The first Private Beta weekend of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is coming to an end. Due to player feedback, there have already been initial changes, and more are expected for the next testing phase. We summarize the key adjustments for you.
On August 6 at 7 PM, the first Private Beta phase of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 will end. Through player feedback, the developers at Treyarch have been made aware of numerous issues. Some have already been resolved, while others are still being worked on. We summarize the major changes that the first Beta weekend has brought and show you what players can expect during the second test weekend.
This is how the Black Ops 4 Beta changes after the first weekend
Studio gathers feedback: On the first day of the Private Beta, Treyarch focused on gathering feedback and identifying issues. They found the most pressing needs for action in the following areas:
- Framerate: A bug was found that can severely negatively affect framerate for some players. There are also occasional performance drops on the Gridlock map.
- Loading times: A bug causes very long waiting times for some players when loading the maps.
- Weapon tuning: While they are closely examining the performance of all weapons, the SMG dominance has not gone unnoticed by the developers.
- Special Issue Equipment/Weapons: They are still working on achieving an optimal balance here.
- Bunny Hopping: The jumping and sliding behavior is being adjusted.
- Spawns: Which Call of Duty has not had problems with spawn behavior?
- Behavior of the free cursor in the User Interface: This new feature does not yet feel quite how it should.
- Armor: Many testers consider this feature to be overpowered.
By the way: There are many other aspects (including the dogs) that are currently being refined. However, we have focused on the most important problem areas.
On the second day, Treyarch introduced some new features:
- The “Search and Destroy” mode was added as a Featured Playlist.
- Double XP for weapons has been activated, allowing players to level up their arsenal faster.
- The level cap of the Private Beta has been raised from 25 to 34.
Additionally, the first issues have already been addressed based on the collected data:
- Numerous weapons have been tuned.
- Various equipment has been adjusted.
- Overall stability has been improved.
- The performance on the Gridlock map has been optimized to prevent framerate drops.
Furthermore, it has been communicated that they are working more intensively on lobby times (the time between matches) and map loading times. The developers are aware that these times are long and are working on solutions to optimize these processes.
Already, a map preload has been activated in the lobbies. This now gives more time to edit classes, change score streaks, or view stats. Previously, you were looking at a static loading background.
On the third day of the Black Ops 4 Beta, there were further new features and fixes:
- The “Kill Confirmed” mode was added to the Chaos TDM Playlist and included as a Featured Playlist.
- Numerous spawn issues were fixed in Domination.
- The selection of specialists in ongoing “Search & Destroy” matches was disabled. This prevents players from dying when they switch specialists during an ongoing round.
- Numerous stability fixes and performance improvements.
These changes are set to take effect in the second Beta weekend:
- Score streaks: The effectiveness of numerous score streaks such as Hellstorm, Lightning Strike, Sentry Turret, or Strike Team will be improved.
- Movement: The much-criticized combo of Bunny Hopping and slides will be adjusted without completely nerfing them.
- Maps/Modes: The performance and spawn behavior on numerous maps will be optimized.
- Specialist weapons/equipment: Fine adjustments will be made, such as a reduced effectiveness of the K9 unit.
- Armor: There will also be adjustments to the heavily criticized body armor. However, this will be detailed in a separate blog.
Additionally, there will be the following new features across all platforms (PS4, Xbox One, PC):
- A map from the latest trailer will be added.
- A new game mode will be active.
- There will be new XP events.
- The level cap will be adjusted again.
