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Battle royale style games took off in popularity last year thanks to PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds and reached new heights with Fortnite. Now, the Call of Duty franchise has hopped onto the fray with Black Ops 4‘s new Blackout mode. If you haven’t experienced battle royale for yourself, but plan on hopping into Black Ops 4, this is for you. We’ll run through some of the basics of the mode and cover the ways in which Call of Duty puts its own spin on it.

Battle Royale 101

First off, you can enter matches either as a lone wolf (solo), with a partner (duos), or a team of four (quads); you’ll be matched with up to 100 players who choose the same group size option. Every player gets flown over the map in the same trajectory–visualized when you pull up the map–and it’s up to you when and where to drop. Exiting the helicopter has you deploying your wingsuit, and you can glide horizontally to go further out or look straight down to drop faster.

The overall goal is to be the last player or team standing since everyone has one life, which makes combat encounters much more tense and risky compared to traditional Call of Duty multiplayer. Now more than ever, you should be aware of your surroundings; that or have a teammate watch your back. Also keep in mind that you can revive squadmates if they fall, but be sure to do so before they bleed out or take more damage from enemies.

Another basic ingredient of battle royale is the impending pressure of a deadly circle closing in on the battlefield. Every match has the circle contracting on a random area of the map, and it gets smaller as the match goes on to force remaining players into combat. If you get caught outside the circle, you’ll take damage until you can get into the safe zone.

A Huge Map To Traverse

Blackout’s map is much larger than any previous Call of Duty map since it has to accommodate 100 players. However with size of the map, it also induces a slower pace; so expect plenty of downtime between encounters. This change of pace may take a while for Call of Duty veterans to adjust to, but it also feeds into the high-stakes nature of combat in battle royale games since one small mistake can cost you an entire match.

There are 14 concentrated areas in the Blackout map, many of which pay homage to past Black Ops maps. For example, Nuketown Island, Estate, and Array will look and feel similar to the multiplayer maps they’re named after. The in-between of these main locations is interspersed with smaller towns and groups of buildings that can have valuable loot. But vast forestry and open fields make up most of the terrain, so be on-guard when traversing between locations as firefights may break out at any moment.

The full map in Blackout mode.

Luckily, vehicles litter the map. An ATV doesn’t provide much protection but it can get up to two players around from point A to point B fairly quickly. The cargo truck fits up to five players and doesn’t leave the squad as vulnerable, but it moves pretty slow. Getting through the river that splits the middle of the map is quite easy with a zodiac boat, which holds up to four players. And unlike most battle royales, Blackout features air transportation via the helicopter that has five seats total. That’s not the only means of air travel, though; you can deploy your wingsuit by sprinting and jumping off a building and holding the jump button.

Loot Your Loadout

You start each match without anything in your inventory and must loot all your equipment–a stark contrast to Call of Duty’s tradition of letting players customize their loadouts. You’re allowed to carry two weapons and have to scavenge for the proper ammo type for each as well. The following is a list of all the weapons available to loot in Blackout:

• Pistols: Strife, Mozu
• SMGs: SAUG-9mm, MX9, GKS, Spitfire, Cordite
• Shotguns: MOG 12, SG12
• Assault Rifles: KN-57, ICR-7, VAPR-XKG, Maddox RFB, Rampart 17
• Tactical Rifles: Auger DMR, Swordfish, ABR 223, Essex Model 07
• Sniper Rifles: Koshka, Paladin HB50
• LMGs: Titan
• Explosives: War Machine, Hellion Salvo
• Zombie Weapons: Ray Gun, Galil, MP-40, Zweihander

Attachments are crucial for getting the most out of your weapons. A reflect sight or 4x scope will come in clutch for nailing precise shots with ADS, and a grip or stock will help control your recoil, but you need to scavenge for those items and get them onto your gun. Zombie weapons add a twist to combat, which can be found in zombie supply stashes after killing AI-controlled zombie hordes at certain locations in the map, like the Asylum. Even the sillier items find their way into Blackout, like the Ray Gun, Monkey Bomb, Acid Bomb, and RC Car (though it doesn’t explode). Look out for blue beacons that shine in the sky as this indicates stash locations where you may get your hands on these rare items.

