30 Mar 2021 5:20 AM +00:00 UTC

Black Ops Cold War Season 2: Latest Patch Notes, Zombies, Battle Pass, Weapons, Operators, Warzone News And Everything You Need To Know

Season 2 of Black Ops Cold War HAS ARRIVED and will introduce the biggest content drop to date!

Despite a slow start, Season 1 of Black Ops Cold War has really picked up speed since its mid-season update. We hope this momentum continues into Season 2!

The game has introduced new multiplayer maps, new weapons, the new Zombie map Firebase Z and League Play in the opening season. It's clear, from these updates, that Activision wants to target both the casual and competitive COD community.

Now we're getting FOUR new Operators, SIX new weapons, FOUR multiplayer maps, a new Zombies mode and a HUGE Warzone update.

You can expect more of the same and potentially more, as five weapons are rumoured to appear in this season.

So what's in store for you? Here's everything we know about Black Ops Cold War Season 2.

Click the links below to read more about Black Ops Cold War Season 2:

Latest News

Season 2 Reloaded Patch Notes - 30th March

The new update is now live across all platforms - check out the latest patch notes here.

Release Date

Season 2 will begin on the 25th February 2020, as this is when the Battle Pass is set to expire.

When a Battle Pass expires, usually the next season begins straight after.

For Season Two, Black Ops Cold War will receive a rolling update on February 23 scheduled between 9PM and 11PM PT, and Warzone will receive a rolling update on February 24 between 9PM and 11PM PT.

In the past, seasons have been extended to accommodate delays and change of plans, such as Season 2 of Modern Warfare, which was delayed by roughly a month.

Season 1's began on the 16th December 2020.

Time

The new season should begin at the following times:

9PM PT Feb. 24
12AM ET Feb. 25
5AM GMT Feb. 25
6AM CET Feb. 25
4PM AEDT Feb. 25

Trailer

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Storyline

Season 1

A trap has been set. A CIA safe house has been hit. And an old enemy returns to get his revenge.

After storming an experimental Nova 6 production site on Rebirth Island, Russel Adler has made a powerful enemy in Vikhor "Stitch" Kuzmin, the ex-KGB leader of the Nova 6 program. And Stitch is looking to settle the score.

Now, Adler and his CIA strike team find themselves trapped, and surrounded by enough Nova 6 nerve gas to throw the world off its axis.

Season 2

Frank Woods knows the jungles of Southeast Asia all too well. During the events of the original Black Ops, he and Alex Mason tracked down a crashed plane filled with Nova 6 gas deep in Laos, only to be captured and held as a POW until his eventual escape in 1972.

Twelve years later, Woods returns to Laos with NATO’s finest to handle another crisis. Russell Adler has been abducted after his fateful re-encounter with Stitch following a massive firefight in the abandoned Twin Pines Mall.

Adler’s whereabouts are still unknown, but according to clues left behind by Perseus agents, he may be held within the Golden Triangle. This intel leads a CIA strike team led by Woods to a contraband trafficking route for Nova 6 ran by one of Stitch’s accomplices – Kapano “Naga” Vang – who is ready to pounce on these agents from the shadows.

But the question remains: Where is Adler?

Patch Notes

This update should involve the following changes:

Double XP Weekend
New Multiplayer Maps
New Weapons
New Operator
New Battle Pass
Weapon Balancing
Bug Fixes
Quality of Life Updates

Along with kicking off a new season of content, these updates will also include quality-of-life improvements and bug fixes to the current Black Ops Cold War and Warzone games.

Season 2 Road Map

With a fair amount of content still to arrive in Season 1, the next season will feature a similar road map.

However, we're expecting there to be no new Warzone map and likely replaced with a Zombies map.

IT'S A LONG OL' ROAD: Season 2 is filled with content

Price

All new DLC content will be free to players on all platforms and there is a free Battle Pass available.

However, if you wish to buy the battle pass, it will cost 1000 COD Points.

The Battle Pass Bundle (including 20 Tier skips) will cost 2400 COD Points.

What's Included In Season 2?

