagements. We're excited to see how player strategies will evolve on Arsenal Sandstorm, now in rotation on all platforms."

Black Ops 4's Days of Summer seasonal update is on the way in June, so it'll be interesting to see if and how any other multiplayer map changes when that content is out.

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