Gunfights in Black Ops 6
Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6 it’s literally just around the corner. The game boasts the longest development time in Call Of Duty history, with a full three years of work on this entry before release. It launches with sixteen maps in total, with a seventeenth – Nuketown – launching just days after the main game.
I spoke with Treyarch’s Director of Level Design, Phil Tasker, about the team’s approach to the smaller Strike maps, which will be used primarily for the 2v2 Gunfight mode, as well as the frantic 6v6 Faceoff mode. Will the Gunfight Tournament return after its success in The Cold War? How about the excellent 3v3v3 Cutthroat mode from Modern Warfare III? Also, what kind of design decisions go into creating these smaller maps that differentiate them from the 3-lane design that goes into the larger “Core” maps?
Here’s what Tasker had to say.
What is involved in designing minimaps for Gunfight mode? What kind of considerations does the team take into account?
In many ways, the Gunfight and Face Off maps are like their larger counterparts. We think about the “gamer’s imagination” and the kinds of play experiences that an environment offers us. We also make similar considerations for flow, sight lines, and combat framing. For Gunfight specifically, we try to strike a balance where players don’t struggle to find each other early in the match, but can still use the map to pull off something sneaky or clever.
Something we’re excited about with these maps is exploring things we might not get to do in larger 6v6 models. Since Gunfight doesn’t feature Scorestreaks, we can put entire maps indoors or even underground, and even do some unique things we can’t talk about yet. Keep an eye out for some fun stuff after the launch!
How much consideration is given to Face Off mode when creating these maps?
As with larger 6v6 maps, we keep the needs of all supported game modes in mind when designing. Since respawning is one of the most significant differences between Gunfight and Face Off, we think about it while also noting that Face Off’s pacing is supposed to be kind of crazy.
Will there be any maps you plan to use for both the normal 6v6 and Gunfight modes? Nuketown, obviously, but any others in the works that are of similar proportions?
With Warhead, we have a Strike map based on a variant of Nuketown that’s been swallowed up by the desert, so we’re actually covered in the Nuketown department for Gunfight. However, looking ahead to post-launch, there is always an opportunity to offer new ways to experience our Strike maps. Stay tuned!
The maps we’ve seen so far are all quite different. How do you approach map diversity for small maps?
Strike maps are given the same level of consideration for portfolio diversity as other maps. It all starts with inspiration. Sometimes a map is inspired by a photograph of a unique place, or by a feeling we want to evoke, such as a sense of danger from heights. Other times, they are inspired by familiar environments that everyone can relate to.
The team collects all these ideas and then looks at what would give us the strongest variety in terms of locations and visuals. At the same time, we consider what kind of gameplay fits in a given location and then ask ourselves if we have enough diversity in size, complexity, verticality, dominant range of engagement, etc. From there, we test and tweak until we feel we’ve got just the right result.
Something we’re proud of at the studio is an event we hold called Map Jam. Map Jams at Treyarch are special events where the team designs maps in a completely free environment. We have an incredibly talented and creative map team, so we see some wild ideas during these jams. Sometimes when a design that comes out of a Map Jam feels right for the game we’re making, we bring it into the development pipeline. Our map lineup contains numerous maps that were created this way, including one of the Strike maps from this game. Some Gunfight maps from Black Ops Cold War were also created this way!
With the 6v6 maps, a return to the traditional 3-lane design has been the priority for Black Ops 6. Is there anything similar for these small maps, a “standard” sort of setup?
We have best practices for mapping at Treyarch. These are guidelines meant to be combined with the talents of individual designers to create something uniquely theirs and branded for Treyarch. Three-lane models are part of this.
The general principle is that players should feel like they have options, but not so much that they struggle to find a fight. Maps can reward sneaky players and wings without making spawns easily returned. We believe that three main paths are an ideal base, and this applies to any map size. But sometimes rules are meant to be broken!
Will we see any small Cold War maps redone for this game?
We’re currently planning to offer brand new maps for our Strike map portfolio in our live seasons, but as always, we’ll be keeping an eye on player feedback throughout the year.
Will the Gunfight Tournament be back?
We have nothing to announce at this time. Overall, the team is excited about the new and limited-time fan-favorite core modes to return to our entire map portfolio during our live seasons.
If I ask nicely, are you going to add Cutthroat from MWIII to Black Ops 6? Alternatively, do you think the three-team Gunfight could work?
There’s nothing to say about them today, but in terms of the return of team-based modes from previous Call of Duty titles, fans of Party Modes will get their first in Black Ops 6 with Infected in a week from the launch.
Any talk of adding 3v3 Gunfight? One of the strengths of modern CoD is having different options for each squad size.
The team had a lot of fun experimenting with Gunfight setups in Black Ops Cold War, and players seemed to enjoy them as much as we did. So yes, there’s a good chance you’ll see some of your favorites like the 3v3 Gunfight return for Black Ops 6 after launch.
How do you handle custom games for Gunfight? Will we be given more control over loads (ie the ability to customize the load rotation)?
A big part of the fun of Gunfight is making sure both teams are served the same random loadout every rotation, and we wanted to make sure that fun was preserved for Custom Games. We’re proud to be bringing Gunfight to the game on Day 1 as opposed to Season 1 or later, and that includes Customs for couples who want to prove who’s the best in their friend group on launch weekend. You know who you are!
Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6 launches October 25 on PC, Xbox and PlayStation. The game will be free for Xbox Game Pass subscribers. Watch for my review of the game here on this blog and read my impressions of the game here.