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Call of Duty Black Ops 6 release date and time: preloading, download size, Zombies start time and more

Vaseline October 21, 2024

With just days until the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, it’s time to get ready for the shooter that will undoubtedly dominate your winter.

If you want to dive the moment it falls, there are a few real tasks you need to check off before entering the virtual battlefield.

We’ve got your back: From choosing the right edition to freeing up space for the hefty download, here’s your ultimate Black Ops 6 checklist. Follow these steps and you’ll be ready for action from day one.

Black Ops 6 release date and time

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

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

The pre-load and launch times for Black Ops 6

Activision Blizzard

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

Black Ops 6 Zombies start time

One of the most talked about additions to Black Ops 6 is the return of round-based Zombies, where players work together to fend off hordes of undead flesh-eaters.

To stoke anticipation for the new mode, game developer Treyarch has announced that Zombies will not be available immediately at launch.

Instead, it will start a few hours later at 6:00 PM in the UK (10:00 AM PT / 1:00 PM ET) on October 25. That’s when players can start the main missions for both Terminus and Liberty Falls on Zombies.

When can you preload Black Ops 6?

Nowadays it’s quite common to preload a game a few days before launch, especially as game file sizes have gotten larger and digital games have become more popular.

Like several Call of Duty titles before it, Black Ops 6 continues this trend. Those who pre-ordered the game will be able to pre-load it starting Monday, October 21 at 5:00 PM (9:00 AM PT) on all platforms.

Troy Marshall, a child prodigy of Frank Woods, is among a series 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 where you play MW3 and Warzone, Black Ops 6 should automatically preload.

If this doesn’t happen, you can try these steps on PS5: Click the options button on your controller in the Call of Duty game on the home screen, select “Manage Game Content,” then install the appropriate files.

Everyone else can download Black Ops 6 from the game list in their go-to store.

Black Ops 6 features a new ‘omnimovement’ system that allows you to sprint with 360-degree movement, while previously you could only run forward.

Activision

What is the download size of Black Ops 6?

If you’re on the fence about preloading the game, there’s one major reason why you should do it.

Like every other Call of Duty game in recent memory, Black Ops 6 is undoubtedly a beast that will take up a significant portion of your system storage.

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

Those who have already 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 of 16.45 GB and 21 GB respectively, along with 12.7 GB of multiplayer content.

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

This also matches the released PC specs, which indicate you’ll need 102GB of free space for the download.

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

Which 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 what extras they come with:

Standard/Generator Edition (£69.99)

Basic game
Woods operator package
Reflect 115 camouflage package

Includes everything from 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 High Rarity GobbleGums).

Earlier this year, Treyarch suggested that the Black Ops 6 campaign would last as long as a ‘classic’ Call of Duty, meaning it could last around six to eight hours.

Activision

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

However, it is not offered at every subscription level. The only way to access the game on consoles and other devices (except PCs) is the premium Game Pass Ultimate subscription, which costs £14.99 per month.

PC players, meanwhile, can purchase it via the cheaper Game Pass for PC tier for £9.99 per month.

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Call of Duty Black Ops 6 release date and time: preloading, download size, Zombies start time and more

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Call of Duty Black Ops 6 release date and time: preloading, download size, Zombies start time and more

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