Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 found itself in a relative slump recently as the hype around its launch started to die down, although the recently released second in-game season for the title is aiming to turn this around. Season Two has provided a large amount of fresh content across BO6‘s core multiplayer, Zombies, and Warzone, with multiplayer in particular getting a lot of much-needed attention.
As expected, a range of new multiplayer maps have been added to Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 thanks to Season Two, with five maps in total being scheduled for release over the course of the period. The first three of these new experiences have already given a much-needed boost to the multiplayer map pool of Black Ops 6, with some Season Two maps already shaking up the core gameplay of what the title’s online mode has to offer. While there have been some valid complaints over Black Ops 6‘s large focus on smaller maps, launch experiences like Stakeout have become fan-favorites thanks to their tiny size and high-octane gameplay, and Season Two’s Lifeline seems to have taken on this mantle.
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Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Season Two’s Lifeline Has Leaned Into the Game’s Addictive Chaos
Away from the attention being placed on Black Ops 6‘s recent Zombies map, The Tomb, the Lifeline map has been one of the most eye-catching elements of the title’s already-released Season Two content. The map immediately drew attention prior to Season Two’s launch thanks to the similarities it shares with Black Ops 2‘s ship-set Hijacked map, with the setting of Lifeline being quite similar to this fan-favorite map, despite its smaller size. The five maps being added to BO6‘s multiplayer throughout Season Two are the following:
- Bounty (Launch)
- Dealership (Launch)
- Lifeline (Launch)
- Bullet (Mid-Season)
- Grind (Mid-Season)
Lifeline is classified as a Strike Map, meaning it is primarily designed for the tense and tactical 2v2 gameplay of modes like Gunfight, but this has not stopped Treyarch from offering 6v6 gameplay for Lifeline, centered around claustrophobic chaos. Black Ops 6 offers a moshpit of 6v6 modes for its Strike Maps through the Faceoff Playlist, plunging all the smaller Strike Maps into explosive 6v6 modes, providing some of the most intense BO6 gameplay perfect for fans of closer range combat.
While the map pool of the Faceoff Playlist is only growing as each in-game season progresses, only a certain few have developed their own core followings, with the Stakeout map arguably being the most popular. Set in the tight corridors of an apartment block, Stakeout has already earned itself a reputation as one of the most memorable Black Ops 6 multiplayer maps, with Treyarch even releasing a 24/7 Stakeout playlist that some fans want to see become a permanent addition to the title.
Black Ops 6’s Maps Still Have Lots of Work to Do, But Lifeline is a Positive Step
The cramped spaces of Stakeout are perfect for certain camo grinds and challenges, although the familiarity of the map has led to some calling out for a fresh experience to take its place. Treyarch seems to have come close to achieving this with the recent Lifeline map, with Lifeline possessing the same size and easy playability of Stakeout, whether in 2v2 or 6v6 playlists. While a lot of love is still being shown to Stakeout, Lifeline appears to have captured some of the same rare magic that makes smaller maps play well without veering too much toward uncontrolled and overly messy gameplay.
Many fans have been calling out for the introduction of larger maps to Black Ops 6, and while Lifeline does not work toward achieving this, the way in which it bolsters the Strike Map pool is still a real positive that should not be ignored. It is clear to see why Treyarch would want to focus on repeating the success and player retention of maps like Stakeout, and while the studio should strive to expand the variety of multiplayer experiences for BO6, Lifeline seems like a worthy successor to carry the torch of addictive and compact maps.
- Released
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October 25, 2024
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Suggestive Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs