Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare multiplayer reveal – The breakdown

Sledgehammer Games has blown the lid off Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare’s multiplayer mode, detailing the line-up of changes being made to this year’s game, revealing a selection of new maps and modes, and explaining how the new exoskeleton will completely change the way you play Call of Duty.

Missed the livestream? Read on to see what’s changing in this year’s game.

EXOSKELETON

Advanced Warfare’s new exoskeleton is said to fundamentally change the way players approach Call of Duty, altering player movement with advanced speed, strength, agility and – thanks to a new Boost Jump ability – verticality.

Players can use Boost Jump to reach previously inaccessible new heights or use Boost Dodge to evade incoming enemy fire. Boost Dash, meanwhile, lets players avoid enemy bullets by dashing mid-air, while Boost Slam introduces a new air-to-ground melee attack. Think about it as Call of Duty’s take on the butt stomp.

Furthermore, players are able to select an Exo Perk and Exo Ability as part of their loadout, including:

• Exo Shield – A quick-deploy shield attached to your exo’s arm
• Exo Overclock – Increased footspeed
• Exo Stim – Temporary health regeneration beyond normal levels
• Exo Cloak – Short duration visual concealment
• Exo Hover – Short duration hovering in place
• Exo Ping – Shows enemy movement and weapon fire in the HUD
• Exo Trophy System – Destroys incoming grenades and rockets for a limited period of time

MAPS

Four maps have been announced so far, including:

• Biolab – Part of a snowy secret base, this map features both close quarters indoor combat along with long range outdoor terrain with added verticality for quick and fast-paced action. Use your Exo boost to take the action to the rooftops.
• Riot – Set in a bombed out prison after a devastating riot, this penitentiary still has some defense mechanisms active. Crafted to utilize a classic 3-lane approach, this map offers two large open areas on both sides of the map along with a large cell block right in the center for an all-comers shoot-out that thrusts players right into the action.
• Ascend – Taking place in a futuristic Space Elevator terminal, this location features a map-based score streak that allows players to call in the turret defenses. Ascend also was designed with clean 3-Lane format and a verticality that is tailor made for exoskeleton abilities.
• Defender – In the shadow of the Golden Gate Bridge, an abandoned bunker that’s features open gameplay and is a perfect showcase for the new exoskeleton abilities. An added aspect to this map is the dynamic event. A tsunami hits with strategic regularity and changes a good portion of the map.

GAME MODES

12 multiplayer modes are to be included in Advanced Warfare, including classic modes Team Deathmatch, Capture The Flag, Hardpoint, Search & Destroy, Domination, Team Domination and more, plus two new modes:

• Uplink – Uplink has been built with teamwork in mind, and to promote fast and frantic competitive gameplay. Both teams fight for control of a satellite drone, and must race – with it in hand – to the opponent’s uplink.
• Momentum – Based on the War game mode originally found in Call of Duty: World at War, Momentum is the Call of Duty version of tug of war. Five consecutive capture points exist on the map, but only one is active at a time. The more kills and captures your team gets, the faster you are able to capture additional points. Once the other team captures on you, the momentum meter gets reset, so your team needs to be at its best the whole game.

SUPPLY DROPS

Advanced Warfare introduces Supply Drops, a new loot-based system that rewards players with over 1,000 customisation items, including Custom Weapons, Character Gear and Reinforcements. Items will be classed into three groups based on rarity – Enlisted, Professional and Elite – with additional Supply Drops earned through play time and completing in-game challenges.

• Custom Weapons: Attribute and cosmetic modifications on base weapons make up the nearly 350 custom weapon options that you can get from supply drops. These new modifications allow a greater range of customization to find the perfect weapon for individual play styles in addition to having a great look.
• Gear: Supply drops can also feature gear that allows you to customize your operator for the virtual lobby and in-game. The wide variety of cosmetic customization that players can get through gear will allow everyone on the field to know who you are.
• Reinforcements: Players can also be rewarded with one-time-use items that are activated during the match at pre-determined intervals, including perks and low-level scorestreaks. These are great for a one-time trial and burst of added excitement in match. And, like all Supply Drop rewards, Reinforcements come in the three rarity classes – Enlisted, Profession, and Elite.

CREATE-A-CLASS

Black Ops 2’s Pick 10 Create-A-Class makes a return in Advanced Warfare – but with a twist. Players can now pick up to 13 items to take with them into battle, choose which scorestreaks are included in your class – and customise scorestreaks even further to make them even more powerful.

CO-OP SCORESTREAKS

For the first time ever, two players are now able to team up on the battlefield by combining their scorestreaks, opening up high-end scorestreaks to even more players. “Teaming up on a Warbird is a perfect way to gain the advantage on the battlefield,” says Sledgehammer.

ESPORTS

Advanced Warfare will deliver a revised emphasis on eSports with a full-suite of options, including an expanded Oracle mode found within Broadcaster Mode, ranked playlists, LAN lobbies and customisation options for private matches.

24 HOURS EARLY ACCESS

No, really. Pre-order Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare and you’ll receive the Day Zero Edition, an exclusive edition that grants access to the entire game on November 3, one day ahead of the game’s release on November 4.

You’ll also receive two custom weapons and access to the Advanced Arsenal. For more details on the Day Zero Edition, head through here.

AND FINALLY…

Multiple tweaks have been made to Advanced Warfare’s character customisation, too, which will let players customise their male or female soldier’s head, eyewear, helmet, shirt, vest, gloves, pants, knee guards, boots and exoskeleton, while a new Virtual Firing Range will let you test out your loadout between matches with just the press of a button.

“Now, players can get an immediate feel for things like the sights, attachments, bullet spread, recoil, and more before the next match even starts,” Sledgehammer says. “It’s a great way to test-drive a new weapon before heading into battle.”

You won’t want to hang around in the firing range for too long, though, or you’ll miss out on Advanced Warfare’s new Virtual Lobby, a personalised “virtual showcase” where you’ll be able to see everybody’s character, progression, loadouts and more simply by scrolling over their name.

Oh, and one more thing: You can swim.

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare launches on Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 and PC on November 4. Pre-order and you’ll receive 24 hours early access on November 3.

Source: Activision