Blackout will feature major changes at launch – Level 3 Armor, audio fixes, player counts, and more

Albert Petrosyan

Call of Duty’s new Blackout battle royale mode is set to feature some major changes from its beta version when it launches as part of Black Ops 4 on October 12.

In a live-stream called “Road to Launch” on October 10, Treyarch Studio Design Director David Vonderhaar revealed some of the changes that have been made to Blackout.

The changes come in response to the feedback that was given during the mode’s beta phase, which took place over a whole week in September, when players on the PS4, Xbox One, and PC all got their hands on the game.

During the beta week, Treyarch made daily changes to Blackout, some of which was due to feedback and some were forms of experimentation.

With all of the experiments done, feedback analyzed, and testing completed, here are some of the major changes that will be featured in the day one version of Blackout.

  • Level 3 Armor, which was clearly the biggest talking point of the Blackout beta, will have a reduced spawn rate on the map, and all Armor will have its own health bar shown on the HUD.
  • The player count at launch for all three modes has been officially revealed: 88 for Solos and Duos, 100 for Quads. 
  • Muzzle flash has been reduced to not only offer less impact on a player’s field of view, but also to become less apparent in dark rooms and surroundings.
  • Changes have been made to what players will see on their screen when outside of the zone. Redness has been reduced, and it “feels appropriate to being outside.”