THE HAUNTING RETURNS TO CALL OF DUTY®: WARZONE™, INVADES BLACK OPS COLD WAR IN SEASON SIX

“Do You Like Scary Movies?”

Night falls once more in Warzone and Black Ops Cold War, and you’d better run for cover.

As tormentors from the silver screen come to life, ghosts rise from the underworld to steal the souls of those who infiltrate Verdansk at night. Nuketown has been overrun with terror, there’s a killer on the loose, and the Infected threaten the living… while all across the Outbreak Zones, Requiem’s agents are mere minutes away from joining the undead.

So once again, we’ll ask… do you like scary movies? Hopefully you do, because in The Haunting, it’s time for you to be the star of your own show… and not even the best Warzone players in the world can save themselves from what lurks in the shadows. 

Season Six gets “reloaded” less than two weeks after launch with The Haunting in Black Ops Cold War and Warzone, the blockbuster Halloween event that will take over both games starting tomorrow, October 19, and will run through November 2. No additional downloads are needed to enter a twisted new take on this season of fear — all you need is your squadmates and plenty of bravery.

Featuring the “Ghosts of Verdansk” limited-time mode, The Haunting in Warzone brings Verdansk back under nightfall. In Black Ops Cold War, new modes in Multiplayer and Zombies are sure to get you in the Halloween spirit. And across both games, completing The Haunting’s challenges will unlock the prototypical LAPA SMG – the first-ever ranged weapon event reward – which will also have a unique Weapon Blueprint available in the Store alongside Halloween-themed Bundles.

Those additional Store offerings include the new SCREAM’s Ghostface Operator and the Frank the Rabbit Operator Skin, both of which are fitting for the frights ahead.

Dare to learn more? This is everything you need to know about The Haunting.

WARZONE AND BLACK OPS COLD WAR INTEL

  •  Ghostface and Frank the Rabbit — Become terrors in the night through their Bundles, available for a limited time.
  • The Haunts Don’t Stop with Them — Portnova becomes the Necro Queen, Weaver dons the Disciple’s robes, and more in-Store.
  • An SMG Treat for The Haunting — Complete all Warzone or Black Ops Cold War themed challenges to earn the new LAPA SMG.

Limited-Time SCREAM Operator Bundle Premieres with Plenty of Fear

Available starting tomorrow, the Limited-Time SCREAM Operator Bundle is your opportunity to play as Ghostface in Warzone and Black Ops Cold War before he returns to cinemas in January 2022, where Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group will bring back the classic film series that defined the ‘90s for meta horror.

Yes, Ghostface is back… It’s always someone you know! A new psychopath is terrorizing the streets of Woodsboro once again with a new set of rules.

And in Black Ops Cold War and Warzone, he’s a standalone Operator who can carve up any hapless soul — living, dead, or undead — across Multiplayer, Zombies, and Battle Royale. 

In addition to the SCREAM Ghostface Operator, this Bundle comes with the iconic “Violent End” Finishing Move, which can be performed by all Operators, including Ghostface; the “Cordless Phone” Weapon Charm; the “Scary Hours” Watch; an animated Emblem and Calling Card; and three Legendary Weapon Blueprints.

The two ranged Weapon Blueprints come with Tracer Fire, and of course, there’s the “Ghost Blade,” where you can truly become the infamous killer with a knife modeled after Ghostface’s signature weapon.

Later in The Haunting: Tracer Pack: Donnie Darko Limited-Time Bundle

Donnie Darko gave the world a true psychological thriller right after the turn of the twenty-first century, impressing at independent film festivals and developing a cult following after its 2001 release.

The Haunting will also bring this film’s mysterious rabbit into Black Ops Cold War and Warzone. Although it won’t be available tomorrow, you won’t have to wait 28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes, and 12 seconds to get it. In fact, the Tracer Pack: Donnie Darko Limited-Time Bundle will drop in on October 24 across both games.

The countdown to the end of the world has begun, and the “Frank the Rabbit” Operator Skin, included within this Bundle for Baker, is here to celebrate. With this new Skin comes a Finishing Move that fans of the film will know too well, almost as if it was a premonition of what’s to come… 

We are, of course, talking about the “Sky is Falling” Finishing Move, where any Operator — including Baker as Frank the Rabbit — can cause an unfortunate accident for anyone caught with their back exposed.

This Bundle also includes four Epic-Rarity items — a Weapon Charm, a Calling Card, an Emblem, and a Watch. You’ll also get three Legendary Weapon Blueprints — one Sniper Rifle, one SMG, and one Assault Rifle. All of these Weapon Blueprints come with Purple Electric Tracer Fire and other shocking effects that may be useful in getting into your enemy’s head…

More Scares In-Store

Other Operators are getting into the spirit, in more ways than one. Around Halloween, a few themed Bundles will drop in the Store, and you may already be familiar if you paid attention during Season Six’s original announcement.

Namely, there will be a trio of Ultra-rarity Operator Skins across three Bundles coming out Halloween week, starting with the Tracer Pack: Necro Queen Reactive Mastercraft.

Featuring the “Necro Queen” Operator Skin for Portnova, as well as a Reactive Mastercraft “Void Monster” Assault Rifle Blueprint, this Bundle could help you rule life, death, and the space between.

Next is the Tracer Pack: Disciple of Mayhem Ultra Bundle, which comes with an Operator Mission that unlocks COD Points and an Ultra-rarity Operator Skin Variant once completed.

The star of this Bundle is Weaver’s Ultra-rarity “Disciple of Mayhem” Skin, which is inspired by the terrifying Disciple from Zombies. Although the robes don’t give you the power to steal life force from enemies, they do look great when performing the “Repairs with Klaus” Finishing Move or when using the three included Legendary Weapon Blueprints. Perhaps best of all, this Bundle includes the wise-cracking Klaus from “Mauer der Toten” as a new lobby companion.

Then on Halloween, the Tracer Pack: Lumens Maxis Ultra Bundle will light up the night — and day — with an Ultra-rarity “Lumens” Skin for Maxis and three Legendary Weapon Blueprints with bright electric Tracer Fire.

Before all of that, another menacing Ultra-rarity Skin specific to Naga will arrive in the Store. But we best save that intel for when it launches on Friday, October 22.

The Haunting Event and the LAPA SMG

The Haunting isn’t just about which Operator you choose to survive the night. It’s also about what you need to do to survive… and how to come away with plenty of new rewards for your arsenal.

During The Haunting event, there will be two sets of nine challenges — one for Warzone and one for Black Ops Cold War — with 19 items, such as Weapon Blueprints, to earn. In addition to rewards earned for completing each challenge, The Haunting offers a major bonus reward for finishing all nine challenges in either game: the LAPA SMG.

This ranged prototype will test your opponents from a distance. Its attachments leave plenty of room for investigation on how it can fit into the meta, but on its own, it is a high-damage but slow-firing SMG with solid control and range.

Alongside the Limited Time Scream Operator Bundle, The Haunting will begin with the Terrible End Bundle, which contains the “Abnormality” Weapon Blueprint — the first Blueprint for this new weapon. This gives you an opportunity to try the weapon before it’s unlocked, and provides a different starting point for earning attachments after unlocking the base weapon, but remember: you’ll need to unlock the base version to level up the weapon and earn its camo challenges.

What challenges do you need to complete to unlock the base LAPA? See for yourself in-game tomorrow, and expect them to be based around all the new modes and features coming to Black Ops Cold War and Warzone:

WARZONE INTEL

  • Become — or Defeat — the Ghosts of Verdansk. A spiritual successor to Zombie Royale, this limited-time mode has you fighting threats both human and unhuman.
  • A Test of Both Skill and Bravery. Exclusive to this mode, manage your Fear level by playing well and staying in Sacred Ground, lest your Operator succumb to the darkness. 

Ghosts of Verdansk Limited-Time Mode

If you recall the previous Haunting event, then welcome back to facing the horrors of Verdansk at night. If not, no worries: this is a new kind of terror in Verdansk for greenhorns and veterans alike.

The Ghosts of Verdansk is not for the faint of heart. But for those who want to set aside traditional competition for a true test of resolve amid fear, this limited-time mode — available only during The Haunting — is a thrilling Battle Royale experience.

A familiar voice will also “guide” you and the squad through this mode, but he may not be the most helpful or friendly face behind the radio… or phone, for that matter.

Life After Death — Ghosts, Respawns, and Sacred Ground 

In this mode, death won’t send you to the Gulag. Instead, Operators become Ghosts after being eliminated for the first time.

Ghosts have no weapons, but they have some supernatural abilities:

  • Super Jump: Similar to the jump from Zombie Royale, Ghosts can charge up and “leap” through the air to cover serious ground. Because Ghosts have no body, their light weight allows them to float and glide following a jump or a drop from any high distance.
  • Teleport: Another movement option, albeit with a slower cooldown, Ghosts can teleport a short distance to help immediately close gaps between them and living Operators. They can even teleport right through them and appear behind their would-be target.
  • Spectral Blast: This area-of-effect stun attack slows down Operators and disables vehicles.

In terms of dealing damage, Ghosts can only swipe at their Operators until they are dead, at which point they’ll drop a soul. For the low price of three souls, a Ghost can immediately spawn back in as their original Operator, dropping in from above after the soul exchange occurs.

A Ghost can respawn one other way: with a horrifying Finishing Move. Performing this move will keep the soul so pure and intact, it will result in an automatic respawn… just beware that the move can be interrupted.

All players outside of squadmates can be attacked by Ghosts, but they do have a safe space to take solace in: Sacred Ground.

Marked by a glowing blue circle and beam of light, as well as an icon on the mini-map, these areas are protected by a supernatural magic that prevents Ghosts from crossing over. However, Ghosts can damage the area by throwing their spectral bodies at it, and if they ram themselves into it enough times, they can destroy that plot of Sacred Ground.

A Mode Based in Fear

Ghosts of Verdansk also introduces a new meter known as Fear, located on the bottom left portion of the HUD. This meter ranges from 0 to 100 points, and every Operator starts as a fearless warrior with zero points of Fear.

Should that meter reach 50%, your Operator may start to experience hallucinations that can mess with your mind. Overcome them, and you’ll hear a short piece of music and heavy breathing, followed by a drop in your Fear level.

If the meter reaches 100%… well, that’s up to you to find out.

Fear increases naturally over time and when the following events happen:

  • Being shot at, being hit by enemy Equipment, or having their Killstreaks in the area
  • Camping (AKA cowardice)
  • Seeing dead bodies or Ghosts
  • Having squadmates downed or eliminated

Outside of experiencing a hallucination, Fear also decreases when the following happens:

  • Eliminating a player or Ghost
  • Reviving a squadmate
  • Completing a Contract
  • Remaining within Sacred Ground… so long as it stays intact

Keep your fear in check and ensure one of your squadmates is left as an Operator to win Ghosts of Verdansk, which is one of the key challenges needed to unlock the LAPA through the Warzone challenge set.

BLACK OPS COLD WAR INTEL

  • Halloween Comes to Nuketown. The iconic Black Ops map celebrates the season with spooky visuals and props throughout.
  • Infected Leads Multiplayer Updates for The Haunting. A classic party mode returns, Prop Hunt goes Halloween, and Scream Deathmatch could become your new favorite mode. Plus, Scare Packages and other thematic updates.
  • Zombies: Survive Hallows’ Eve Outbreak and More. Don’t let the pumpkin heads fool you — the undead have you for 10 minutes. Survive and exfil before you join the horde.

New Map Theme: Nuketown Halloween

The classic Black Ops map receives a new Halloween makeover in Black Ops Cold War, just in time for spooky season.

Whether you play the limited-time modes or your squad’s usual foray into Team Deathmatch, Domination, and others, Nuketown Halloween is temporarily a hallowed haven for The Haunting.

Note the shift from day to night, the pumpkin-faced clock, and the many themed decorations and props littering the grounds… which you might want to familiarize yourself with before diving into the new limited-time modes. Players can also call in some Scare Packages for some frightful rewards!