New Zombies Outbreak Mode
4 New Operators
6 New Weapons
4 Multiplayer Maps
3 New Multiplayer Modes
1 New Scorestreak
2 New Vehicles
New Seasonal Challenges
4 New Prestiges
New Warzone Loot Pool
New Warzone POIs
2 New Warzone Modes

Weapons

A whopping SIX weapons are being added to Black Ops Cold War Season 2.

This includes:

FARA 83 Assault Rifle
LC10 SMG
Machete
E-Tool
R1 Shadowhunter Crossbow
ZRG 20mm Sniper

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FARA 83 Assault Rifle (Launch)

Unlocked at Tier 15 in the Battle Pass, this fully-automatic assault rifle is a heavyweight among its peers, as it claims one of the fastest fire rates in its class and outstanding effective range for solid damage. In the hands of a capable Operator, the FARA 83 can be a true force in crushing the opposition.

black ops cold war fara 83 assault rifle

THE GALIL IS BACK: After being absent for so long, the weapon returns!

LC10 SMG (Launch)

Unlocked at Tier 31 in the Battle Pass, it's a well-rounded full-auto submachine gun, the LC10 grants CQB Operators the ability to stretch fights out into the mid-range on a smaller, agile weapon platform thanks to its solid accuracy and extended effective damage range. Although its damage per shot is on the lower end of the SMG spectrum, its above-average fire rate and lower recoil can prove to be a deadly combination.

SMALL BUT MIGHTY: A new SMG may break up the AK74u meta

Machete (In Season)

Manufactured from a durable steel blade, the Machete is a broad foot-long blade tempered to maximum toughness in order to withstand chipping and breaking. It is widely used in tropical countries as both a weapon and an agricultural tool, and is the preferred melee weapon of choice for Naga in stealth and close-quarters engagements.

NO MACHETE FOR ME: Slice your opponents where they stand

E-Tool (In Season)

Put your enemy six feet under with the E-Tool, a military style tri-fold shovel typically used to dig a defensive fighting position. Recently modernized for the wars of the late 20th century, the E-Tool is considered standard issue for soldiers around the world for its utility. But as a Secondary Weapon, is just as effective as an ancillary weapon in extreme close quarters.

THE ACE OF SPADES: Beat your opponents with the E-Tool

R1 Shadowhunter (In Season)

This crossbow’s simple and lightweight design allows for great handling and quieter eliminations. If an Operator doesn’t prefer its iron sights, they can still shoot accurately from the hip in close quarters or opt to attach one of several Optics. Happy hunting.

DON'T CROSS ME: The Crossbow returns

ZRG 20mm: Sniper (In Season)

Built for sharpshooters who need power to eliminate targets at extremely long ranges, this bolt-action sniper rifle boasts a faster bullet velocity than any other weapon in its class, as well as the ability to eliminate Operators with a single shot to the head, chest, or shoulders in exchange for a slower fire rate. Its reload speeds are among the fastest in the category, allowing snipers to quickly change out magazines when faced with multiple hostile forces.

BOOM! HEADSHOT: A new sniper arrives to mix things up

Maps

Four new maps are launching with Season 2 across multiple modes including:

Apocalypse
Golova
Mansion
Miami Strike

Apocalypse (6v6) (Launch Week)

Welcome to the Lao jungle cartel base in the heart of the Golden Triangle: Apocalypse. As Perseus forces are rumoured to be hiding key intel in their stronghold in Laos, the CIA’s finest approach the village ready to extract any evidence they can on the Nova 6 supply line… and Adler’s whereabouts.

This small-to-medium sized map is built for aggressive Operators, funneling action under stilted buildings and through the temple fortress. Give chase to the enemy through the buildings and temple, making sure not to be too distracted from the glint of gold being loaded into the trucks on the main road.

black ops cold war apocalypse multiplayer map

THE END IS NEAR: Apocalypse features as the only 6v6 map in Season 2

Golova (Multi-Team) (In-Season)

Golova appears to be a traditional Russian village located within the picturesque Ural Plains, but beneath its surface, it holds a dark secret embedded by its designer and creator, Nikita Dragovich.