Inventory management in Blackout mode.

You’ll also have to loot armor in Blackout; there are three levels and each one provides better protection (level 3 armor is the only one that’ll protect from headshots). Backpacks open up five additional item slots, which comes in handy later in a match as you loot more useful equipment. And it goes without saying that stocking up on health items is important, too; first aid and med kits heal 25 and 50 health, respectively. Trauma kits will fully heal you and tack on an additional 50 health temporarily.

Be on the lookout for supply crates that randomly drop onto the map throughout the match; you’re likely to find high-level loot, but creates a hotspot for preying enemies.

The Perks Of Call Of Duty

In another interesting twist, Blackout’s take on battle royale also brings in the familiar Perks system, which act as consumable items found across the map. Each perk has a specific effect, usage limit, and duration. While some may be more useful than others, it’s important to know what your equipped perk does as it can make the difference between life and death, especially in their most effective situations. The following is a perk list and what they do:

• Awareness: Louder enemy footsteps. (Usage: 2, Duration: 2 mins)
• Brawler: Increases melee damage, gain 50 health for each melee attack landed. (Usage: 1, Duration: 4 mins)
• Consumer: Health and consumable items activate 50% faster. (Usage: 1, Duration: 5 mins)
• Dead Silence: Silent movement and less noise when opening stashes. (Usage: 2, Duration: 4 mins)
• Engineer: Reveal all nearby vehicles and enemy equipment. (Usage: 2, Duration: 4 mins)
• Iron Lungs: Steady aim with scoped weapons and underwater breathing time increased. (Usage: 2, Duration: 5 mins)
• Medic: Health items and team revives replenish more health and with faster activation. (Usage: 2, Duration: 4 mins)
• Mobility: Movement and weapon switch is faster, fire and use items while sprinting, move fast while reloading. Fall damage negated. (Usage: 2, Duration: 5 mins)
• Looter: Reveals nearby loot and stashes. (Usage: 3, Duration: 2 mins)
• Outlander: Take less damage and move faster when outside safe zone. (Usage: 2, Duration: 3 mins)
• Reinforced: Reduce explosion and fire damage. Reduce effectiveness of razor wire, flashbangs, and concussion grenades. (Usage: 3, Duration: 4 mins)
• Skulker: Faster crouch and prone movement. (Usage: 3, Duration: 3 mins)
• Stimulant: Increase health cap by 100. (Usage: 2, Duration 3 mins)
• Squad Link: Teammates visible through walls. (Usage: 2, Duration: 2 mins)
• Paranoia: Audio cues for when you’re targeted by an enemy via ADS. (Usage: 2, Duration: 4 mins)

Black Ops 3 introduced Specialists, unique characters that provided a variety of ways to play the game with their own attributes and abilities–akin to a hero shooter. While you can choose to play as a certain Specialist in Blackout, the equipment that was once tied to them are now items found in the field. Those abilities–such as the razor wire, mesh mines, and grappling hook–are hard to find, but they can give you a significant advantage when used in the right situation.

Tips

Those are the basics when it comes to playing Call of Duty Black Ops 4’s Blackout mode. Battle royale veterans may know how the rules work, but the equipment system and map are still things that need to be experimented with and explored on your own. The most important thing to do is to play more and more matches to get a feel for how Call of Duty’s take on battle royale flows. And now that you know what you’re getting into, take the next step and check out our Blackout beginner’s guide.

For a more comparative look, see how Blackout, Fortnite, and PUBG differ from one another. We’ve spent a lot of time with the game and working to reach a verdict on it, but check out our Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 early review impressions in the mean time.

