What is Blackout mode in Black Ops 4 on Xbox and PS4?

Oct 15 2018
Written by Tom Duggins

Call of Duty fans are finally live with Black Ops 4, one of the year’s most anticipated releases, but what is there to know about the new Blackout mode?

If you’ve been tempted over to other non-first-person shooters in the last year or so (ahem…Fortnite), then you might be eagerly awaiting a return to the direct perspective of Call of Duty‘s single-player mode.

However, things have changed in the world of CoD. The single-player mode has been dropped entirely in favour of a focus on online multiplayer modes which help address a switch in appetite amongst hardcore gamers.

This is highlighted by the decision from Black Ops 4‘s developers Treyarch to introduce Call of Duty‘s first-ever battle royale mode. So what is Blackout and does it compete with other similar online games?

What is Blackout in Black Ops 4?

CREDIT: ACTIVISION

Blackout is the Call of Duty franchise’s answer to the runaway success of Fortnite‘s free-to-play ‘last man standing’ Battle Royale.

Just like Fortnite, gamers are helicoptered into a gigantic terrain – 100 players at a time – where they must first scavenge for weapons, medical supplies and other items before taking each other on in a tense survival match.

A contracting circle gradually closes off the size of the playable area, forcing players together and speeding up the game’s conclusion.

There is only one map, which is consistent across every mode and format for the game, but its scale is the largest of anything seen in Call of Duty up to this point.

You can play solo, with a partner (‘Duo’) or in a team of four (‘Quads’), and there are also vehicles in the game (including an ATV and helicopter) which can be used to move around the map.

Is Black Ops 4 live for the Xbox and PS4?

The game’s servers appeared to go online for players earlier than expected. As of this point, most countries should now have access and be able to play across the servers.

Here’s the full list of live release times, if you want to check: