In Part 1 of The Story So Far, we covered the Black Ops story starting in the early 1960s through the late 1980s with major story beats and character profiles influenced by the narratives of Call of Duty®: Black Ops, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, and Call of Duty: Black Ops II.

It’s now time to set the stage for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 so you’re ready to dive right into the Campaign when the game launches on Friday, October 25.

Campaign — The Next Chapter of Black Ops

Forced to go rogue. Hunted from within.

Enter a period of transition and upheaval in global politics, characterized by the end of the Cold War and the rise of the United States as a single superpower. The Gulf War dominated headlines and there was growing mistrust in government reflected across the music, television, and pop culture of the time.

While the Gulf War commands the global spotlight, a shadowy clandestine force has infiltrated the highest levels of the CIA, branding anyone who resists as traitors. Exiled from their agency and country that once hailed them as heroes, Black Ops veteran Frank Woods and his team find themselves hunted by the military machine that created them.

Join Woods and his protégé Troy Marshall, both now working for CIA handler Jane Harrow, a fearless and brilliant leader who helps manage their relationships in the agency. However, when an operation goes wrong, Woods and Marshall are suspended and forced to go rogue.

They must build their own team of rogue agents, including Felix Neumann, a technical genius, and Sevati Dumas, a mysterious assassin. The infamous Russell Adler also returns! His allegiances and motivations remain unclear, but the team needs all the help they can get.

In the thrilling action to come, there’s just one rule above every other: Don’t trust anyone.

Bios — Jane Harrow, Troy Marshall, Felix Neumann, Sevati Dumas

Meet the cast of characters most important to the Black Ops 6 Campaign narrative. We covered Frank Woods, Russell Adler, and Helen Park in Part 1. Now we’re highlighting some new faces you’ll encounter in the Black Ops 6 Campaign:

Jane Harrow

An operations specialist in the CIA’s Special Activities Division (SAD), Jane Harrow coordinates mission planning and intelligence gathering alongside multiple paramilitary handlers. Harrow reports directly to SAD Deputy Director Daniel Livingstone.

Troy Marshall

Marshall has been making a name for himself in the field. A protégé of Frank Woods, he is a methodical leader driven by a strong moral compass. With a single-minded focus on overcoming adversity and a stubborn streak that borders on recklessness, it isn’t surprising that Woods and Marshall share common ground. Both men are now working with CIA handler Jane Harrow.

Felix Neumann

Raised in East Berlin after the formation of the GDR, Felix Neumann excelled at sports but showed little interest in them, preferring to read or tinker with appliances and electronic devices. Following compulsory military service, Neumann was recruited and trained by the Stasi.

However, after several years within their ranks Felix began to regret his association with the brutal Stasi. He started selling state secrets to West Germany and its allies to build a nest egg, with a plan to eventually flee East Germany. After successfully escaping to the West, he made a living by providing the criminal underworlds of Europe with his technological expertise and inventions.

Sevati Dumas

Taken in by the Guild, one of the Avalon Crime Factions, at a young age, Sevati Dumas loyally served the crime family as they trained her to become an assassin and espionage expert. Her allegiance changed when she met the love of her life, an idealistic man who helped reveal the ugliness of the criminal underworld.

When Dumas expressed her desire to quit the life of an assassin, the crime family manipulated her into thinking that her partner was an inside agent for a rival crime family. She orchestrated his death, but afterward discovered that the ordeal was a setup to keep her in line.

Sevati disowned her adopted family and became an independent assassin, funneling her resources into waging a personal war against the Avalon Crime Faction. Her exploits eventually caught the eye of CIA operatives in Europe who were eager to use her uncanny ability to track down elusive targets.

Campaign: Your First Steps

Select Single Player from the Black Ops 6 main menu to reach the Campaign screen. Get an overview of the first mission and view completion rewards earned for progressing and follow the prompts when starting the Campaign to choose your difficulty setting.

Choose Your Difficulty

Choose one of four difficulty levels when playing the Campaign. The higher the difficulty, the greater the challenge. You can change the game’s difficulty at any time.

• Recruit: For players who are new to Call of Duty.
• Regular: Your abilities in combat will be tested.
• Hardened: Your skills will be strained.
• Veteran: You will not survive.

Gameplay Tips

Consider these tips when getting started with the Campaign to make your journey into the next Black Ops chapter a smooth one:

Know Your Inventory: Check your in-game backpack for supplies throughout the Campaign. Opening the backpack reveals the Equipment Wheel selection screen where various tools and explosives can be equipped, including series favorites like the RC-XD.

Check Your Vitals: Keep your Operator in fighting shape by watching the health and armor meters on your HUD. If your health bar depletes all the way, your Operator goes down for the count. Seek out armor pieces in the environment to bulk up your defenses.

Renovations: Seek out piles of cash while playing the Campaign to invest in your Safehouse, a manor perched atop a granite cliff that used to serve as a KGB Black Site in the 1950s and ‘60s. As the Safehouse evolves, gain additional customization options to fine tune your Operator for the next mission.

Evidence Board: Check the manor’s Evidence Board between missions to access additional intel and mission briefings. This is where the tactical planning occurs. Piece together the puzzles within the storyline between deciding on your best course of action.

Campaign Mission Rewards

Complete missions and upgrade your Black Ops Safehouse to earn rewards for use across Multiplayer and Zombies. In addition to rewards like XP Tokens, here are the in-game items players can unlock for progressing in the Campaign:

Mission Reward

“Slip Sauce” Spray
“Forging Fate” Weapon Vinyl
“Hook, Line, and Sinker” Finishing Move
“Onyx Echo” Blueprint (Sniper Rifle: LR 7.62)
“Allied Effort” Weapon Vinyl
“Heist” Operator
“Tank” Charm
“A Good Look at the Devil” Wallpaper
“The Cradle” Charm
“Case Cracker” Blueprint (Melee Weapon: Knife)
“Truth Serum” Blueprint (Assault Rifle: AMES 85)
“Pocket Aces” Blueprint (SMG: Jackal PDW)
“The Bastion” Blueprint (Shotgun: Marine SP)

Campaign Calling Card Challenges

In addition to Campaign Rewards, expect a series of unique Calling Card Challenges featuring special mission parameters to unlock a variety of stylish Calling Cards upon completion. Some examples are shown above, but the exact criteria for earning all the Campaign Calling Cards, including the Dark Ops Challenges, must remain [[REDACTED]].

Stay Tuned to the Call of Duty Blog

Misinformation is everywhere: Stay one step ahead with the latest official Black Ops 6 information by checking the Call of Duty Blog regularly as we approach launch. These are comms you don’t want to miss.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is published by Activision. Development for the game is led by Treyarch, in partnership with Raven Software. Additional development support provided (in alphabetical order) by Activision Central Design, Activision Central Technology, Activision QA, Activision Shanghai, Beenox, Demonware, High Moon Studios, Infinity Ward, and Sledgehammer Games.

The Truth Lies.

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