A testing ground for the expansion of the Numbers Program, Golova features plenty of close-quarter combat opportunities throughout the town, from a massive church to its rows of houses and industrial park. The stair-stepped terrain on which the town was built still provides some long-range firefight opportunities but encourages tighter, CQB play around its objective areas.

black ops cold war golova multiplayer map

GOLOVA'S TRAVELS: Experience the action first hand in Russia's Ural Plains

Mansion (2v2, 3v3) (In-Season)

The action in Gunfight and Face-Off is about to heat up with this mid-season addition to the map pool.

Set in Havana, Cuba at the Hefe Mansion (last seen in the Campaign’s “End of the Line” mission), this small map takes place across both courtyards: an eastern one with two palm trees and a gazebo, and a western one with a statue sitting atop a non-functional fountain. These open courtyards contrast to a centre wrapped room with a small side hallway and an exposed balcony that can serve as a risky power position.

black ops cold war mansion multiplayer map

MANSION: Need I say more?

Miami Strike (6v6) (In Season)

Rise and shine, Miami… because soon, it will be time to infiltrate Ocean Park Drive during the day.

With the sun glistening off the colourful murals of Miami’s South Beach neighbourhood, Miami Strike will focus the action into a smaller daytime rendition of the original map. Whether it's a white-knuckle game of TDM or a tense Hardpoint battle, the heat is always on in the streets of Miami.

black ops cold war miami strike day time

NIGHT AND DAY: Miami day-time is just the vacation we need

We're expecting more remakes at some point in the near future - some of these maps that were leaked before launch include:

Jungle
Summit
Firing Range

@TheMW2Ghost seems confident that Summit and Firing Range will feature in Season 2.

We wouldn't be surprised if Treyarch uses some of the Fireteam maps to make smaller 6v6 and 12v12 maps.

Battle Pass

Looking to find out what's in the Battle Pass? Check out our video below!

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The new season will bring a new Battle Pass that players can take advantage of no matter which game they play.

From this point onward, playing in any of the three games counts towards player and Battle Pass progressions.

As detailed before, the new Battle Pass will cost 1000 COD points and bring over 100 tiers of content.

This will include cosmetics such as Operator skins, weapon charms, weapon skins, XP tokens, watch designs, calling cards and much more.

Not to forget, the Battle Pass also includes a featured Operator and a new weapon.

There will also be 1,300 COD Points to get back from the pass.

You can likely pay a bit extra for the Battle Pass Bundle that will bring 20 tier skips for 2,400CP.

Ultimately, if you choose not to spend any money on the Battle Pass, you will still get access to some free items.

This season we know the following will be included in the Battle Pass:

Naga Operator
Naga Operator Legendary Skin
1300 COD Points (300 included in the free pass)
FARA 83 Assault Rifle
LC10 SMG
Black Ops 2 Theme Mix Tape
80's Rock 2 Mixtape
80's Pop Mixtape

Black Ops Cold War Season 2 Battle Pass artwork

Cross Progressions

It's been confirmed that all progression in Modern Warfare, Warzone and Black Ops Cold War will count towards your seasonal levels and prestige.

So no matter what game you play, you won't lose out.

All three games contribute to your progression

Warzone

All content is universal, meaning what is unlocked in the Black Ops Cold War Battle Pass will be available in Warzone.

You can expect new floor loot to be added to Verdansk to freshen up the meta and the addition of the newest weapons in Season 2.

As well as this, new POIs and locations around the map are being adjusted to mix up the action and evolve the story.

VOID: This is one update you don't want to miss

New POIs

Across Verdansk, there are a number of points of interest to either discover or more fully explore, all advancing Warzone’s story while offering new places to scavenge and scrap for survival.

Last sighted off the coast of Rebirth Island, recent intel suggests that the cargo tanker Vodianoy has gone missing at sea. However, recent visuals have identified a vessel matching the description heading toward the Port of Verdansk. Operators within the vicinity are recommended to exercise extreme caution, as the ship is carrying unknown cargo, and its crew are not able to be contacted.

