Black Ops Gulf War (Call of Duty 2024) leaks, campaign, zombies and more

✓ at a glance

• Call of Duty Black Ops: Gulf War is expected to release in November 2024
• Set during the 1990s conflict in Iraq
• Rumored to feature open-world level design more akin to Far Cry than linear Call of Duty
• Zombies to return to roots and bring back much-loved gameplay features
• Early access period expected, as per the last two games, MW2 and MW3

Call of Duty Black Ops: Gulf War leaks are coming in thick and fast – and while nothing official has been confirmed by Activision, we’ve already had plenty of hints about the campaign, zombies and more. So buckle up, here’s every leak, rumor and latest bit of intel we know about Black Ops Cold War.

Call of Duty Black Ops: Gulf War expected release date

If we’re to take a guess, we would suggest the Black Ops: Gulf War release date fall in early November 2024. This is because Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 released on October 28, 2022, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 arrived on November 11. This time of year is typical for Call of Duty titles, so we don’t expect anything to change drastically.

Will there be Black Ops: Gulf War early access?

Potentially, yes. As we reported, there is a chance the game will land on Game Pass. As per Modern Warfare 3, we are also expecting some sort of early access for those who pre-order the game. If it’s anything like last year’s game, we’re expecting at least the campaign to be playable up to a week before the game’s official launch. A rumored pre-order bonus for Call of Duty 2024 includes early access to zombies, so this will almost certainly be playable before the full release.

What is the Black Ops: Gulf War plot and setting?

It’s strongly rumored that this year’s game will be based on the Gulf War, a conflict which lasted between 1990 and 1992. This year’s game is rumored to focus on some of the lesser-known parts of this conflict, but expect plenty of desert missions. It’s being developed by Treyarch, who has handled the Call of Duty: Black Ops saga since it kicked off in 2010. In 2023, actor Luke Charles Safford posted on Facebook claiming he was involved in the next Call of Duty. The post, originally reported by Insider Gaming, has since been deleted, but stated Safford’s likeness would be used for a character called Ratcliffe. Elsewhere, a data miner has leaked what they claim to be every weapon in the game, which, as expected, are fitting for this period.

✓ history lesson

What happened in the Gulf War?

Oh, you’re after a history lesson? Sure. In August 2, 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait under the leadership of Saddam Hussein. This was done with the intention to seize the nation’s oil reserves. This triggered an international crisis, which led to a US response following the United Nations Security Council passing Resolution 661. Within days, thousands of US troops were on the ground, the first landing in Saudi Arabia with the permission of King Fahd. From here, the US dispatched its Rapid Deployment Force – acting as a deterrent as Saddam’s troops neared the Saudi border. The following months saw the US undertake an enormous military operation.

Black Ops: Gulf War campaign rumors

There are reports that the 2024 game will feature fleshed-out open-world elements similar to that teased in Modern Warfare 3. Again, a report from Insider Gaming claims the game worlds will be so large that you’ll be able to fast travel and take vehicles to get to different locations on the map. This could lead to an experience feeling more like Ubisoft’s Far Cry series than typical Call of Duty games released over the past two decades. There is no word yet how large the map will be, or if the game takes place on a vast map – with different missions and objectives set within it.

‘Should Call of Duty: Gulf War be open-world, it must not sacrifice the cinematic pace associated with the best COD campaigns’

Should the game go down the open-world route, which we have seen with the likes of Warzone and DMZ, it’ll represent a complete overhaul of the Call of Duty campaign experience. Typically, all of the Call of Duty campaigns have been ‘on the rails’ with minimal open-world elements bar some small sandboxes to explore. Last year’s Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 attempted to add open-world elements to the campaign, but these were not as fleshed out as they could have been. The result? They felt too familiar to DMZ and lacked the structure and intensity often associated with a more cinematic, linear experience.

When will could Black Ops: Gulf War be revealed?

There is the possibility that Black Ops: Gulf War will be revealed in May. This has been hinted at by leakers. In addition, The Verge reported the game will receive a gameplay demo at Microsoft’s Xbox summer showcase on June 9th. Insider Gaming reported it will be revealed before this showcase in a more traditional manner outside of Warzone.

What are the Black Ops: Gulf War zombies leaks?

There are several Call of Duty 2024 zombies leaks that should excite fans disappointed by MW3. These leaks suggests the return of return-based zombies, and they also suggest that there will be two maps. One map will take place on a creepy carrier ship, meanwhile, the other is situated in an open city map with multiple zones such as a bank and church. The city map will also reportedly be scattered with useable machines currently datamined as LTGD, Pressure Gauge, and EPP. Returning classic features found around maps will include Mystery Box, Pack a Punch, large ammo cache boxxes, and a new mysterious device named Dark Aether Field Emitter. Lastly, datamines indicated Gobblegum machines from Black Ops 3 are returning, too.

What platforms will Black Ops: Gulf War release on?

Black Ops: Gulf War will be coming to PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Despite Microsoft finalizing their acquisition of Activision and Blizzard, the CoD series is remaining multi-platform. While it’s guaranteed to launch on current-gen consoles and PC, there are reports the game will support last-gen PS4 and Xbox One, too. This has left some fans disappointed as Call of Duty has already supported last-gen for over five years compared to just three for the PS3 and Xbox 360.

Black Ops: Gulf War maps leaks

Rumors indicate that Black Ops: Gulf War will remaster the classic Black Ops map, Nuketown. Although not official, this wouldn’t be surprising as Nuketown has been a staple of the Black Ops series. After its original debut, Nuketown was in Black Ops 2 as Nuketown 2025, and it was last remade in Black Ops Cold War as Nuk3town. It has also been featured in Call of Duty Mobile. Unfortunately, there are no other maps mentioned other than Nuketown, but apparently the Nuked city map will not be the only remade battleground from Black Ops history. In Warzone, it’s though there will be a return of Verdansk to Warzone by the end of this year. No specific version of the original Warzone Verdansk map has been specified, but it will apparently be a ‘fan-favorite’.