'Call of Duty: Black Ops 4's Battle Royale Mode 'Blackout' Will Be 'Well Balanced'

When Treyarch first revealed that the Call of Duty: Black Ops franchise was going to put its own spin on the Battle Royale craze, many were skeptical that it could break the mold with so many others trying to replicate PUBG and Fortnite's success. Then we got our first look at Blackout, and minds started to change. Now even more information has come to light regarding how the studio plans to handle the challenges of maintaining balance for a chaotic game mode.

Our friends over at PC Gamer recently sat down with some of the crew from Treyarch and Beenox to discuss how they plan to handle their new Blackout mode and what fans should be excited to check out for themselves with the upcoming beta.

The most important thing to keep in mind is that though this specifically is new, it is built with Call of Duty: Black Ops in mind. This is very much a part of Black Ops with inspiration from maps, weapons, vehicles, and play style.

"It's easy to understand why people see it as a patchwork, but all of the maps are built seamlessly together," said Treyarch's Thomas Wilson. "The environments are all inspired by classic maps, and you'll see moments from Firing Squad and Nuketown in there, but it's not like we just dropped them right next to each other and glued them together. It is still very much an environment build for Black Ops."

And there will be so much to do! Whether you want to take to the air, or find your sea legs — the environment will be incredibly immersive. Director of Communications John Rafacz had this to say about the diversification and balance:

"There's a range of vehicles that I think are well-balanced to match with the on-foot combat. It isn't like you're driving a tank, trying to fight against a dude with a scavenged submachine gun. They're all well-balanced. We've been having a lot of playtests at Treyarch over the last several months getting ready for this, and it's a blast to play. It feel great. It feels like Black Ops."

To learn more about Blackout and how it honors the Black Ops "heritage," you can scope out the full interview right here. You can also catch up on all of the latest info, including new map revelations and beta dates, with our Call of Duty Community Hub here.