Watch the Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 battle royale gameplay trailer

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It's time for a proper look at the new Blackout mode.

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We've been waiting a long time to get our first look at Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 battle royale gameplay, and here it is: The debut trailer for Blackout, the BR mode that will go into open beta testing next week. 

The video isn't exactly a clear-cut breakdown of Blackout's systems and processes. It's mostly men and women shooting at each other across a series of rapid-fire smash cuts. But the levels are big and open, and glimpses at specific elements whiz by. Vehicles (quads, Zodiacs, helicopters, even a wingsuit), barricades, a grappling hook, and even the monkey bomb all make appearances, along with a few faces you might recognize. 

Zombies are in there too, although the trailer does nothing to clarify what role they'll play in Blackout—it may hint at it, though. Their quick appearance just before a warning about battleground constriction makes me wonder if they'll be a part of that system. Step outside the circle and your face gets eaten, maybe? 

We'll find out soon enough. The Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Blackout beta begins on September 10 on the PlayStation 4 (and I'm sure they'll tell us all about it) and comes to PC on September 14 if you preorder, or September 15 if you don't. Ahead of that, Treyarch will talk more about the Blackout beta during a livestream set for September 7.

Andy Chalk
Andy Chalk
US News Lead

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.