Activision Reveals Blackout Vibes For Warzone With New Mode ‘Black Ops Royale’ Coming This Month

Just this past fall, Activision delivered Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. And with the short window releasing in 2025, it still ranked the best-performing title on Xbox Game Pass with less than two months remaining. However, the game was reported to track behind prior installments sales wise. According to The Game Business, Black Ops 6 sold more in the same window recorded and the new release also tailed behind Battlefield 6 as well.

As a result, Activision and its studios announced that moving forward Call of Duty will not be shipping back-to-back entries for its franchises like Modern Warfare & Black Ops. Additionally, the firm has moved forward since then with its post-launch promises. The arrival of Season 1 included Nuketown alongside a major collab with Fallout for the airing of Season 2 on Amazon Prime Video then.

Now with Season 2 on the horizon, Activision reveals that there will be a new mode that comes later in March which rekindles the same energy of Blackout from Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 with ‘Black Ops Royale’. You can view the Black Ops Royale roadmap in the image below:

“This is a free-to-play Battle Royale experience with new rules influenced by the original Blackout: Black Ops Royale is on a new map with gameplay that rewards scavenging for greater gear and eventual domination of all rival squads,” it reads in the blog post. “There are clear influences from the core Blackout experience — like bullet drop and weapon handling, as well as the armor system and use of the Trauma Kit — capturing the Blackout pacing, traversal, and combat feel in a modern way.”

Adding: “There will be 100 players in 25 Quad teams to begin with, dropping into Avalon, with a visible circle denoting an ever-shrinking perimeter. […] Unlike the usual Call of Duty: Warzone BR modes, there are no Loadouts, with all players beginning on an equal footing. […] This isn’t a remake; it’s a unique experience that pays homage to the Blackout core gameplay while keeping the flow of a match feeling right for Call of Duty: Warzone players.”

Are you excited to see Blackout return to Call of Duty after nearly a decade?

Call of Duty: Warzone Black Ops Royale launches on March 12, 2026 9 PM PST / March 13, 2026 12 AM EST; Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is available now for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC.

Source: Activison