Meanwhile, within Verdansk, something major is beginning to rumble deep underground.

New Modes

Exfiltration (In Season)

During an Exfiltration Battle Royale, a portable radio crackles into life, coming online somewhere in Verdansk. The Operator who secures this radio and holds onto it for a sufficient period of time automatically wins the game for them (or their squad, in non-Solo modes).

To ensure their exfil isn’t by the book, anyone holding the radio is marked on the Tac Map as if they were under a Most Wanted Contract (also known as an HVT or High-Value Target) with all Operators also receiving intel on how much longer the current radio holder has until they win.

Other than this new win condition, the same Battle Royale rules apply. Expect a circle collapse and a winner to be determined by the last Operator or squad standing, should nobody receive an early exfil with the radio.

PROCEED TO EXFIL: Bringing a whole new meaning to staying alive

Rebirth Island Resurgence Extreme (Launch Week)

The fan-favourite, high octane mode returns as you know and love it but the player count has been increased!

It now features a staggering 90 players.

warzone rebirth island resurgence extreme

DIALLING UP TO 11: The manic mode we all love gets even more players

Verdansk Replaced?

Rumours about an entirely new map, overhauling Verdansk, have been circulating for a while; but is it true?

If there is a new map, rumours are stating that this will arrive in Q2 of 2021.

This makes sense as Activision will no doubt want to keep the focus on their new game and encourage more sales.

Not to mention that Warzone only released back in March 2020.

Rumours are suggesting that this could be as early as 11th March.

Field Upgrades

While there are no multiplayer Field Upgrades, there is the Frenzied Guard Field Upgrade for Zombies.

Add an additional layer of strategy to your Zombies Loadout with Frenzied Guard, a brand-new Field Upgrade perfect for agents who love to be the centre of attention.

black ops cold war zombies frenzied guard field upgrade

Upon activation, all enemies will immediately target the Frenzied Guard user for a brief period, during which time only Armor will take damage. This can be a game-changer when fellow Operators are surrounded by the undead masses, as they will turn their attention away from those in peril and towards the armoured saviour.

Use Aethrium Crystals to upgrade Frenzied Guard with powerful modifiers, such as having it repair all Armor upon activation, increasing its duration to 15 seconds, and even slowing all normal enemies to walk speed while its active.

It's been hinted by various leakers that the Barbed Wire and an Assault Shield will appear at some stage as they have been found in the game files.

Both Field Upgrades have featured in Black Ops 4 as Specialist Abilities.

Scorestreaks

First seen in the original Black Ops, the Death Machine is a handheld minigun with high damage rounds that suppress enemies in the line of fire. Its raw damage output also allows it to tear through low-flying or grounded enemy Scorestreaks, as well as vehicles.

As of Season Two, the Death Machine will also be added into Zombies as an additional Support weapon in Outbreak, “Firebase Z,” and “Die Maschine.”

black ops cold war death machine scorestreak

DIE MASCHINE: The mini-gun returns to Black Ops

CODColdWarNewz has posted on Twitter some clips and images of a leaked 'K9' scorestreak which we're expected to arrive at some point in the year.

This has been a scorestreak in the past and appears to be arriving at a later date.

TOP DOG: Will the K9 scorestreak return?

There were a number of killstreaks that were cut from the game including:

Flamethrower (Purifier)
Hand Cannon (1 Shot Kill Pistol)
Strafe Run

These could also be added later in the game's life span.

Operators

We're being introduced to THREE new Operators in Season 2 and one we're all very familiar with.

These include:

Naga
Maxis
Wolf
Rivas

Naga: Warsaw Pact (Launch Week)

Born in Laos and raised through decades of conflict, Kapano “Naga” Vang is a former warlord who grew rich trafficking drugs and weapons through the notorious Golden Triangle.

Feared by his men because of his temper and brutality, he was a prime candidate for recruitment by Perseus. Following the orders of this threat to the free world, Naga uses his established supply lines to move WMDs around the globe, and personally delivers vengeance to those who dare to stop or intercept his contraband.

