Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 multiplayer guide – A guide to Specialists

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Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 has introduced a new character-based multiplayer system in the form of ‘Specialists’. These specialists allow players to choose from one of multiple characters, each with their own unique ability and weapons. The abilities that each character has, and how they are effective in different maps and multiplayer modes, will become a crucial part of this year’s Call of Duty multiplayer experience.

Below is a complete breakdown of how Specialists change the multiplayer for Black Ops 3, and we explain how this will impact your face-shooting experience this November.

Stay tuned for a complete guide to each of the new Specialists.

How many Specialists are there in Call of Duty Black Ops 3?

There will be nine playable Specialists, eight of which were available to play in the beta. You unlock these eight through levelling up, with the final, Spectre, available at Colonel, level 40.

How does the Specialist unique weapon and ability work?

Black Ops 3 uses a similar pick-10 system to that seen in previous Call of Duty games, except this time, on top of that you can also choose to equip either your Specialist’s unique weapon or special ability. The weapon, as you might expect, is a predominantly offensive strategy, while the ability is often used for defensive or counter maneuvers.

Battery, for example, has Kinetic Armour as her unique ability, which allows her to deflect bullets to the body, but not the head. This is great when you’re ambushed, you can quickly activate the armour and survive an ambush, or you can use it to rush into capture points.

Alternatively, Ruin’s unique weapon is Gravity Spikes, which he can slam down and cause huge area-of-effect damage to close-quarters enemies. This is great for objective-based matches like Domination and Search and Destroy, where opponents are likely to be grouped together in tight spaces, allowing you to rack up kills and cause havoc.

Can you equip the Specialist’s unique ability and weapon at the same time?

No, you can only have one selected at any time. You must choose to use either their ability or weapon. Knowing which is best to use based on the game type, the map and your play style is something you’ll naturally learn as you play, but knowing which is most effective can mean the difference between a successful and frustrating match. Players with good kill/death ratios often have a solid strategy going into each match.

Does Call of Duty Black Ops 3 still have Create-a-Class?

Create-a-Class is unaffected by the Specialist system. Each Specialist still has the same arsenal of weapons, grenades and perks to choose from. Your class creations also remain the same should you choose to switch Specialist between rounds, so you don’t have to worry about making massive changes in a short space of time.

About the Author

Call of Duty: Black Ops 3

  • Platform(s): PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
  • Genre(s): Action, First Person, Shooter
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