Call of Duty Black Ops 6’s omnimovement is a game changer

When there’s a Call of Duty early access beta, I jump on the opportunity to play immediately. For Black Ops 6, I could not resist getting in and seeing what Treyarch has been cooking for the past four years, especially hearing about the new omnimovement system.

Call of Duty Black Ops 6 introduces omnimovement, a way to sprint and dive across all four major axes. From a top level, I believed this could be a major shakeup in the ways competitive players move across the multiplayer maps. After seeing the gameplay mechanic teased during the Xbox Games Showcase earlier this year, I had been dying to get behind the sticks and try it out myself. The recent beta was also my chance to see the new maps, modes, and weapons available.

After playing roughly 12 hours of the early access beta, I’m confident Black Ops 6 will be launching in one of the strongest states a Call of Duty game has in four years.

Black Ops 6’s omnimovement is almost too good to be true

The new movement system encourages players to get aggressive during multiplayer matches.

I’ve been with Call of Duty since the beginning. I’ve seen all the highs, lows, and in betweens. I’ve also been around for all the gameplay gimmicks. I shudder thinking back to the double jump era of Advanced Warfare. When omnimovement was first shown, I saw some potential but needed to try it myself to get the full context of how it works. Omnimovement lets you sprint and dive in all four major directions––forward, backward, left and right. It works the same as the traditional sprint and dive system in Modern Warfare 3.

Omnimovement is easy to learn but has a difficulty curve if you want to master it. Based on my impressions from the beta, Black Ops 6 can still be played traditionally. However, omnimovement is a treat made to players with aggressive play styles, such as myself. For run and gun players, omnimovement supports players by letting them dive sideways into a lane, letting them drop suddenly on an enemy. If timed appropriately, you can catch them off guard, and land your shots before they can even react. A backwards sprint into a dive from a staircase or out a door can throw opponents off. As either someone using omnimovement or a player reacting to another using it, I feel like I have to retool my brain. It’s a dynamic movement shift, similar to the introduction of the slide cancel.

The best part I’m finding in the Black Ops 6 beta is that you have to be methodical and strategic in using omnimovement. When diving, there’s still a slight delay in getting back up to your feet. In most cases, players who spam this system end up flopping on the ground and getting shot. Instead, I’m finding way more success in using it as a supplement in the organic way that I play. Traditionally, I use an assault rifle as my primary weapon with an SMG as my secondary. With an AR, omnimovement makes me feel like a 1980s action hero, diving into Skyline’s pool, spraying bullets at an unsuspecting opponent. However, in a much more pragmatic sense, omnimovement’s flexible sprinting can be paired well with the tried and true slide around a corner, evading an enemy and getting those shot in when they matter the most. So far, I’ve only gotten a small taste of the true potential of omnimovement. However, my mind keeps racing at all the possibilities this system will bring to Warzone later this year and into 2025.

Black Ops 6 is unabashedly a Treyarch game with a seal of quality

Maps, modes, and performance in the beta feel like they have the polish of a four-year-old game.

It’s been four years since Treyarch launched 2020’s Black Ops Cold War and you can tell. While Infinity Ward got caught in a back-to-back development cycle, with middling results, Treyarch had ample time to get Black Ops 6 just right. While the jury is still out on the final product. Early impressions through the beta are positive. The selection of maps and modes available in the beta have the Treyarch DNA embedded in them. Treyarch has a pronounced sense of creation in maps and additive modes that expand the core multiplayer suite.

In the Black Ops 6 beta, players are treated to four core maps––Derelict, Skyline, Rewind, and Scud. Each operates as the traditional three-lane map, Treyarch’s bread and butter. They each have their unique sense of scale but are confined enough to operate well as a 6v6 map. Standouts for me were Derelict, a train graveyard in the Appalachian Mountains. As a big fan of Blockbuster, the West Virginia strip mall with an included video store featured in Rewind became a quick highlight. Some maps offer more verticality than others. Skyline features an upper level as well as an intricate ventilation system players can use to flank the other team. Finally, Scud is based around a desolate satellite relay outpost with lots of cover and a few sniper nests. Players can also jump into two Strike maps, created for 2v2 small scale matches.

Call of Duty Black Ops 6 doesn’t stray too far from the beaten path when it comes to multiplayer modes. Team Deathmatch, Domination, Hardpoint, etc., are all returning with wonderful grace. Emphasizing the balance and refinement of this year’s maps, Treyarch’s prowess of map design and thoughtfulness is on display during multiplayer maps. The three-lane construction works so well across the core modes available. Even Kill Order, the new objective-based deathmatch mode, is surprisingly fun. As players hunt down the opposing team’s High Value Target, Kill Order gives players a bit more incentive to coordinate and communicate. Will it be as popular as the core modes? Probably not. That said, it’s a nice additive to the roster of game modes. My only gripe, and this is something Call of Duty constantly suffers from, but the spawn points are broken. The enemy teams’ spawn flip so often and arbitrarily, I find myself constantly shot in the back as a player spawns behind me. Thankfully, Treyarch can address this as its done in the past.

Three days of time spent with the Call of Duty Black Ops 6 beta, I found online servers to be pretty stable. During one match, my teammate’s game crashed moments before we secured the win. While he missed out on seeing the Best Play of the match (from yours truly), his Daily Challenges and XP did register. Aside from that, I’ve been shocked that I haven’t seen lag spikes, packet losses, or the usual hiccups during a Call of Duty beta.

Treyarch seems to be streamlining progression in Black Ops 6

Weapon progress and the Prestige system are complimented by some great quality of life perks.

Activision

Ever since Black Ops: Cold War, I’ve struggled to keep up with the weapon progression systems introduced each year. The grind to level up each weapon, unlock attachments, and chase the in-game meta for competitive play became a part-time job. Black Ops 6 looks to go back to the basics. Players work towards leveling up individual weapons, unlocking their respective attachments within the Gunsmith. Weapon Mastery seems more streamlined, which if executed well, will speak to me way more come Season 1 of the full launch. That said, I really hope Treyarch addresses the speed in which you rank weapon XP. Some weapons have a max level of over 40. In my 12 hours of playtime, I’ve barely maxed out the rank of two weapons.

The classic Prestige system returns this year. Giving players that traditional way to brag and boast online, Treyarch folds in the Prestige system, similar to the year’s prior to Modern Warfare 2. Once the game officially launches on October 25th, Black Ops 6 players can begin the grind to Player Level 55, in which players can Prestige, restarting at level 1 again. While reaching Player Level 55 will unlock the full weapon list and perks, restarting will award players in-game cosmetics and rewards. Prestige is a mainstay for Call of Duty that’s been woefully missing these past couple of years. Its return marks a way for competitive players to show off to their friends and opponents.

The Black Ops 6 beta gave me a taste of some of the additive features the multiplayer suite offers. One that is already striking a cord with the community is the Body Shield system. When sneaking up behind an enemy, you can now double tap the melee button to grab an enemy, using them as a shield. When you do, it opens a direct line of communication with that player. Some viral moments have already been posted online. I’m also a huge fan of the decision to bring back the Winner’s Circle, where the Top 3 players of the winning team share the spotlight at the end of the round. This is also a chance to show off some of the unlocked Emotes you have.