Black Ops Cold War Season 1 patch notes: weapon tuning, progression, more

Treyarch and Activision have now officially launched Season One of Black Ops Cold War and Warzone with a massive Dec. 16 update that has made major changes to both Call of Duty games.

Season One is finally arriving on Black Ops Cold War and Warzone, and while most of the attention is on all of the new content that’s on its way, a patch has been released that’s implemented adjustments to the games’ core areas.

When does Black Ops Cold War Season One launch?

The big Season One update for Black Ops Cold War is set to launch at 11 PM PT / 2 AM ET / 7 AM GMT on December 15/16.

Black Ops Cold War Season One patch notes

Now, as launch day arrives, we have access to the full patch notes. There’s nothing really new to players who caught the launch at the Game Awards, but the list is still hefty.

Here’s all you need to know for the Black Ops Cold War side of the update, including Multiplayer and Zombies.

Global

Battle Pass

• Up to 100 tiers of unlockable items available in the Battle Pass System at the start of Season One, including two free weapons (Mac-10 at Tier 15, Groza at Tier 31), plus new Operator Skins, Weapon Blueprints, War Tracks, 1300 COD Points, 2XP Tokens, and more.
• Black Ops Cold War Battle Pass System progress can be earned in Black Ops Cold War, Warzone, and Modern Warfare at the start of Season One.
• Unlocked Vehicle Skins will be unique to each game (Black Ops Cold War and Warzone).

Progression

Cross-Game Progression

• Player progression will be synchronized across Black Ops Cold War, Warzone, and Modern Warfare at the start of Season One based on your current Season Level in Black Ops Cold War.
• All previous unlocks from Black Ops Cold War and Modern Warfare (weapons, Perks, Scorestreaks, or Killstreaks) will remain unlocked.
• 1,000 new Season Levels available at the start of Season One after completing Military Ranks.

Season One Progression

• Level 50: New Prestige, Emblem, Prestige Key, Weapon Blueprint, Battle Pass Tier Skip
• Level 100: New Prestige, Emblem, Prestige Key, Battle Pass Tier Skip
• Level 150: New Prestige, Emblem, Prestige Key, Battle Pass Tier Skip
• Level 200: New Prestige, Emblem, Prestige Key, Battle Pass Tier Skip, Prestige Master Calling Card, all Season Challenges unlocked
• Level 250-1,000: New Prestige Key every 50 levels

Challenges

Season Challenges

• Unique sets of 20 Season Challenges added for both Multiplayer and Zombies.
• Challenges are unlocked every 10 Season Levels, with all Season Challenges unlocked by Level 200.
• Once unlocked, players can continue to earn progress toward completing these Challenges during future seasons.
• New Calling Cards available for completing all Season Challenges, plus a Master Calling Card for completing the full set each season.

Operator Missions

• All Operator Skins come with Operator Missions in Season One.
• Play MP, Zombies, and Warzone to earn additional XP rewards and Operator Skin variants.

Stability

• Added various stability fixes.

UI

• Addressed various UI issues.

Multiplayer

Maps

The Pines (6v6)

• Coming to Core and Hardcore map rotation at the start of Season One.

Raid (6v6)

• Coming to Core and Hardcore map rotation at the start of Season One.

Nuketown ’84 Holiday (6v6)

• Coming to Core and Hardcore map rotation at the start of Season One.
• Available in Nuketown ’84 Holiday 24/7 playlist at the start of Season One. Hardcore Nuketown ’84 Holiday also available in Quick Play.
• Replaces Nuketown ’84 during Season One holiday event.

Gunfight Maps (2v2)

• Coming to Gunfight mode at the start of Season One:
  • Game Show
  • ICBM
  • U-Bahn
  • KGB

Nuketown ’84 (6v6)

• Adjusted spawns to reduce spawning in longer lines of sight to reduce spawn-trapping.
• Added spawns in and around mid-map to reduce spawn-trapping.

Game Modes

Gunfight

• Available at the start of Season One.
• 2v2 showdowns. First duo to win six rounds wins the match.
• Includes four new maps: Game Show, ICBM, U-Bahn, and KGB.