GET NAGA HERE: Naga is a man of few words but racks up a lot of kills

Maxis: NATO (In Season)

For the first time in Black Ops history, Samantha Maxis will be a playable Operator – and not just in Zombies. Following her rescue from the Omega Group at “Firebase Z,” Maxis prepares to join Requiem on the frontlines to fend off outbreaks throughout the Ural Mountains. Of course, she’s also not afraid to join NATO’s fight against the Warsaw Pact in Multiplayer, or drop into Verdansk and Rebirth Island in Warzone.

black ops cold war samantha maxis operator

THE PRODIGAL DAUGHTER RETURNS: For the first time, players can play as Samantha Maxis

Wolf: NATO (In Season)

Putting together the team for Adler’s rescue mission, Woods knew he would need the best Jungle Warfare Operators available. Terrell Wolf learned to hunt in the bayous of Louisiana surrounding his grandparent’s home. Entering service on his 18th birthday in memory of his fallen brother, he now stalks more dangerous prey as an elite Delta Force sniper.

HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF: Don't bite the hand that feeds

Rivas: NATO (In Season)

The other Operator joining Woods in the search for Adler, Karla Rivas grew up in Nicaragua surrounded by the Menendez Cartel and their wars with rival gangs. Her firsthand experience of the deadly consequences they had on their surrounding communities drove Rivas to dedicate her life to ridding her country of the Cartel’s influence, using guerrilla tactics to weaken them by any means necessary.

CRY ME A RIVAS: Silent but deadly

Surprisingly, Treyarch opted to use brand new characters for their Operators during Season 1, rather than using those featured in the campaign.

It's likely we will see the likes of Hudson and Mason added in at some stage.

Gunfight

Gunfight is only getting the one map this season and that is Mansion.

Fireteam

It appears that Golova is the latest Fireteam map being added to the popular Warzone and multiplayer hybrid mode.

We'll also be getting the new Outbreak Mode, which seems to cross Zombies with Fireteam.

Zombies

There's a lot of Zombies content - so we've summarised it in the video below!

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Outbreak Mode

The next chapter of the Dark Aether story takes the agents of Requiem deep into the heart of Russia, where they’ll fight to survive their greatest challenges yet. Welcome to Outbreak: an entirely new, large-scale Zombies experience unlike any other!

As Requiem continues to fall behind in the arms race against Omega Group, various regions in the Ural Mountains have recently become Dark Aether outbreak sites. With new opportunities to research the Dark Aether and advance Requiem’s agenda, it’s up to you and three fellow agents to complete the deadly experiments that few have survived.

black ops cold war zombies outbreak mode

OUTBREAK: Contain the undead or be doomed to join them

Continuing the Dark Aether story, Outbreak takes place across massive play spaces throughout the Ural Mountains, packed with new enemies, team objectives, player rewards, and intel to discover on foot, in vehicles, or by jump pads.

Whether it's hunting down elite enemies using a satellite tracker, escorting a Rover that detects dimensional portals, or holding out against zombies in a confined Dark Aether zone, agents of Requiem will need to complete these investigations before they can Exfil… or risk entering a Dark Aether portal to a new region for even more rewards.

New Field Upgrade

Frenzied Guard, as stated before, is a new Field Upgrade that pulls the attention to one player with only armor being damage in the process.

New Ammo Mod

The Pack-a-Punch machine and Elemental Pop will now include the Shatter Blast Ammo Mod, which makes all bullets deal explosive damage. Each bullet also has a chance to explode dealing additional explosive damage and destroying any impacted armor.

Intended to help destroy Heavy Zombies, this fantastic mod comes with plenty of explosive upgrades through the Skills menu, including having all explosives deal damage to nearby enemies, knockdown normal enemies, or double their size for an even bigger bang.

black ops cold war zombies shatter blast ammo mod

BANG: This weapon mod is bound to make an impact

New Skill Tiers And Aetherium Crystals

With the help of two new Aetherium Crystal types – Refined and Flawless Aetherium Crystals – agents of Requiem will be able to upgrade all Skills to Tier IV and V.

