After numerous rumors and information leaks, it is now official – Call of Duty: Black Ops and Call of Duty: Black Ops II are coming to modern PlayStation consoles as early as July.
However, there is one important difference compared to what many fans hoped for. These are not remasters.
Treyarch has confirmed that Black Ops 1 and Black Ops 2 will arrive on PlayStation as direct ports of the original PS3 versions, without new graphics, new models, or any other significant technical improvements. The only enhancements will come thanks to the PlayStation 5 hardware itself, such as shorter loading times and more stable performance.
The ports are being handled by Iron Galaxy Studios, known for their work on numerous remasters and ports, including Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4. The good news is that both titles will include the complete content package. Along with single-player campaigns, Multiplayer and the legendary Zombies modes are returning, which became some of the most popular parts of the entire Call of Duty series during the Black Ops era. It has not yet been confirmed whether all original DLC expansions will be included in the new releases. Some content has already been removed from the PlayStation Store for PS3, which has sparked speculation that Activision might consolidate all content into new versions for PlayStation 5, and possibly PlayStation 4.
Many have also wondered why these re-releases are appearing only on PlayStation. The answer is actually quite simple. Unlike PlayStation, both games have been playable on Xbox consoles for years thanks to the backward compatibility program. Xbox 360 versions have been playable on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S since 2016 and 2017, while PC versions have remained available all along. PlayStation users did not have that option. Due to the specific architecture of the PlayStation 3, the original Black Ops titles were never compatible with PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5. That is why Activision is now filling one of the biggest gaps in the PlayStation library.
Although many were hoping for treatment similar to what Modern Warfare Remastered or Demon’s Souls received, the decision for simple ports does make sense. It allows for a much quicker release of the games and significantly lower development costs, while finally bringing fans two of Treyarch's most beloved games to current PlayStation hardware.
As someone who still considers Black Ops one of the best in the Call of Duty franchise, it’s hard to hide a slight disappointment at the fact that we are not getting a remaster. However, at the same time, the opportunity to play the original Multiplayer again and tear nerves in the campaign on Veteran difficulty (climbing up and down that cursed hill, those who know, know), is certainly a good enough reason for a return.
Sometimes, a simple return to classics is all fans want.
