Features That Should Return To Call Of Duty

Call of Duty is one of the longest-running first-person shooter franchises, featuring a diverse roster of titles, each offering its own unique experience. From storming real battlegrounds during World War II to being flung into the future with robots and advanced weaponry, longtime players of the franchise have been in for a wild ride.

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With the series running for as long as it has—and with several major studios developing each title—it’s only natural that Call of Duty has gone through its fair share of features. Some have stuck around for years, while others have long since been forgotten. However, certain past features could have a positive impact on the franchise if they made a comeback. Here are just a few features from past Call of Duty titles that deserve to return.

1

Pick 10 Class System

Classic Loadout System From Black Ops 2

Of all the features that could make a return in Call of Duty, the Pick 10 System is arguably the most requested. The Pick 10 System was an integral part of the Create-a-Class feature in games like Black Ops 2 and Black Ops 3, giving players the ability to select ten individual components for their loadout. Everything from weapons, Perks, Wildcards, and both Lethal and Tactical Equipment took up a slot, contributing to the ten total available selections.

With the Pick 10 System, players could sacrifice certain parts of their loadout to free up space for customization elsewhere—such as adding extra attachments to a weapon, equipping multiple Wildcards, or stacking even more Perks. While Black Ops 6 offers some of these benefits through the use of Wildcards, the return of Pick 10—or something equivalent—could provide players with much greater freedom in customizing their loadouts.

2

Outbreak

Large-Scale Zombies Experience From Black Ops Cold War

Moving on to more Zombies-specific features, we have Outbreak—a large-scale Zombies mode that differs greatly from the traditional round-based experience. Players diving into Outbreak found themselves on large maps, many of which were borrowed from Multiplayer’s Fireteam and Combined Arms modes. Here, players are tasked with completing objectives to progress through different zones, each one increasing in difficulty. Players also had the option to extract from the map, much like in Black Ops 6 Zombies, and could even complete game-ending Easter Eggs.

With its vast play areas, intense boss fights, and unique objectives, Outbreak became a fun and refreshing alternative to traditional Zombies, gaining a dedicated fan base throughout Black Ops Cold War. While Modern Warfare 3’s Zombies mode took a similar open-world approach, many players are hoping for a true Outbreak experience to return—one that could very well be included in 2025’s premium Call of Duty title.

3

Grief & Turned

Fun Zombie Game Modes From Black Ops 2

Speaking of Zombies game modes, both Grief and Turned are long overdue for a return to the Call of Duty franchise. Both modes debuted in Black Ops 2 Zombies, and while they offered different experiences, each was a blast to play. For those unfortunate enough to have never played either mode, Grief and Turned departed from the traditional round-based experience many are familiar with, leading to some seriously fun gameplay.

Grief retained the classic round-based Zombies gameplay many are used to, this time with two teams of four players who have to outlast each other. Turned, on the other hand, combined mechanics from Infection and Gun Game. It featured four players—three as zombies and one as a human. The human’s goal was to eliminate zombies, with their weapons changing after each kill. Zombies, meanwhile, had to take down the humans to switch roles with them. Each kill earned players points, with humans receiving a bonus, and the player with the most points at the end of the game won.

Fun and competitive modes like Grief and Turned provided a fresh experience for Black Ops 2, and they could very well be a great addition to a future title. With a rumored Black Ops 2 sequel on the horizon for 2025, perhaps both modes could see a revival in the near future.

4

Emblem Editor

Emblem Creation System Introduced In Black Ops 2

From unique gamemodes to custom cosmetics now with the Emblem Editor, a mechanic heavily featured in Black Ops 2. This unique tool allowed players to create custom emblems, which were displayed on their user profiles and showcased during objective captures, Scorestreak calls, and more. The Emblem Editor included a wide range of preset shapes that players could manipulate to their liking. Thanks to the creativity of the community, this feature led to near-endless possibilities for some truly epic designs.

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The Emblem Editor was one of the many beloved features outside of Black Ops 2’s core gameplay, especially when paired with an unintentional bug that allowed players to copy others’ emblem designs for their own use. However, while the feature did carry over to other titles like Black Ops 3 and Infinite Warfare, the feature has not returned in recent Call of Duty titles. Whether due to misuse by some players or the fact that such cosmetics are now sold within each title’s stores, it seems highly unlikely that the Emblem Editor will make a comeback to the Call of Duty franchise.

5

Paint Shop

Camo-Making Feature Introduced In Black Ops 3

Following the Emblem Editor is the Paint Shop, a mechanic that made its debut in the widely beloved Call of Duty: Black Ops 3. The Paint Shop functioned similarly to the Emblem Editor from Black Ops 2, but this time, it allowed players to create custom paint jobs for their weapons. While the feature was somewhat niche in Black Ops 3, and players couldn’t apply paint jobs to the entirety of their weapons, it was still a nice addition that allowed players deeper control over their weapon personalization.

While recent Call of Duty titles have introduced additional weapon customization options beyond Camos and Blueprints, such as Decals and Stickers, none of these features offer the same level of creative control as the Paint Shop. However, since Black Ops 3 managed to incorporate purchasable Camos alongside the Paint Shop, a similar feature could potentially be implemented in a future title—though it remains highly unlikely that the Paint Shop, as seen in Black Ops 3, will be revived.

6

DMZ

Last but not least is DMZ, a unique game mode that debuted during the Modern Warfare 2 era of Warzone, also known as Warzone 2.0. DMZ is an extraction-shooter experience where players can drop into various large-scale exclusion zones, either as a team or solo. The mode offers a great deal of freedom regarding how players can play, emphasizing objectives, securing better loot, and extracting safely to secure their acquired gear. Players can then stash their earned loot for future deployments, but if eliminated during a mission, they lose everything they had equipped.

Like more hardcore extraction shooters like Escape from Tarkov, DMZ incorporates similar mechanics like seasonal wipes and mission resets, but also more original features like the concept of insured weapons—customizable guns that remain accessible unless they go on cooldown after being lost in combat. Despite its more casual approach, the mode was pretty popular, attracting a niche playerbase that enjoyed completing challenges or engaging in epic PvP encounters more thrilling than those in Warzone Battle Royale.

With heaps of exclusive content, such as additional exclusion zones, and a strong player base, DMZ was a great experience, leaving many fans hoping to see support for the mode going into Modern Warfare 3—which unfortunately did not happen. However, rumors suggest that DMZ may make a comeback in the 2026 premium Call of Duty title, hopefully giving fans the continuation that they deserve.

Released

October 25, 2024

OpenCritic Rating

Strong