Limited-Time Modes: Infected, Prop Hunt Halloween, and Scream Deathmatch 

The Haunting will include three limited-time Multiplayer modes during the Halloween season:

  • Infected. Just in time for the dead to rise again. Eighteen Operators enter, and the Zombie team attempts to turn the Survivors undead. The remaining Survivors win if they beat the clock, or the Zombies win if they turn every Survivor! In a new twist, Survivors will earn a bonus with each zombie they kill: specifically, bonuses to reload speed, ADS speed, movement speed, and slide speed.
  • Prop Hunt Halloween. This new themed Prop Hunt will see player-controlled skulls, jack-o’-lanterns, black cats, bats, skeletons, and more try to hide from the Hunters in the Nuketown Halloween map.
  • Scream Deathmatch. In this brand-new mode, two Operators will each become Ghostface with a single mission: find and eliminate all Survivors. The Survivors will have no weapons, so it’s best to find a cozy hiding spot to try and survive the mayhem. Throughout the match, screams of the Survivors will give away their position as the killers close in on their locations. The endgame is like any good horror movie: the killers slash up every Survivor, or a final brave soul rises above to defeat the evildoers.

Zombies: Hallows’ Eve Outbreak

Zombies fans just received a new round-based map with “Forsaken,” and now players will face a new epic challenge in Outbreak as part of The Haunting, in addition to some new tricks and treats across Zombies modes.

In Hallows’ Eve Outbreak, you’ll need to survive for 10 minutes and exfiltrate from a single Region. Your squad even gets to choose between two random Regions before infiltration, and there’s a World Event that can give a massive boost to your Loadout.

The trick is surviving.

Every two minutes, the difficulty of the Region will increase, meaning that more zombies — increasing both in quantity and difficulty — will roll in and increase in health. When the ten-minute time limit is reached, the exfil point will spawn at the farthest possible position from the squad, and the maximum number of zombies will have full awareness on your position.

Also, that World Event? It’s the Orda, the hulking monstrosity that can squad wipe with just a single swipe.

This is why The Haunting challenge for this mode is called “You’ll Never Get Out Alive.” You’ll need to be an elite Requiem agent to exfil successfully, but if you do, that Legendary Weapon Charm and mountain of XP will be worth it. This mode is also a great opportunity to harvest any remaining Aetherium Crystals you’ll need to max out your Skill Tiers in Zombies!

Zombies Halloween Updates

In addition to Hallows’ Eve Outbreak, Scare Packages containing high-value rewards will spawn every five rounds in round-based maps, and in every Outbreak Region. Zombies will have a small chance of dropping the new Jack O’Lantern item for additional rewards, including Wonder Weapons, Support Weapons, Ammo Mods, Chalices, Aether Tools, and high-level Armor… but beware, things may not always be as they seem.

Treyarch is also changing up the in-game music with some fun Halloween tunes, and enemies with pumpkin heads will appear in all Zombies modes! These weak points have low health, and can be shot off for bonus points. Aim high and rack up the Essence.

AFTER THE HAUNT…

  • Hammer and Sickle Melee Weapon Coming. Following The Haunting, crush your enemies with the might of a Hammer and Sickle.
  • Vanguard Is Almost Here! Its launch is less than a week after The Haunting — pre-order now and prepare for intel drops leading up to November 5.

The Hammer & Sickle — Working Toward a November 2 Release

The might of the Hammer & Sickle can be used to crush your enemies after The Haunting ends.

The final melee weapon to be released during Season Six, the Hammer & Sickle is a set of tools that an Operator can dual-wield. It deals more damage than the Sai, the previous season’s melee weapon event reward, but is a bit slower handling in exchange.

Obtain these tools for war on November 2 through an in-game challenge or by picking up the Split Personality Bundle, which also includes two Skins for Antonov among other items.

Call of Duty: Vanguard — Prepare for Launch on November 5

If you can believe it, Call of Duty®: Vanguard is less than a month away from launch.

Those who did not pre-order the game should consider the rewards earned through the Season Six Battle Pass and all the items that come with pre-ordered and digital editions of the game across VanguardWarzone, and Black Ops Cold War.

There might be one more bundle of surprises in store for those who pre-order Vanguard before its release, but more intel on that will be available in the coming days.

For now… prepare to face your fears and what lurks in the night.

Good luck.