Black Ops 6 release date and time: How to preload the new Call of Duty (2024)

With just days until the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, it’s time to gear up for the shooter that’s bound to dominate your winter.

If you’re aiming to dive in the moment it drops, there are a few real-world tasks to tick off before you enter the virtual battlefield.

We’ve got you covered: from picking the right edition to clearing space for its hefty download, here’s your ultimate Black Ops 6 checklist. Follow these steps and you should be ready for action on day one.

Black Ops 6 release date and time

So, when is it coming out? No matter where you are in the world, you should be able to play Black Ops 6 on consoles and the Xbox App for PC (Game Pass) at midnight local time on Friday, October 25.

Due to regional time differences, this means that players in some countries will get the game before others, with New Zealand being the first place it will go live.

Black Ops 6 release date and time: How to preload the new Call of Duty (1)

The pre-load and launch times for Black Ops 6

Activision Blizzard

Meanwhile, PC gamers who use Steam or Activision-Blizzard’s Battle.net platform will have to wait a bit longer than their console brethren. Black Ops 6 will launch on those stores at 5am on October 25.

Black Ops 6 Zombies start time

One of the most talked about additions to Black Ops 6 is the return of round-based Zombies, which sees players teaming up to fend off hordes of the undead flesh-eaters.

To build anticipation for the new mode, the game’s developer Treyarch has announced that Zombies won’t be available immediately at launch.

Instead, it will kick off several hours later at 6pm in the UK (10am PT / 1pm ET) on October 25. That’s when players will be able to start the main quests for both Terminus and Liberty Falls on Zombies.

When can you preload Black Ops 6?

Nowadays, it’s pretty common to pre-load a game days before its launch, especially as game file sizes have grown larger and digital games have become more popular.

Like several Call of Duty titles before it, Black Ops 6 continues this trend. Those who have pre-ordered the game will be able to pre-load it from 5pm (9am PT) on Monday, October 21 on all platforms.

Black Ops 6 release date and time: How to preload the new Call of Duty (2)

Troy Marshall, a prodigy of Frank Woods, is among a batch of new characters in the upcoming game.

Activision

How to preload Black Ops 6

If you already have the Call of Duty HQ launcher installed, which is where you play MW3 and Warzone, Black Ops 6 should preload automatically.

In case this doesn’t happen, you can try these steps on PS5: click the options button on your controller on the Call of Duty game on the home screen, select “Manage Game Content,” and then install the applicable files.

Everyone else can download Black Ops 6 via the game listing on their go-to store.

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Black Ops 6 features a new “omnimovement” system that lets you sprint with 360 degrees of motion, whereas previously you could only dash forward.

Activision

How big is the Black Ops 6 download size?

If you’re on the fence about pre-loading the game, there’s one big reason why you should do it.

Like every other Call of Duty game in recent memory, Black Ops 6 is bound to be a beast that hogs a considerable amount of your system storage.

While we don’t know the official download size yet, we have an inkling of just how big it will be.

Those who have already pre-loaded the game in other regions have shared the file sizes for Black Ops 6. There are three files in total, including two campaign packs, which are 16.45GB and 21GB, respectively, along with 12.7GB of multiplayer content.

That equals just over 50GB of downloads, but there may be more to come on launch day, including additional game modes and a potential day one patch. This could bring the total to upwards of 100GB when all is said and done.

This also aligns with the released PC specifications, which indicate that you’ll need 102GB of free space for the download.

Thankfully, you no longer have to install Warzone alongside Black Ops 6, or any of the Modern Warfare games either as they’re not connected. Those extras are the main reason why Call of Duty is currently a bloated mess that takes up 175GB of space.

What edition should you buy?

Of course, there’s still time to pre-order the game if you haven’t already. If you’re thinking of buying Black Ops 6, you have two editions to choose from.

Here’s how much they cost and the extras they come with:

Standard/Cross-Gen Edition (£69.99)

  • Base game
  • Woods Operator Pack
  • Reflect 115 Camo Pack

Vault Edition (£99.99)

Includes everything in the Standard Edition, plus:

  • Hunters vs. Hunted Operator Pack (4 Operator Skins: Adler, Park, Brutus and Klaus)
  • Mastercraft Collection (5 Mastercraft Weapons)
  • BlackCell Battle Pass for Season 1 (includes Battle Pass, 20 Tier Skips, 1,100 CP)
  • GobbleGum Pack for Zombies (12 GobbleGums of high rarities).

Both versions of the game also came with early access to the multiplayer open beta, but that has now ended.

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Earlier this year,Treyarchsuggested the Black Ops 6 campaign would be as long as a “classic” Call of Duty, meaning it could take around six to eight hours.

Activision

Will it be on Game Pass?

Microsoft has already confirmed that Black Ops 6 will also be available on Game Pass on launch day.

However, it won’t be offered on every subscription tier. The only way to access the game on consoles and other devices (barring PCs) will be the high-end Game Pass Ultimate plan, which costs £14.99 per month.

PC players, meanwhile, can grab it through the lower-cost Game Pass for PC tier for £9.99 per month.

Notably, Microsoft has scrapped the £1 Game Pass trial offer in the lead-up to the game’s release date - so you can no longer sample Black Ops 6 for cheap.

Black Ops 6 release date and time: How to preload the new Call of Duty (2024)

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