Call of Duty: Black Ops 4's new update brings Operation Absolute Zero to PC

Good news, bloppers. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4’s winter update, Operation Absolute Zero, has finally appeared on PC. The PS4 lot got it a week early, but now everyone can hop in and try out Zero, the new multiplayer Specialist who sports an Ice Pick hacking tool and an EMP grenade, while Black Ops Pass owners get new multiplayer maps and the latest Zombies romp, Dead of the Night.

As well as Zero, the update adds the Hijacked ship map to the Blackout battle royale mode, which sounds like an incredible (and incredibly messy) place for a massive brawl, as well as the new ARAV armoured vehicle and characters from the IX Zombies map. New tiers of loot are also available—100 of them!—including more characters for Blackout, epic outfits and multiplayer weapons.

If you’ve got the Black Ops Pass, you’ll also get two multiplayer maps, Elevation and Madagascar, and you can play as Black Ops 3’s Reaper in Blackout. You can also get your hands on the new Zombies map, with another set of celebs taking on the undead. The cast is pretty exceptional, too, with Kiefer Sutherland, Helena Bonham Carter, Brian Blessed and Charles Dance all starring.

The one benefit of waiting a little bit longer for these updates is that it means there’s a bit more time for Treyarch to work out the kinks. So Zero’s already been given her first balance update, tweaking how long it takes for her to earn her Ice Pick, stopping her from freezing enemy cooldowns with her hacks and more.

Blackout custom games are another new addition, letting players create a private match so they can get to grips with maps without the stress of being hunted or play with a group of mates. They only support 12 players right now, but Treyarch’s intention is to grow the number over time.

PC-specific changes in this update include some weapon balancing, specifically for the Daemon 3XB, and a few small tweaks. Check out the full patch notes here.

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.