Do You Need To Play The Other Black Ops Games To Play Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6?

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Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is the seventh entry in the Black Ops series, which started in 2008 with Call of Duty: World at War. It's one of the most popular subseries within the COD franchise, hosting some of the most memorable characters and missions. Naturally, players are eager to try out Black Ops 6, but many may be wondering whether they need to have played the others first.

While there are plenty of beginner tips for Black Ops 6 players to get them started with the gameplay, it can be easy to feel like there's little point jumping into the seventh entry of an ongoing and slightly complex series. After all, much like with the Modern Warfare reboot series, the Black Ops games share a lot of story beats, characters, and themes. However, Black Ops 6 isn't completely unapproachable, as newcomers to the series may be worried.

Black Ops 6 Can Be Played Standalone

Most Of The Story Can Be Understood From Context

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 can absolutely be played as a standalone experience for those who've never played a Black Ops game, or even a Call of Duty game before. The controls and gameplay mechanics are all clearly explained, as they are in every Call of Duty game, ensuring that new players or returning older players are caught up to speed. No one will feel lost when it comes to taking out bad guys in Black Ops 6.

More importantly, however, the story of Black Ops 6 can technically be enjoyed without having played the previous Black Ops games, namely Black Ops, Black Ops Cold War, and Black Ops 2. While it is a direct sequel, like even the panned Modern Warefare 3 campaign, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's story can largely be understood through context. It's not quite as bad as jumping into a show in the middle of Season 5, and players will be able to figure out who is who and why they're doing what they're doing without too much trouble.

The story of Black Ops 6 can be largely enjoyed without having played the previous Black Ops games, namely Black Ops , Black Ops Cold War , and Black Ops 2 .

As there are plenty of new and exciting features in Black Ops 6's campaign, it's understandable that players would want to try it out without sinking hours into all the other games. Additionally, players who are experiencing COD: Black Ops 6 via Xbox Game Pass likely won't have access to the other Black Ops games, as they aren't available on that platform. So, for those who are hoping to jump into Black Ops 6's campaign without needing to play the other ones, it's absolutely possible, although be prepared to not understand every reference.

There Are Still Plenty Of CoD References For Longtime Fans

It Is A Direct Sequel To Some Of The Previous Black Ops Games

Frank Woods sat in a wheelchair while wearing a bandana in Call of Duty Black Ops 6.

Of course, longtime fans shouldn't get the impression that Black Ops 6 abandons the series' ongoing story in favor of a new plotline. Rather, it directly continues the story threads explored in the previous chronological entries, specifically Black Ops, Black Ops Cold War, and Black Ops 2. The plethora of characters and factions from the previous games all appear in Black Ops 6 and their stories are explored in greater detail.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is absolutely a direct sequel, so fans of the original games will get a lot more out of the overall experience, as well as understand Black Ops 6's surprising ending, far better than those who haven't played any of the past entries. While it isn't necessary to remember every little detail, there are quite a few story moments that may initially go over players' heads. Suffice it to say, it pays to have, at the very least, a broad knowledge of the previous Black Ops games, especially Cold War.

Character from Call Of Duty Black Ops 6 with Maps

10 Best Call of Duty Black Ops 6 Maps at Launch

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 contains numerous new maps for players to check out, but these are the best ten currently in the game at launch.

Fortunately, returning fans will also be delighted by the various new additions as well as the new cast members that help flesh out the wider conspiracy that's being explored in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. There are a lot of new juicy story details to get immersed in as well as even more of the strange sci-fi elements that the series is so well known for. Of course, it wouldn't hurt for those who played the original Black Ops games once back when they were released to give them another whirl before jumping into Black Ops 6.

You Should Play The Other Black Ops Games First

It Is Recommended To Play Black Ops, Black Ops 2, And Black Ops Cold War

A close up of Adler from Call of Duty Black Ops 6 wearing sunglasses.

It is absolutely recommended that people play the Call of Duty: Black Ops games in chronological order leading up to the events of Black Ops 6, before hopping into it. While it can be enjoyed without prior knowledge, understanding each of the characters and their motivations, as well as how everyone is connected to one another and what the grander conspiracies are that have been explored in previous entries, will give players a far greater appreciation of what is going on.

In order to fully understand the events happening in Black Ops 6 , players will need to play the following games in this exact order: Call of Duty: Black Ops 1 , Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War , the Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War post-launch content, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 .

However, playing through all the necessary games just to play Black Ops 6 would take fans dozens of hours, and that's not necessarily feasible. Luckily, Activision put together a Story So Far blog post on the Call of Duty website that details everything prospective players need to know in order to enjoy Black Ops 6. It goes over the events in Black Ops, Black Ops Cold War, and Black Ops 2, as well as giving character profiles for the major characters. There is also a handy video from Call of Duty's YouTube channel detailing everything players need to know for those who don't fancy reading the admittedly very long blog post.

It's a pretty handy tool for both newcomers and returning fans and also respects the fact that a lot of people may not have played or remember a game from 2010. For those who don't have the time to play through the necessary games, this Story So Far trailer or blog post is the best way to ensure everything in Black Ops 6 makes sense. Of course, it's also more than possible to just jump headfirst into Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and enjoy its rollercoaster of a narrative without any prior knowledge.

Sources: Call of Duty/YouTube (1, 2) Call of Duty