Prop Hunt

• Available at the start of Season One.
• One team of Hunters scours the map for the other team disguised as Props throughout the environment.
• Map list includes The Pines, Cartel, Checkmate, Moscow, Nuketown ’84 Holiday, and Garrison.

Hardpoint

• Additional spawns added for all Hardpoint zones on Crossroads Strike.
• Adjusted spawns for Hardpoint zone 2 on Moscow.
• Addressed an issue where players could capture a Hardpoint outside of the yellow house on Nuketown ‘84.

Domination

• Addressed an issue where zone borders would show as contested before the round started.
• Addressed an issue where the announcer would incorrectly state an “almost won” line to the losing team.

Free-For-All

• Players will now join matches already in progress less frequently.

Search & Destroy

• The bomb waypoint will now fade when in line of sight.

Control

• Overtime Defense will now be given to the team that has fewer total deaths during the previous 4 rounds.
• Removed several defender spawns that were too close to the A zone on Garrison.

VIP Escort

• Addressed an issue where the VIP’s third-person model would not match their first-person view during Exfil.

Fireteam

• Addressed an issue where the Cruise Missile HUD effects would play while in the Fireteam Spawn overhead menu.
• Addressed an issue where the Fireteam Spawn overhead HUD effects would be present during Best Play.
• Fixed a rare crash in Fireteam: Dirty Bomb related to the Sentry Turret.

Custom Games

• CDL Control
  • Reduced capture time from 60 seconds to 45 seconds.
  • Addressed an issue where the lives remaining UI would not properly display the correct number of lives.

Featured Playlists

Raid the Mall

• Available at the start of Season One. Includes a moshpit of 6v6 modes on Raid and The Pines.

Gunfight

• Available at the start of Season One.

Prop Hunt

• Available at the start of Season One.

Nuketown ’84 Holiday 24/7

• Available at the start of Season One. Includes a moshpit of 6v6 modes on Nuketown ’84 Holiday.

Weapons

New Weapons

• Mac-10 SMG available for free at Tier 15 in the Battle Pass System at the start of Season One.
• Groza assault rifle available for free at Tier 31 in the Battle Pass System at the start of Season One.

Assault Rifles

• AK-47
  • Reduced headshot multiplier.
  • Reduced damage for 20″ Spetsnaz RPK Barrel.
• Krig 6
  • Reduced headshot multiplier.
• FFAR 1
  • Increased damage ranges.
  • Reduced recoil.

Submachine Guns

• Milano 821
  • Increased effective damage ranges.
• KSP 45
  • Increased effective damage ranges.
• Bullfrog
  • Increased effective damage ranges.

Tactical Rifles

• M16
  • Reduced maximum effective range.
  • Reduced fire rate.
• Tactical Rifle Charlie
  • Reduced headshot multiplier.
  • Reduced maximum effective range.
  • Reduced fire rate.
  • Reduced damage for 19.8” Task Force Barrel.
• Attachments
  • Adjusted Barrel attachments that improve fire rates for tactical rifles.

Light Machine Guns

• M60
  • Increased ADS speed.
  • Increased weapon swap speeds.

Sniper Rifles

• Sniper Rifle Charlie
  • Increased damage multiplier for upper chest to allow for a one-hit kill without attachments.
  • 22.6″ Tiger Team Barrel will now increase one-hit kill zone to upper arms.
  • Recoil adjusted for higher shot power.

Pistols

• Magnum
  • Increased effective damage ranges.
  • Increased fire rate.

Shotguns

• Hauer 77
  • Decreased damage ranges.
  • Decreased damage range for 25.2” Task Force Barrel.
• Shotgun Bravo
  • Decreased damage ranges.
  • Decreased fire rate.
  • Decreased damage range for 24.8” Task Force Barrel.
• Attachments
  • Adjusted Barrel attachments that improve fire rates for shotguns.
    General
  • Reduced the amount of player knockback when being damaged by bullet weapons.

Perks

Flak Jacket

• Reduced explosive damage mitigation.

Forward Intel

• Increased viewable mini-map area.

Ninja

• Removed protection from Field Mic detection.

Spycraft

• Added full immunity to Field Mic detection.

Equipment

Frag Grenade

• Slightly increased damage.