Prepare to chase those high rounds in traditional round-based Zombies or complete multiple Outbreak investigations in a single run to get a chance at earning these new Crystals, which will further improve your Weapon Classes, Field Upgrades, Perks, and Ammo Mods.

These meta-changing upgrades are powerful enough to deserve their own explanation around the launch of Season Two, so stay tuned.

New Map

We're expecting a new map to arrive in Black Ops Cold War Zombies as Treyarch opted to skip a release in Season 1.

Yamantau may be the first zombie map we see as a part of Cold War's DLC program, so it is interesting to see TGR talk about it.

TGR makes some key points throughout the video alluding to the new map.

Some of these include:

Secret Dark Aether Character
Outbreak in Yamantau
Steiner

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Berlin is reported to arrive in Black Ops Cold War during Season 4, which means that it is months before the map set in the German capital will be available to play.

Perks

We're also expecting new perks at some stage including:

Double Tap - Increased rate of fire
Mule Kick - Allows the player to carry three weapons
PHD Flopper - Negates all fall damage and the player creates an explosion when falling instead

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It's also reported that the Razor Wire, from Black Ops 4, will return in Zombies.

Campaign

It's highly unlikely any new content will be added to the Campaign as this wasn't done through the entirety of Modern Warfare.

However, it wouldn't be out of the question for Treyarch to break the mould.

The Campaign has had a wonderful reception, with the only complaint being that it is too short.

With side missions featuring in this mode, perhaps a few more will be added to it?

Game Modes

We're guaranteed to get THREE new modes in the new seasons:

Gun Game
Stockpile
Multi-Team Hardpoint

Gun Game (Free-For-All) (Launch Week)

The fan-favorite party game mode is back in Black Ops Cold War! In this Free-for-All mode, Operators are tested on their gunfighting proficiency with no Custom Loadouts, Perks, Equipment, Field Upgrades, or Scorestreaks.

Instead, each Operator must progress through a pre-determined set of 20 weapons, starting with a pistol and ending with the Knife. Operators can sabotage their enemies by either eliminating them with a melee attack or Finishing Move, which will set them back one level in their weapon set. The first player to kill an enemy with each weapon wins the match.

black ops cold war seaon 2 gun game mode

ARE YOU GAME?: Take on other players in ever-changing weaponry

Stockpile (6v6)

Stockpile requires players to collect dog tags, just like Kill Confirmed, but you must deposit them at set locations.

These locations rotate like Hardpoint hills and score are only counted once deposited.

If you die before depositing them, you lose them all!

black ops cold war stockpile mode season 2

TAKING STOCK: Collect tags and deposit them safely

Multi-Team Hardpoint (In Season)

Get the squad together and prepare for the biggest version of Hardpoint ever created in Call of Duty. Taking place across the largest maps in Black Ops Cold War, this hectic new squad-based Hardpoint mode tasks 10 squads of four with capturing and defending Hardpoint hills around the map that rotate every 120 seconds. The first squad to reach 500 seconds of total objective time wins the match.

black ops cold war multi-team hardpoint mode season 2

TO THE POINT: This will be complete chaos

Prestige

There will be four new prestige levels added to the game for people to claim and work through, all with unique emblems.

From this point onward, playing in any of the three games counts towards player and Battle Pass progressions.

Meaning, you can play Black Ops Cold War, Warzone or Modern Warfare and increase your seasonal levels and prestige in Black Ops Cold War.

This season offers four additional Prestiges to achieve across the first 200 levels, as well as a new Weapon Blueprint, as follows:

Level 50: New Prestige, Emblem, Prestige Key, Weapon Blueprint, and Battle Pass Tier Skip
Level 100: New Prestige, Emblem, Prestige Key, and Battle Pass Tier Skip
Level 150: New Prestige, Emblem, Prestige Key, and Battle Pass Tier Skip
Level 200: New Prestige, Emblem, Prestige Key, Battle Pass Tier Skip, Master Prestige Calling Card, and all Season Challenges unlocked
Level 250-1,000: New Prestige Key every 50 levels

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For more articles like this, take a look at our Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War , Call of Duty Warzone , and Guides pages.