The controversial Call of Duty HQ app is undergoing major changes in the lead-up to Call of Duty: Black Ops 6’s launch.
One of the most controversial features of the Call of Duty series in recent years has been the implementation of COD HQ.
Now, whenever you download a modern Call of Duty title, you’ll instead download the COD HQ launcher – an all-in-one platform that allows you to switch between games without needing to boot each one manually.
However, this process has more than a few issues, and Activision promises it has been working hard to make significant changes ahead of Black Ops 6.
Major Changes Coming to COD HQ
If you’re unhappy with the current state of COD HQ, you’ll be happy to hear that Activision is making the following changes to the Call of Duty launcher:
- Streamlining the Interface
- Providing Direct Access to Your Games
- Giving Players Control Over Their Downloads
- Reducing File Sizes
- Changing the Name to ‘Call of Duty’
These changes are set to address some of Call of Duty HQ’s biggest issues, particularly the overuse of our hard drive space.
Incidentally, ‘Call of Duty HQ’ is now a thing of the past, with Activision rebranding the application to simply ‘Call of Duty.’
For those who are curious as to what each change entails and when it’ll be coming to the application, we’ve got the details for you below:
Streamlining UI
The user interface of Call of Duty HQ has always been one of the top reasons for fan complaints.
That’s why Activision is set to introduce a series of updates that will both reorganize game files and deploy a redesigned UI.
The file reorganization will take place on August 21, 2024, as part of the MW3 Season 5 Reloaded update.
The new user interface will then be available in mid-October (date to be revealed), after the Black Ops 6 Open Beta has concluded.
Direct Access to Games
The mid-October update will add a new landing page to try to curb some of the confusion around Call of Duty’s many titles. This page will make it easier to select your preferred game.
What’s more, after Black Ops 6 launches, we’ll get a new menu screen that lets players easily select between Multiplayer, Zombies, and Single-Player game modes.
Activision hopes that this will be enough to assist players in finding the modes they’re looking for (and preventing them from having to search for guides just to find Team Deathmatch).
Control Your Downloads
On August 21, the MW3 Season 5 Reloaded update will separate Call of Duty: Warzone from the default download for Black Ops 6, as well as other annual titles.
Now, when you download Black Ops 6, you won’t be forced to include Warzone files in your already significant install.
Instead, the iconic Call of Duty Battle Royale can be downloaded as a free add-on at any time.
Reducing File Size
Starting with Season 5 Reloaded, Call of Duty will utilize texture streaming more intensively to avoid players having to download visuals for less frequently used content.
Black Ops 6 relies heavily on texture streaming, which is why fans won’t be able to play Treyarch’s title offline, other than in a few select modes.
Activision warns players that this could result in some content appearing in a lower quality until the streaming cache fully loads.
And as such, the publisher is providing fans with a couple of options to personalize their experience:
- Optimized (Default) – content appears at a high-fidelity graphical quality; increased internet bandwidth usage
- Minimal – content appears at reduced graphical quality; lower internet bandwidth usage
Unfortunately, while reducing file size is the goal, Call of Duty is about to undergo a series of massive downloads to accomplish that fact.
Don’t worry, though. You won’t need extra storage space for the huge downloads, as they’re set to reorganize the existing game files.
Speaking of download space, Activision also revealed the install size of the upcoming Black Ops 6 Beta – and it’s dramatically smaller if you already have Call of Duty installed.