Molotov

• Slightly increased damage.

Stimshot

• Reduced heal speed.

Field Upgrades

Field Mic

• No longer detects users who are crouch-walking, ADS walking, or swimming.

Gas Mine

• Increased damage.
• Removed detonation delay.
• Reduced how much a player will be slowed when affected by the gas.

Scorestreaks

H.A.R.P.

• High-Altitude Reconnaissance Plane shows both enemy positions and their directions on the mini-map.

Cruise Missile

• Addressed an issue where the Cruise Missile HUD effects would display after a Cruise Missile killcam.
• Addressed an issue where using a Cruise Missile from a Care Package could clear score earned toward the player’s equipped Cruise Missile Scorestreak.

RC-XD

• Addressed an issue that allowed the RC-XD to push teammates.

General

• Quick Play will now display the player’s last selected tab between Core and Hardcore by default.
• Addressed an issue where Friendly Fire penalties would be applied for self-kills in Hardcore modes.
• Addressed an issue where the camera could not access the entire map in Crossroads.

Zombies

General

• Added support for 2-player splitscreen.

Stability

• Added various stability fixes.
• Added stability improvements for Host Migration.

Weapons

Mac-10

• Mac-10 SMG added to Mystery Box with weapon rarity/attachment variations once owned.

Groza

• Groza assault rifle added to Mystery Box with weapon rarity/attachment variations once owned.

Die Maschine

Support

• Cruise Missile
  • Cruise Missile added as new Support weapon starting in Season One.

Leaderboard

• “Die Maschine” leaderboard updated to start tracking Highest Round completed instead of Total Rounds completed.

Salvage Rewards

• Refactored Round Milestone Salvage awards to ensure a more even distribution and higher amount awarded to all players.

Exfil

• Addressed an issue that could prevent zombies from reaching the Exfil area fast enough to be cleared.
• Addressed an issue that sometimes caused an excessive number of Megaton enemies to spawn during the Exfil event.
• Addressed a rare issue that could cause the Megaton to become stuck outside of the map during the Exfil event.
• Addressed an issue that allowed completing Exfil while in the Dark Aether in the “Die Maschine 20 Round” playlist.

Field Upgrades

• Addressed an issue that could cause the player to lose charge on a Field Upgrade when swapping classes to one that had the same Field Upgrade equipped.
• Addressed an issue where Field Upgrades that have an active duration were able to earn progress toward the next charge while still active.

Equipment

• Addressed an issue that prevented the Cymbal Monkey from automatically being picked up and stacked if one was already in the player’s inventory.

Pack-a-Punch

• Addressed a timing-specific issue that caused the Pack-A-Punch to become non-functional.

UI

• Addressed an issue that could cause the “Swap and Attach” prompt to appear on weapon pickup prompts under specific circumstances.

General

• Closed various map exploit areas.
• Addressed an issue that could cause the left hand of a Dual Wield weapon from receiving Weapon Skill upgrades.
• Addressed an issue that prevented players from Pinging the Mystery Box.
• Addressed a rare issue that could prevent Plaguehounds from triggering their death visual effects.

Dead Ops Arcade 3

Gameplay

• Added various enemy and weapon tuning.
• Closed various map exploits.

Leaderboards

• Leaderboard stats reset for Solo/Duo/Trio/Quad (boss defeats, high score, high round) at the start of Season One to allow for a fresh start based on updated gameplay tuning.

Onslaught (PS4/PS5)

Gameplay

• Increased early Surge spawn rates for a faster-paced experience.
• Filling up the Surge meter now immediately clears the area.

Maps

• The Pines
  • Available in Onslaught at the start of Season One.
• Nuketown ’84
  • Added various exploit fixes.

Enemies

• Addressed an issue that prevented Plaguehound toxic kills from contributing to Orb Power.
• Addressed various pathing issues for the Megaton.

General

• Addressed a rare issue that could cause Salvage to drop in Onslaught when using certain attachments.

PC

Stability

• Added various stability fixes.
• Addressed an issue that could cause the game to occasionally crash when quitting the game.

General

• Updated recommended driver version for NVIDIA GPU to 457.30.
• Updated recommended driver version for AMD GPU to 20.11.01.