Is Call of Duty Black Ops II (2012), Worth Playing?

Call of Duty Black Ops II is arguably one of the best Call of Duty games of all time, and it’s nice to see it appearing in the best-seller charts again despite being over ten years old.

The Lowdown.

Product Details
Genre: Shooter
Developer: Treyarch
Publisher: Activision
Price: $59.99
Release Date: 12 November 2012
Supported Modes:
Disclosure: Review Copy This game was purchased with our own funds for review purposes, however this has no baring on our opinions.

Single Player Content.

Call of Duty Black Ops II has the best (and longest) campaigns in the franchise’s history, with a total of 8 separate endings, and I feel it is unmissable for fans of the franchise and FPS narratives in general.

Renewed Popularity.

In July 2022, Call of Duty Black Ops II was the 7th most purchased game for Xbox One and Xbox Series X in the United Kingdom; while the reason for this revival is currently unknown, it is nice to see so many people playing the classic game for the first time.

In July 2023, Black Ops II saw another massive revival due to Activision fixing matchmaking for all classic Call of Duty titles in preparation for Xbox acquiring Activision-Blizzard in Q3 2023.

I can’t wait to see what happens when Black Ops II and the entirety of the Call of Duty catalogue are added to Xbox Game Pass!

review-is-call-of-duty-black-ops-ii-worth-playing-in-2022

Image credit Call of Duty: Black Ops II - Published by Activision and developed by Treyarch.

Call of Duty Black Ops II FAQ

Call of Duty: Black Ops II is a first-person shooter video game developed by Treyarch and published by Activision, it was released on 12 November 2012 and retails for $59.99.

Platform Availability.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II is available on the following platforms: PC, Playstation 3, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.

Are The Developers Active?

Call of Duty Black Ops II is no longer in active development, and the developers have moved on to other projects.

How Many People Play Call of Duty: Black Ops II?

As of April 2024, around 25,000 people play Call of Duty: Black Ops II on a fairly regular basis.

How Active Is The Call of Duty: Black Ops II Playerbase?

Call of Duty: Black Ops II is fairly active, meaning that matchmaking is stable for much of the day in populated regions and viable in less populated regions, even though wait times are considerably longer.

However, the overwhelming majority of these players are on Xbox thanks to the servers being put back online in July 2023, leading to Black Ops 2 returning to the best-seller for the second consecutive year in a row, quite a feat for a game that was released in 2012 and has seen no substantial updates since 2013, while the PC and PlayStation 3 community continue to stagnate.

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Image credit Call of Duty: Black Ops II - Published by Activision and developed by Treyarch.

Is Cross-Platform Multiplayer Supported?

Call of Duty Black Ops II supports:

  • Cross-Generational Multiplayer.
  • Cross-Generational Parties.

Is There Group Finding/Matchmaking Support?

Call of Duty Black Ops II offers the following matchmaking options:

  • Region-Based Matchmaking
  • Solo Matchmaking
  • Group Matchmaking

What Peripherals Are Supported?

The following peripherals are officially supported:

  • Console - Controller.
  • PC - Controller.
  • PC - Mouse and Keyboard.

Is There Any Mature Content?

Call of Duty Black Ops II is rated PEGI 18+ and contains:

  • Bad Language
  • Drug Use
  • Gore
  • Mature Themes
  • Violence

Final Verdict.

I enjoyed playing through the Call of Duty: Black Ops II campaign and the zombie mode is one of the high points in the franchise; however, at this time, I cannot recommend anyone purchase Call of Duty: Black Ops II, as while it is now fairly active on Xbox consoles, it is scheduled to be added to Xbox & PC game Pass in 2024, making it widely available to a whole new generation of gamers at no extra cost.

That being said, if you prefer to buy your games outright, the Xbox version is the only one I can recommend due to the poor state of the PlayStation 3 and PC communities.


Richard Robins

Richard Robins

As a follower of Jesus Christ, Richard believes that the message taught by Jesus is radically different from what is taught in churches today, and that the influence of his message can be felt across all creative mediums, including video games.

Richard has been passionate about gaming since 1992, when he received his first console, a Sega Master System II which included a built in copy of Sonic the Hedgehog.

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