One of the most highly anticipated features of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is its new Omnimovement system, which Treyarch thinks will change the game forever.
When Black Ops 6 was first revealed, one of the most eye-catching elements of the new Call of Duty was its major overhaul to movement.
With Omnimovement, players can sprint in any direction of their choice, and they can even slide or dive in that direction without turning their heads. What’s more, the new movement mechanics allow players who are mid-dive to rotate themselves in the air, or roll onto their backs while prone.
But will Omnimovement revolutionize how Call of Duty is played, or will it be a forgotten gimmick in years to come? Treyarch certainly believes it’s the former.
The Birth of Omnimovement
In the inaugural Call of Duty podcast, AKA the COD POD, Associate Director of Design at Treyarch Matt Scronce went hands on with what players can expect from Omnimovement.
Treyarch are rebranding what fans might identify as the series’ signature ‘arcadey’ gameplay into what Scronce describes as “getting that feeling of being an action hero.”
“We really wanted to make Black Ops 6 the most fluid game possible”
Initially, the developer attempted to implement a ‘juke’ or sidestep mechanic that would give players new ways to interact with the battlefield.
However, rapid movements that were difficult to tackle didn’t feel quite right in a ‘boots on the ground’ Call of Duty title, Scronce notes.
How Omnimovement Will Impact Multiplayer
In an attempt to seek a more fast and fluid form of movement that didn’t feel frustrating to fight, the team eventually landed on the omnidirectional system.
With the help of thousands of additional animations and micro-animations, Black Ops 6 players can now sprint, slide, and dive in any direction they choose.
Not only is it now possible to pull off the perfect action hero dive through a window while turning to shoot behind you mid-air, but Omnimovement now makes other less-flashy but equally gamechanging manoeuvres simple to pull off.
Talking about microengagement opportunities that players might encounter, Scronce suggests that enemies camping behind doors can now be countered by sprinting into a room sideways while ADS.
Later in the podcast, the Treyarch representative references one of his fellow developers diving sideways off a piece of cover, landing in a slide, and maintaining ADS the whole time.
And we’re certain that players will find all manner of ways to use the system to their advantage in Multiplayer, Zombies, and Warzone.
Do You Need to Use Omnimovement?
While there’s no way to disable Omnimovement in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, using the new movement mechanics isn’t necessary to enjoy the experience.
“You can still be successful playing the way you played before,” the Associate Director of Design reports, assuring fans that the new movement isn’t frustrating to fight against.
The team has worked had to ensure that the skill gap hasn’t been widened too much by the addition of Omnimovement. Instead, the system is all about giving users more options.
“If you just want to slow down, you can, and you can still be successful. You just might not look as cool.”
Fans will get their first chance to go hands on with Omnimovement during the Black Ops 6 Beta which kicks off in late August. What’s more, players will also experience a new dedicated melee weapon system which Scronce also revealed during the COD POD.
Make sure you claim your early access to the Black Ops 6 Beta, in order to get access to five additional days of gameplay!