As a way to perceive the Black Ops 6 storyline, we advocate enjoying these different important Name of Obligation titles.
In case you’re planning on hopping into Black Ops 6 when it launches on October 25, 2024, chances are you’ll end up confused when enjoying by way of the sport’s Marketing campaign.
In any case, Black Ops 6 may be the sixth entry within the Black Ops franchise, nevertheless it’s additionally the third sport within the sequence chronologically, and the timelines can get slightly tough.
Do You Have to Play Any Recreation Earlier than Black Ops 6?
No, technically talking, you don’t have to play any of the earlier Black Ops titles earlier than diving into Black Ops 6.
Activision normally makes every sport’s story accessible sufficient that even a brand new fan can simply bounce in and benefit from the Marketing campaign.
Nevertheless, we extremely recommend at the least enjoying Black Ops Chilly Warfare, Treyarch’s most up-to-date launch, which Black Ops 6 is a direct sequel to.
We’d additionally recommend refreshing your reminiscence with a playthrough of each the unique Black Ops, and the early timeline missions of Black Ops 2, the occasions of that are proven to extremely impression Black Ops 6.
On the Name of Obligation sport timeline, Black Ops 6 takes place a decade after Chilly Warfare, and simply two years after Black Ops 2’s Nineteen Eighties missions.
Don’t fancy enjoying by way of three video games earlier than October? In that case, take a look at our full recap of every sport beneath:
Full Story Recap Earlier than Black Ops 6
Right here’s a fast abstract of every Black Ops sport you could find out about earlier than enjoying Black Ops 6.
We’ve additionally included a video playthrough, for individuals who would favor to look at the Marketing campaign being performed.
Black Ops
In 1961, CIA operative Alex Mason is current throughout an tried assassination of Fidel Castro. After killing a decoy, Mason is captured by the true Castro and given to Main Normal Nikita Dragovich.
After two years, Mason escapes Vortuka Gulag, a Russian labor camp, by beginning an rebellion with Viktor Reznov.
One month later, Mason is taken to the Pentagon by Jason Hudson, the place he receives authorization by President Kennedy to assassinate Dragovich.
Hudson and Grigori Weaver monitor Dr. Clarke, a scientist working underneath Dragovich, to Kowloon Honk Kong the place they interrogate him. Clarke reveals a hidden facility within the Ural Mountains, however is killed earlier than he can clarify a mysterious numbers broadcast.
Mason reveals that Reznov informed him a few German biochemical weapon, Nova 6, which Dragovich has been testing on his personal males, together with Reznov’s shut pal, Dimitri Petreno. Reznov makes Mason promise to avenge his pal’s demise, by killing Dragovich, alongside together with his right-hand man, Kravchenko, and German scientist, Dr. Steiner.
In 1968, Mason, alongside Frank Woods and Joseph Bowman, battle by way of Viet Cong territory to trace down Kravchenko earlier than being despatched to research a downed Soviet aircraft containing Nova 6. Nevertheless, they’re captured by the Viet Cong.
Bowman is killed by their captors, however Mason and Woods escape and attain Kravchenko’s base. Mason encounters Reznov, and the duo confront Kravchenko.
Woods stabs Kravchenko, who pulls the pins out of 4 grenades strapped to his chest. Woods tackles Kravchenko out of a window and an enormous explosion leads Mason to presume the troopers are useless.
Hudson infiltrates the Ural Mountains base, discovering that the management room is rigged with explosives. Dr. Steiner aids Hudson in trade for his personal security, and guarantees to offer data concerning the numbers broadcast.
Mason and Reznov, having discovered paperwork pointing to the placement, arrive on Rebirth Island and battle their approach into the power. Simply as Hudson and Weaver arrive, Mason watches Reznov homicide Dr. Steiner.
Nevertheless, Hudson’s perspective reveals that Mason alone, believing himself to be Reznov, shot Steiner. It’s revealed that, whereas captured at Vorkuta, Mason was brainwashed into turning into a Russian sleeper agent with orders to kill President Kennedy.
As an alternative, Reznov had hijacked his programming, making Mason’s mission killing Dragovich, Kravchenko, and Steiner. Reznov himself really died whereas escaping Vorkuta and had solely ever been Mason’s hallucination.
The thriller of the numbers broadcast is revealed. The printed is ready to set off sleeper brokers throughout the USA, who will unleash Nova 6 fuel throughout the nation.
