Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has revealed what maps will be available on launch day, and there are plenty of great 6v6 arenas to explore!
When thinking back on Call of Duty titles from previous series, one thing that immediately comes to mind is the Multiplayer maps we spent hours battling it out on.
It’s no exaggeration to say that a COD game lives or dies based on its map roster – and Black Ops 6 is shaping up to have a great one!
How Many Maps Will Black Ops 6 Have?
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will have 16 maps available on release day.
Twelve of these will be Core 6v6 maps, and four will be new ‘Strike Maps’ that are perfect for both 2v2 or 6v6 modes.
These new map types are smaller, more compact, and offer chaotic close-quarter combat.
Treyarch also revealed that its Multiplayer takes place after the events of the Black Ops 6 Campaign, and that each map comes with its own backstory.
We now have the full list of maps coming to Black Ops 6 at launch, but don’t forget that more content will be dropping later in the game’s lifespan too!
Next, we’ll take a closer look at each map coming to Black Ops 6.
All Launch Maps
Here’s our breakdown of all the Black Ops 6 Multiplayer maps coming to the game at launch:
Babylon
Size: Small
Set within the ruins of a forgotten city, Babylon sees players battle in and around an ancient palace.
This square map may seem small, but there’s plenty of verticality on offer here. What’s more, players can crawl underneath the palace if they’d prefer a stealthy approach.
Those who prefer to run and gun will be best suited for the palace courtyard, but others may prefer to hang back at the chapel or depot for more tactical engagements.
Derelict
Size: Small
Derelict features an abandoned train graveyard deep in the Appalachian Mountains, which has since become overgrown with fauna.
The train cars, some of which have derailed, provide ample cover in an otherwise outdoor nature-filled arena.
There are plenty of spots to lie in wait for your opponent, but bear in mind that this is also the perfect playground for those who have mastered Omnimovement.
Lowtown
Size: Medium
Not much has been revealed about Lowtown just yet, but it gives us very similar vibes to Mercado Las Almas from MW2 (2022).
We can see similar market stalls in the images that have been revealed for the map so far, but wether or not this map is also set in Mexico remains to be seen.
Payback
Size: Small
Payback looks to be set in the same manor that Frank Woods turns into the central base of operators in the Black Ops 6 Campaign.
The map is set in a remote mansion perched atop a granite cliff, overlooking the ocean. Formerly, the manor was used as a KGB Black Site back in the 1950s-60s.
Protocol
Size: Medium
This map may look familiar to those who played the Black Ops 6 Beta. After all, Protocol is the map in which we completed out Omnimovement training course upon first booting up the game.
With Black Ops 6’s full release, Protocol is a fully-fledged launch map, allowing players to explore the island in its entirety.
Red Card
Size: Medium
Red Card takes place, as its name suggests, in and around a soccer stadium in Avalon. It appears that the stage is set for the finals, but the game will have to wait.
The local club appears to be celebrating its tenth anniversary, and it looks like it’s throwing quite the party.
Unfortunately, there’s about to be a major cleanup required.
Rewind
Size: Medium
Part of the Liberty Falls Zombies map, Rewind is set in the West Virginian town, prior to its dimensional breach.
Here, Black Ops 6 players will battle it out in and around a variety of different stores as they aim to lock down key positions throughout the shopping complex.
Everything revolves around the Fast Forward video store, which is a central focus of the two-lane map.
Scud
Size: Medium
One particularly eye-catching map is Scud, set around a destroyed military outpost in Iraq.
The map’s focal point is this giant broken-down radar dish, which was presumably damaged in a recent missile attack.
Players can explore a destroyed military outpost, and use the destruction as both cover and new passages to get the drop on opponents.
Skyline
Size: Medium
This luxurious map is set in idyllic Avalon, and features a state-of-the-art penthouse suite.
Players can storm the main house or crawl around in its elevator shafts to pop out of unexpected locations.
Interacting with the house’s security panel will allow you to lock down the luxury home, creating unique cover and cutting off sightlines.
Complete with a swimming pool overlooking a beautiful sunset, players can stop to drink in the beauty – but only if they’re happy to take a bullet in the back!
Subsonic
Size: Small
Subsonic is set in a small bomber team training facility, located in the Persian Gulf.
Amongst the rubble, we can see the ruins of a military jet, which was likely put out of action during the same conflict that destroyed the rest of the base.
Vault
Size: Medium
Another map set in the Persian Gulf, Vault features a one-locked safe that has suddenly become available to explore.
Much of the vault appears to be flooded, and the surrounding house is certainly in disrepair.
However, the extravagant palace surroundings, and the large, lush desert the vault is located in are well worth exploring.
Vorkuta
Size: Medium
For those who played the original Black Ops, Vorkuta is a prison and forced labor camp that was operated by the Soviet Regime in Russia.
Now, the prison that Alex Mason and Viktor Reznov once escaped from has become a mining facility, but it should still feel like a familiar blast from the past for many fans.
However, now that Mason is confirmed dead in Black Ops 6, its reappearance is bittersweet.
What About Nuketown?
Although Nuketown won’t be there on release day, the fan-favorite map is set to arrive on November 1, 2024 – one week after the game officially releases!
We got our first look at Nuketown during a recent COD POD, where Treyarch finally revealed that the map is indeed coming to Black Ops 6.
It’s no surprise that Nuketown is on its way. After all, Treyarch has added a new Nuketown variant to every Black Ops game so far, making it a staple of the series.
The map, which emphasizes extremely close-quarters combat, is one of the most iconic maps in Call of Duty history, and it’d be a shame to see a Treyarch release without it.
In the case of Black Ops Cold War, the most recent Treyarch title, Nuketown arrived in a post-launch update on November 24, 2020, eleven days after the release of the game.
Now, history appears to be repeating itself, but fans won’t even have to wait longer than a week to drop in this time around.
All Strike Maps
Gala (Strike Map)
Gala is set in Washington, D.C., in the aftermath of an annual fundraising event. Despite taking place in a large hall, this is a small map, and every piece of cover needs to be made to count.
Players can rush the stage in order to get an overview of the great hall, or move along the sidelines, through a coatroom and makeshift bar.
Pit (Strike Map)
Expect close-quarters combat in this underground mine environment, set in a Russian mining tunnel.
Following the tracks will lead to an overturned mine cart, but players can also clamber up the pipes to get some height on their side.
Stakeout (Strike Map)
A small apartment in Avalon that was operating as a stakeout room is now under fire.
Set within a small living area, Stakeout offers little breathing room as players battle it out throughout the apartment building.
This extremely close-quarters setting allows shotguns and SMGs to shine, but players can get the drop on their enemies by making some tricky jumps between balconies.
Warhead (Strike Map)
Warhead appears to be a version of Nuketown that’s gone a little beyond disrepair.
Though fans speculated that this could be what Nuketown looks like in the aftermath of a distant nuclear detonation, the truth is a little more complex.
During Episode 3 of the COD POD, Treyarch revealed that the new Warzone map, Area 99, was constructing new Nuketowns prior to its evacuation. However, when the site was abandoned, a lot of building materials were left in the middle of the desert, creating Warhead.
This explains why elements such as the Nuketown sign and bus are still present on the map, but there’s a lot more sand than we remember.
Perhaps that was why Treyarch initially referred to the map as ‘Sandhouse’ before changing the name late in development!
We’ll keep you updated with the full list of Black Ops 6 maps as they are leaked or officially confirmed.