Despite being hampered by Covid-19 development delays and the trials and tribulations associated with being the first Call of Duty title to launch onto 9th-generation hardware, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War has established itself as one of the most beloved Call of Duty titles released in the last decade.
There is much we could say to say about Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, but we have already said it here.
Instead, let's focus on how many people are playing Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War in 2024, and more importantly, does it have a future, and if so, what does that future look like?
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is starting to lose its player base rather dramatically; while there are still plenty of people around, and matchmaking times for the quickplay playlist are around 1 minute or less, once you branch out from the default playlist, things start to be less favourable.
In preparation for this article, I attempted to find lobbies for each playlist. Unfortunately, except for the Quickplay list, I could not find a full lobby during off-peak hours, as most playlists struggled to half-fill a single lobby, and larger game mode playlists, such as 12 x 12, were almost entirely dead.
While you may have more luck finding full lobbies for once-popular modes during peak times, if you want to spend more time playing than waiting for lobbies to fill, quickplay is your only option in 2024 for many regions.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is a beloved title, and the quickplay playlist, and to a lesser degree, zombie mode, will not simply vanish.
With Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War due to arrive on Xbox Game Pass shortly, it may even grow substantially from where it is right now, but ultimately, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is no longer the game it once was, and while casual players and veterans will continue to have their fill of engaging matches for years to come, its is on a downward trajectory, with the upcoming release of Black Ops 6 being the biggest threat it has faced to its ongoing survival.
While people dismiss Call of Duty games as “all being the same”, longtime fans can tell the difference between a Treyarch, Sledgehammer, or Infinity Ward game.
With Treyarch taking centre stage for the first time since 2020 in 2024 and possibly 2025, it’s possible that a sizable amount of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War will finally jump ship to a newer title in the series, further cementing Quickplay and Crossplay as the only way to enjoy Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War in 2024 and beyond.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is a great game; the campaign is fun, the zombie mode is enjoyable, the operators memorable, the 6v6 multiplayer engaging, and the map list contains some of the maps are some of the best we have ever received, with vibrant colours, thematic elements, and excellent layouts, which encourage frequent, fun, and perhaps most importantly memorable encounters.
While I would not pay full price for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War in 2024, I fully recommend picking it up on sale for the campaign alone.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War may not be as active as it once was. However, there is still plenty of fun to be had thanks to crossplay and quickplay, which ensure that players can find matches reasonably quickly at all times.
Alternatively, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is due to arrive on Xbox Game Pass soon, and I feel it is worth downloading for those who have already subscribed to the service or are considering doing so.
