Call of Duty: Black Ops – Cold War is reportedly a direct sequel to the original

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Deal with historical figures, hard truths and zombies.

(Image credit: Activision)

While Activision has finally confirmed that Call of Duty: Black Ops – Cold War is coming, that hasn't put a stop to the leaks. Dataminers have apparently dug up a bunch of new details thanks to the latest Modern Warfare update, including that it's a direct sequel to the original Black Ops. 

As reported by ModernWarzone and Call of Duty Tracker, the official game description appears to have been unearthed, as well as the existence of an Ultimate Edition and, not surprisingly, preorder bonuses. 

Seeing as that the original Black Ops was set in the middle of the Cold War, the connection is hardly a shock, but I do wonder what this means for Black Ops 2, which is also a direct sequel. Are we going to see some retconning? Or is Cold War just going to be sandwiched between the two? There's room, I guess, since Black Ops 2 takes place at the end of the Cold War (and in the future) and there's a 20-year gap. 

Here's the datamined description:

The iconic Black Ops series is back with Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War—the direct sequel to the original and fan-favorite Call of Duty: Black Ops.

Black Ops Cold War will drop fans into the depths of the Cold War’s volatile geopolitical battle of the early 1980s. Nothing is ever as it seems in a gripping single-player Campaign, where players will come face-to-face with historical figures and hard truths, as they battle around the globe through iconic locales like East Berlin, Vietnam, Turkey, Soviet KGB headquarters and more.

Beyond the Campaign, players will bring a Cold War arsenal of weapons and equipment into the next generation of Multiplayer and Zombies experiences.

Welcome to the brink. Welcome to Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War.

*Actual platform availability and launch date(s) of Beta subject to change. Limited time only. Minimum Open Beta duration is 2 days. Internet connection required. Online multiplayer subscription may be required.

**Offer content and availability may vary by region and is subject to change. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare/Call of Duty: Warzone™ required to redeem offer. Sold/downloaded separately. Must be redeemed by November 13th 2021.

***Battle Pass and Tier Skips will be accessible in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War once the first Battle Pass is made available in game. Battle Pass redemption applies to one season of Battle Pass only.

Preordering it will allegedly net you early access to the open beta, while preordering the Ultimate Edition will give you access to the Woods operator pack for Modern Warfare and Warzone, along with an assualt rifle weapon blueprint and ten tier skips. The Ultimate Edition includes a weapon pack, three operator skins, three vehicle skins and three weapon blueprints, as well as a bundle for the season one battle pass.

The official reveal for Cold War is coming tomorrow, August 26, so we won't have to wait long to get confirmation on these details. Hopefully we'll get some in-game footage, too, as all we've got right now is this teaser.

Fraser Brown
Fraser Brown
Online Editor

Fraser is the UK online editor and has actually met The Internet in person. With over a decade of experience, he's been around the block a few times, serving as a freelancer, news editor and prolific reviewer. Strategy games have been a 30-year-long obsession, from tiny RTSs to sprawling political sims, and he never turns down the chance to rave about Total War or Crusader Kings. He's also been known to set up shop in the latest MMO and likes to wind down with an endlessly deep, systemic RPG. These days, when he's not editing, he can usually be found writing features that are 1,000 words too long or talking about his dog.