Black Ops 6 is the latest entry in the very long-running Black Ops wing of Activision’s Call of Duty series. Specializing more in alternate history and spy craft than other Call of Duty games, Black Ops 6 launches with a new campaign set during the height of the Gulf War.
As usual, the game will offer a campaign, multiplayer, and a zombies mode. Unlike last year’s Modern Warfare 3, there is no early access period, but know that Black Ops 6 is currently available to pre-load for all players on all platforms, so you can start playing as soon as it’s available.
Here’s what time Black Ops 6 releases, including a breakdown of when it’s available on which platforms, and if you can play it on Game Pass or not.
What time does Black Ops 6 release on PC?
Image: Activision
Black Ops 6 releases on PC (both Steam and Battle.net) at 9 p.m. PDT on Thursday, Oct. 24.
Here is the Black Ops 6 release time on PC in your time zone:
- 9 p.m. PDT on Oct. 24 for the West Coast of North America
- 12 a.m. EDT on Oct. 25 for the East Coast of North America
- 5 a.m. BST on Oct. 25 for the U.K.
- 6 a.m. CEST on Oct. 25 for Western Europe/Paris
- 1 p.m. JST on Oct. 25 for Tokyo
For those playing on the PC Microsoft Store, that follows the same timings as the console versions, as shown in the next section…
What time does Black Ops 6 release on PlayStation and Xbox?
For PlayStation and Xbox players, as well as those on the PC Microsoft Store, Black Ops 6 will release at midnight local time — in other words, as soon as it’s Friday, Oct. 25, wherever you are.
This has led to a now infamous “New Zealand trick,” where Call of Duty players change their region to New Zealand in order to play the game early on Thursday.
It should be noted that doing so is at your own risk; though Activision, Sony, or Microsoft have historically not taken any action against players for doing this, it could be technically against their terms of service — so weigh this up if this is something you’re considering.
Is Black Ops 6 on Game Pass?
Black Ops 6 is the first Call of Duty game to launch on Xbox Game Pass, following Microsoft’s official acquisition of Activision Blizzard last year. However, there is a minor catch here. Game Pass Core and Game Pass Standard subscribers will not gain access to Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 at launch.
In other words, Black Ops 6 will only launch for PC Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers. If you already have one of those tiers, you’ll be able to play on launch day alongside everyone else. If not, you’ll need to upgrade to a higher Game Pass tier or purchase the game separately.
What’s new in Black Ops 6?
Image: Activision
Black Ops 6 is the return of the subseries started more than a decade ago, and takes the alternate history and applies it to the Gulf War and early ‘90s America. The game comes with the three big Call of Duty staples, as usual: campaign, multiplayer, and zombies. Unlike last year’s title, this zombies mode returns to its classic round-based variant.
The big new feature for this game is omnimovement, which drastically improves players’ ability to maneuver the battlefield in and out of combat.