The long legal drama between Oculus and ZeniMax appears to be continuing, but id designer John Carmack–who was a central figure in the dispute–says his personal legal battles are over. In a tweet, Carmack said that he and ZeniMax have released all claims against each other.

It’s notable that Carmack draws a very careful distinction in his statement, though. He pointed out that his personal legal disputes have been satisfied, but said that an appeal for Oculus is still moving forward. That indicates that Oculus is still fighting against the award given to ZeniMax for copyright infringement–even after it had been slashed from $500 million to $250 million.

ZeniMax alleged that Carmack had taken work developed while he was at id Software–owned by ZeniMax–and taken it to Oculus for the creation of the Oculus Rift. A $500 million settlement was awarded, which was later halved when a judge found that the infringement was too small to justify such a large reward. Oculus is now continuing its appeal, presumably to reduce the damages further or eliminate them altogether.

Meanwhile, ZeniMax also filed suit last year against Samsung VR. In that suit, the company that Carmack had worked with another former ZeniMax employee, Matt Hooper, to develop a plan for mobile VR. According to the suit, Oculus then took that pitch to Samsung, which makes that company liable too. ZeniMax argues that Samsung must have been aware of the litigation with Oculus, but continued to develop Gear VR regardless of the legal risk.

We may see some form of Diablo announcement at BlizzCon this year, but a set of merchandise with a new name isn’t an accidental leak, according to the studio. A set of new items listed on the Blizzard Gear Store raised eyebrows with a conspicuous subtitle: “Diablo Reign of Terror.” However, Blizzard has told GameSpot these are not related to any new content being prepared for the show.

The items include a poster and a men’s and women’s T-shirt, all showing the frightful visage of the series namesake himself. That raised suspicions that “Reign of Terror” could be the subtitle of a new game or expansion, especially given that Diablo hasn’t had either since Reaper of Souls in 2014. But not so, says Blizzard.

“These are names and copy used for some of the new products available at BlizzCon this year, and not direct references to content at the show,” a spokesperson told GameSpot.

We first began expecting to see a Diablo announcement due to Blizzard’s own schedule for BlizzCon 2018. The “Diablo: What’s Next” panel follows first after the main stage keynote. The existence of a “What’s Next” panel itself isn’t telling–just about every ongoing Blizzard game gets one–but coming just after the main stage presentation is usually reserved for the biggest announcement of the event. Diablo also has a second planned panel about the world of Diablo, scheduled for the following day.

Blizzard has previously indicated it has multiple Diablo projects in the works. We know about one of them, since Diablo 3 was announced for Nintendo Switch, but the phrasing definitely implied more than one is in development. “Some of them are going to take longer than others, but we may have some things to show you later this year,” said community manager Brandy Camel.

BlizzCon 2018 kicks off on Friday, November 2.

Bungie is rolling out Update 2.0.4 for Destiny 2 soon, alongside its seasonal events and a new Iron Banner. In an update, the studio has outlined its release plans so you can schedule your playtime down to the minute. Almost. Eyes up, Guardian.

On Tuesday, October 16 the event will begin. First at 7 AM PT / 10 AM ET, Destiny 2 maintenance will begin, but it won’t be accompanied by downtime. Companion features might be unavailable, but at this point you should be ready to download the update. At 9:45 AM PT / 12:45 PM ET, anyone who hasn’t installed 2.0.4 will be kicked out and taken back to the title screen to prompt them to install it. Then at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET, the maintenance will be over and companion features will be reenabled.

Once you’ve downloaded and installed version 2.0.4 you should be able to dive right into the new events. Those include a new Iron Banner event and the annual Halloween-themed Festival of the Lost. Iron Banner has been revised with easier bounty requirements for more plentiful rewards, and the whole event will overlap with Double and Triple Valor periods to get more Masterwork Cores.

