Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 recently received a new update. This included a new icon that has excited parts of the community.
What happened? The new update 1.11 for Black Ops 4 brought changes to the Battle Royale mode Blackout, launched a new zombie event, and refreshed the playlists in traditional multiplayer.
The patch also added two new multiplayer maps, which are currently only available through the Black Ops Pass, to the regular map rotation in multiplayer. In practice, this means for players: once these maps are up, all players without the Season Pass will be kicked from the lobby.
What is the significance of the icon? At the same time, the developers from Treyarch introduced a new icon – a yellow warning triangle. This will now mark all players in the multiplayer lobbies who do not own the Season Pass.
While the idea of highlighting DLC owners in multiplayer lobbies is not necessarily new, many Black Ops 4 players see it more as a psychological element. The icon creates the impression that everyone without the Black Ops Pass is missing out on something extremely important, not just optional content.
How are the fans reacting: The Black Ops 4 subreddit is currently full of posts and comments on this topic. Many are frustrated with this new feature. On one hand, it would just be visually annoying, and on the other hand, these “shaming markers” would subconsciously create pressure to buy the Season Pass.
There are numerous threads where players are urged not to give in to this “tactic” and not to get the Pass for this reason. One of these threads is nearing 100,000 upvotes.
However, fans are not only reacting angrily. Many are also having fun with it and humorously showing that the Black Ops Pass is apparently less popular among players than some might have thought. Countless screenshots from lobbies show clearly that the vast majority of players there do not own a Black Ops Pass.
While this is not a truly revealing indicator of how many players have actually purchased the Season Pass, the images have a strong impact and are widely supported. According to statements from numerous players, it often gives the impression that about 80-90% have not gotten the Pass. With this feature, Treyarch is not necessarily doing themselves a favor.
How are the developers reacting: The icons have since been removed from the game. Treyarch asserts that it was a bug.
However, even if a bug is truly responsible for the “shaming markers”, Treyarch has definitely not done themselves any favors. Players are still upset about it, and the jokes about it just won’t stop right now.
