Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is still two weeks away from its full release, but anticipation levels are rising. The recent beta allowed players to get an idea of what to expect from the multiplayer side of the game – battle royale mode included – ahead of October 12. With the game due to release soon, people will want to know about the Call of Duty Blacks Ops 4 season pass. So, what is it exactly, how much will it cost, and how do you get it?
Call of Duty Black Ops 4 Season Pass – What is it?
An official blog post from publishers Activision revealed that the Call of Duty Black Ops 4 season pass is how you’ll get to play its DLC. Called the ‘Black Ops Pass’, the extra content will nab you four additional all-new zombies experiences, 12 multiplayer maps, four exclusive Blackout characters, and a bonus zombies mode – called ‘Classified’ – which will be available to play at launch.
The other three other zombies experiences have been dubbed ‘IX’, ‘Voyage of Despair’ and ‘Blood of the Dead’. Picking up the season pass entitles players to four zombies experiences on launch day, as well as four further experiences at some point in the future. Given the popularity of this mode down the years, Activision is going all in to ensure that players are kept busy with this mode.
Call of Duty Black Ops 4 Season Pass – What Game Editions are Available to Buy?
The Call of Duty Black Ops 4 season pass is available as part of the game’s digital deluxe edition, digital deluxe enhanced edition, and pro edition. Each special edition has its own variety of add-ons, and the price varies on which you want. The digital deluxe edition is priced at around $110, the enhanced edition will cost you around $140 and the pro edition about $120.
The digital deluxe edition comes with a copy of the game, the season pass, digital bonus items, and 2,400 Call of Duty points. The digital deluxe enhanced edition has all of the above, but ups the points package to 8,500 points. Finally, the the pro edition comes with the above, 1, 100 points, a Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 steelbook, a Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 pop socket, 10 specialist patches, and 3 zombies-inspired collectible art cards.
Call of Duty Blacks Ops 4 Season Pass – Why Can’t I Buy a Standalone Season Pass?
Activision have stated that the season pass ‘represents a new approach to post-launch content for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, including a robust live season for the community’. What this means is unclear, but cynics have viewed it as a marketing ploy that ensures that Activision will sell as many deluxe and pro editions as possible.
The blog post goes on to reveal that fans won’t have four separate DLC drops to look out for. Instead, Activision and developer Treyarch will drip feed the content frequently throughout the next 12 months. That will ensure that Call of Duty Blacks Ops 4 season pass holders have a steady stream of new content to keep them ticking over. Activision has confirmed that further details on the season pass will be made in due course, so for now what’s been revealed is all we have to go on.
Call of Duty Black Ops 4 Season Pass – How has This Information Gone Down?
Not very well, according to reports such as this one from Kotaku. Call of Duty fans have been left feeling frustrated and betrayed that they’ll have to fork out more money, for a more expensive edition, if they want to get their hands on the Call of Duty Black Ops 4 season pass. The additional, paid-for DLC maps have divided the Call of Duty fanbase, with some saying that the inability to play with the friends on these maps isn’t right.
In the past, players were able to buy the season pass for around $49.99, or select individual map packs for $14.99 each. There’s always the chance that Activision will make the Call of Duty Black Ops 4 season pass available to all at some point – their support page says a standalone purchase will be put up for sale at a later date – but for now fans will have to shell out for one of the pricier editions if they want the season pass content from day one.