Activision revealed this week that gamers interested in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War will need to pay extra to move between console generations, despite being asked by Xbox head Phil Spencer to make the transition available for free.
“Set in the early ‘80s at the height of the Cold War, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is the direct sequel to [the original] Call of Duty: Black Ops, the original phenomenon that started it all,” an Activision support document notes. “Set to release worldwide on November 13, 2020, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War can be pre-ordered now on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on Battle.net, with options for next-generation versions of the game supporting the forthcoming PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X that feature higher framerate, hardware-based ray-tracing, shorter load times, and more available later this year.”
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As with its predecessors, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War will be available in a standard edition for $59.99. But gamers who wish to move from PlayStation 4 to PlayStation 5 or from Xbox One to Xbox Series X during the lifetime of the game will need to pay extra. They can do so upfront by purchasing a so-called Cross-Gen edition of the game for $69.99. Or after the fact via a $10 upgrade fee.
Additionally, Activision will offer the game in a third Ultimate Edition for $89.99 that provides cross-generational support and adds a “Land, Sea, and Air Pack” and the Battle Pass Bundle with its 20 immediately activated Tier Skips. If you don’t know what any of that means, welcome to the club.
The Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War launch trailer is now available for the curious as well.