Treyarch has confirmed that re-releases of the first two Call Of Duty: Black Ops games are arriving next month, but exclusively for PlayStation consoles. After the disappointing performance of Call Of Duty: Black Ops 7, it might seem surprising that Activision is revisiting the Black Ops subseries so soon. However, the company is taking a safe approach by bringing back older, well-liked entries—specifically the first two games.
Re-releases Announced for July
Rumors of Black Ops 1 and 2 re-releases had been circulating, but Treyarch has now formally announced them for a July launch, limited to PlayStation platforms. The absence of an Xbox release has puzzled some, but there is a logical explanation behind the omission.
Are These Remasters?
No, unlike Activision's previous remasters of the first two Modern Warfare games, Black Ops 1 and 2 are receiving straightforward ports. They will be identical to the original versions, aside from standard enhancements like faster loading times on PlayStation 5. These ports are being handled by Iron Galaxy, the developer behind the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 remake.
Why No Xbox Version?
The lack of an Xbox version might seem like another instance of Microsoft's confusing exclusivity strategy, but the real reason is that these games are already playable on Xbox. Black Ops 1 and 2, originally released for Xbox 360, were added to Xbox's backwards compatibility program in 2016 and 2017, respectively. This ensures they remain playable on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S, and they have always been available on PC. In contrast, the PlayStation 3 versions are locked to that console. They cannot be purchased digitally through the PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5 stores, and the lack of backwards compatibility on those consoles means physical copies are not playable either. Activision is simply making these titles accessible on current PlayStation hardware, which explains why they are ports rather than full remasters.
Will They Be on PlayStation 4?
Presumably yes, as Treyarch's announcement does not specify exclusivity to PlayStation 5. While Activision is set to leave last-gen consoles behind with this year's Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, these ports should run on PlayStation 4 without difficulty, and omitting that platform would leave money on the table.
Multiplayer and Zombies Included
Treyarch has confirmed that both Black Ops 1 and 2 will retain their multiplayer modes on PlayStation, alongside campaign and Zombies modes. Since these are straight ports, nothing needs to be changed to get them working. This contrasts with the Modern Warfare 2 remaster from 2020, which lacked multiplayer to avoid splitting the player base with the 2019 Modern Warfare reboot and Warzone.
Switch 2 Release?
Treyarch has made no mention of a Nintendo Switch 2 release. Although Microsoft has been keen to bring Call Of Duty to Nintendo platforms, starting with Modern Warfare 4, both Black Ops games were available on Nintendo consoles in the past. Black Ops 1 launched on Wii and DS, while Black Ops 2 saw a Wii U port. However, those versions are now inaccessible due to defunct digital stores.
