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Call of Duty: Black Ops 1 and 2 are out now on PS4 and PS5 — but some classic modes didn't make the cut

Call of Duty: Black Ops 1 and 2 are out now on PS4 and PS5 — but some classic modes didn't make the cut
Call of Duty: Black Ops Call of Duty: Black Ops
#first-person-shooter #multiplayer #playstation
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Call of Duty: Black Ops 1 and 2 have launched on PS4 and PS5. The ports, developed by Iron Galaxy alongside Activision, cost $40 each — though PlayStation Plus members can grab either one for $20 through August 6. There is no bundle combining both games.

Before launch, leaked Trophy lists spotted by ForwardLeaks on X revealed that several modes from the originals are missing. Black Ops 1 loses Wager Matches — the playlist that housed Gun Game and One in the Chamber, where players bet CoD Points on match outcomes — and Theater Mode, which let players record, rewind, and edit full match replays from any camera angle. Black Ops 2 is missing League Play, its ranked competitive playlist. The Trophy omissions are a strong signal those modes are gone entirely, though it's possible Gun Game and One in the Chamber survive outside the Wager Matches wrapper; Activision hasn't confirmed either way. Gambling mechanics in games have faced increasing regulatory scrutiny since 2010, which may explain why Wager Matches specifically got cut. The Emblem Editor's fate is also unconfirmed, and fans are nervous. On the upside, Push Square confirmed both games do get native PS5 versions. Beyond the base games, each game's season pass — covering extra multiplayer maps and Zombies content — is available for $30, or $10 for PS Plus members through August 6. Cross-platform multiplayer is not supported.

Black Ops 1 originally launched in 2010 and Black Ops 2 in 2012, both developed by Treyarch. They're widely regarded as high points of the franchise — Black Ops 2 in particular is often cited as one of the best competitive Call of Duty titles ever made, thanks to its Pick 10 create-a-class system and the League Play mode that's now absent. These ports are explicitly not remasters or remakes; Activision described them as classic experiences when the re-releases were announced in June. Iron Galaxy, the studio handling the ports, has previous experience porting older titles to modern hardware.

Community reaction is mixed — nostalgia is pulling people in, but the missing Wager Matches and Theater Mode are genuine sore points for longtime fans. Someone has apparently already Platinum'd both games on PS4 via a modded console, which is about as Black Ops as it gets. The next mainline entry, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, is due this October on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2, and PC.

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