Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 launched its Season 4 update on May 29, offering players a mix of new content alongside a free trial weekend. The season brings fresh maps, weapons, and the return of a fan-favorite Zombies mode, but technical issues have dampened the experience for many players.
Free Trial Opens Doors to New Players
From May 30 to June 3, players who don’t own Black Ops 6 can experience the full Multiplayer and Zombies modes at no cost. The trial includes access to all Season 4 content, featuring three new multiplayer maps: Shutdown (an Icelandic hydroelectric plant), Fugitive (a prison complex), and Blitz (a cliffside traffic collision scene).
While the Campaign remains excluded from the free weekend, the trial gives players full access to the standard and directed Zombies experiences, including the return of Grief mode. During this period, the full game is also being offered at a discount on Steam and PlayStation Store.
Weapon Balance Takes Center Stage
Season 4’s patch notes reveal significant weapon tuning, particularly for burst-fire marksman rifles and light machine guns (LMGs). The SWAT 5.56 and AEK-973 now feature reduced burst fire cooldown times, while LMGs like the PU-21, XMG, GPMG-7, and Feng 82 received improved movement speed and reduced weapon kick.
Players using these weapons will notice tangible improvements in mobility. For example, the PU-21’s ADS firing movement speed increased from 2.1m/s to 2.3m/s, making the traditionally slower LMG class more viable in fast-paced combat.
Death Recap Gets More Detailed
A significant quality-of-life improvement comes in the form of an enhanced death recap system. Players can now see exactly how they were eliminated, with indicators showing if they were affected by UAVs, pings, unsuppressed weapons, body shields, Sleeper Agent, Scout Pulse, Proximity Alarms, or Signal Lures. This provides valuable tactical feedback to help players avoid similar deaths in future matches.
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Zombies Revival: Grief Mode Returns
After a long absence since Black Ops 2, the competitive 4v4 Grief mode returns to Zombies. This mode pits two teams against each other while battling the undead, with unique mechanics like capture zones that allow teams to apply debuffs to their opponents. While players can’t damage each other directly, they can sabotage the opposing team through body blocking and other tactics.
The Zombies experience also received weapon buffs, with several pistols and marksman rifles getting significant damage increases when Pack-a-Punched. The Stryder .22 pistol saw its Pack-a-Punch damage doubled, while the Tsarkov 7.62 marksman rifle received a 50% boost to critical damage.
Technical Issues Mar the Launch
Despite the content additions, Season 4’s rollout has been plagued by technical problems. Theater mode has been temporarily disabled due to issues with match replays, and many players are reporting widespread crashes, stuttering, and severe server latency across platforms.
The instability prompted Activision to disable several features temporarily, including loadout editing in pre-match lobbies. Ranked Play for Warzone Battle Royale was also delayed at launch, adding to player frustration.
Looking Ahead
While Season 4 brings substantial content, the technical challenges have overshadowed many of the positive changes. As Raven Software and Treyarch continue to deploy patches, players can look forward to mid-season additions including a new One in the Chamber mode, Party Ops mini-games, and additional weapons like the Essex Model 07 Marksman Rifle and Olympia Special Shotgun.
For now, those interested in trying the game for free should take advantage of the trial period ending June 3, while current players navigate the mixture of fresh content and ongoing technical hurdles.