Festival of the Lost will also be handing out Powerful gear like candy corns. It offers a Horde-like PvE mode, a special quest-line to solve the murder of an old cryptarch, and a new type of currency (Fragmented Souls) that can be traded in for masks and a very thematic auto rifle called Horror Story. You can also earn Ephemeral Engrams with their own new rewards.

Bungie also recently announced plans to tweak the drop rates so you get duplicate Exotics less often. For some help finding gear in the meantime, check out where to find Xur and what he has in stock.

Red Dead Redemption 2 looks to be a shockingly precise cowboy simulator, right down to some survivalist mechanics like hunting and dressing appropriately. All a real frontiersman needs is a horse and a trusty rifle, and Rockstar has taken the wraps off of your weapon selection in the upcoming game.

According to the official site, RDR2 has more than 50 weapons, each with customization options and ammo types to help determine stats like accuracy, range, and damage. Weapons will level up the more you use them, and they’ll need to be kept oiled and cleaned to stave off degradation. You can customize with barrels, grips, sights, and scopes for performance, along with visual flourishes like selecting your metals, woods, varnishes, and engravings.

The visual elements like metals and engravings can be customizable per component of your gun, and you can pick a different engraving on your trigger guard, barrel, and frame for a truly unique look. Ammo types like split point, high velocity, and explosive can be used in a pinch for tougher enemies. A good holster will help prevent weapon degredation, while off-hand holsters let you dual wield your weapons. Finally, your horse’s saddle will store your weapons, so you’ll have to select which weapons to take on your person when you tie up your horse.

Rockstar cites a handful of examples of how various weapons can deal with different situations. The Bolt-Action Rifle is best for long-range combat against multiple targets, while the Pump-Action Shotgun is best suited for close combat against hearty wild beasts. A Double-Action Revolver works well if shooting from horseback, while a Sawed-Off Shotgun is better if you’re limited to one hand while the other carries a lantern. The Varmint Rifle is best for small game since it will do the least damage to their skin and meat. And the Springfield Rifle is ideal for one-on-one confrontations at mid-range. And those are just a few of the examples.

The new Dead-Eye system helps you make the most out of every shot, and progresses to become more powerful over the course of the game. It will let you auto-select targets, manually place multiple shots on the same enemy, fire in slow motion, or pinpoint weak spots on enemies.

Red Dead Redemption 2 hits on October 26. Check out some of the most surprising details we know about so far while we wait to explore the Old West.

Destiny 2 is bringing back the Iron Banner, starting very soon. The event begins Tuesday, October 16 and lasts until the following Tuesday, October 23. It will be accompanied by the 2.0.4 update, which among other changes will update rewards and bounty objectives as a response to feedback Bungie has received from past Iron Banner events.

For starters, it will be much easier to get good rewards out of the Iron Banner. The bounty requirements have been significantly reduced, in some cases even halved, to make them easier to complete. On top of that, you’ll get a piece of Powerful Gear for each bounty you complete, to boost your overall Power rating. Finally, Masterwork Cores will be made more available, with Double Valor rewards October 16-19, and Triple Valor from October 19-23. Check out the newly revised Iron Banner bounties below:

• Lightbearer: Super kills has been reduced to 20 from 25
• Iron in the Blood: Match completions has been reduced to 15 from 30
• Shine On: Orbs generated has been reduced to 50 from 100
• Iron Victory: Match wins has been reduced to 7 from 10
• To Be Precise: Precision kills has been reduced to 50 from 100
• All in a Week’s Work: Kills has been reduced to 150 from 250

This is also all coming alongside this year’s Festival of the Lost. It will add a new Haunted Forest section that offers waves of ghouls and demons with a 15-minute time limit. A quest-line will appear near the end of Festival of the Lost to take on the cryptarch Master Ives. A new Legendary auto rifle called Horror Story will be available and the Tower will be adorned with all sorts of spooky decorations. You can also earn special Ephemeral Engrams with new rewards. You’ll need to own Forsaken to take part in Festival of the Lost. Check out what else is on the way in the weekly reset.