His programming damaged, Mason is ready to recall the numbers broadcast location, a ship off the shore of Cuba.
In a single closing assault, the CIA takes down the numbers station and Mason confronts Dragovich, killing him.
Regardless of his victory, it’s revealed that Mason was current at President Kennedy’s actual assassination in 1963, suggesting that the soviet brainwashing could have labored in any case.
Black Ops Chilly Warfare
In 1981, CIA operatives Russell Adler, Alex Mason, and Frank Woods are despatched after Qasim Javadi and Arash Kadivar for his or her roles within the Iran hostage disaster. Earlier than Arash dies, he brags that Perseus was behind the hostage disaster, main President Reagan to authorize an assassination try.
A brand new member of Adler’s workforce, Bell, infiltrates a secret Spetsnaz coaching facility with Woods. The workforce learns that Perseus has discovered his approach into Operation Greenlight, an American program that noticed neutron bombs planted in each main European metropolis to disclaim their use to Soviets throughout an invasion.
After infiltrating the KGB Headquarters, the workforce learns that an Operation Greenlight scientist is a sleeper agent who has fled to Cuba.
Perseus has managed to steal the detonation codes for each bomb, giving him the facility to detonate the explosives and place the blame on the US.
Adler reveals that Bell was an agent of Perseus, who was shot by Arash within the opening mission of the sport. The CIA operative reveals he discovered Bell and brainwashed him into considering they have been allies.
Bell can select to stay loyal to Perseus, giving Adler and his workforce the unsuitable location for Perseus Headquarters.
This causes Europe to be devastated by nuclear warheads, and the US takes the blame. Bell, with the assistance of Perseus, kills Adler’s workforce and Russian brokers in each European authorities assist steer the international locations in direction of the Soviet Uniion.
Alternatively, the canon ending entails Bell betraying Perseus and helping the CIA.
On this ending, Adler’s workforce assaults Perseus’ headquarters within the Solovetsky Islands, destroying the transmitters required to ship the detonation sign. Perseus goes into hiding.
Regardless of his betrayal, Adler admits that Bell have to be eradicated as a free finish. Each events pull their weapons earlier than the display goes black and gunshots are heard.
And seeing as Adler is again in Black Ops 6, we have now to imagine that Bell is useless.
After the occasions of Chilly Warfare, Adler is captured by Vikhor Kuzmin (AKA Sew), who brainwashed him, resulting in the destruction of Verdansk.
Adler is finally recovered by Mason, and Sew is executed. Nevertheless, earlier than he dies, Sew reveals that the unique Perseus spy died of most cancers in 1983, having been succeeded by the Perseus spy ring.
Black Ops 2
Within the Nineteen Eighties
In 1986, a retired Alex Mason is approached by Hudson to assist rescue Frank Woods and his workforce, who disappeared making an attempt to take down an arms smuggling ring.
Mason and Hudson rescue Woods, encountering a Nicaraguan arms supplier named Raul Menendez, who was liable for torturing and killing his workforce.
The trio journey to Afghanistan and seize Lev Kravchenko, who has now partnered with Menendez.
Mason’s brainwashing urges him to kill Kravchenko. If the participant resists, Kravchenko reveals that Menendez has moles within the CIA, earlier than Woods kills him.
The origin of Menendez’s hatred of America is revealed: his sister Josefina was horrifically disfigured in a fireplace as a part of an American businessman’s insurance coverage fraud plan. As a way to present for his household, Menendez and his father took to drug-running, inflicting the CIA to assassinate the latter.
Mason, Woods, and Hudson raid Menendez’s compound, and an enraged Woods by accident kills Josefina with a grenade.
In December 1989, after faking his personal demise, Menendez kidnaps Mason’s son David and makes use of him to coerce Hudson into main Mason and Woods right into a lure.
Woods is tricked into taking pictures Mason, earlier than Menendez reveals himself and shoots Woods in each kneecaps. He then murders Hudson and swears to return for Woods at a later date. On the time of Black Ops 6, Woods is alive however with out using his legs.
If Mason will not be shot within the head, he’ll survive the gunshot, reuniting with Woods in 2025.
Nevertheless, the canon ending to Black Ops 2 reveals his son David Mason, retiring from the army after visiting his father’s grave. Subsequently, we shouldn’t count on Mason to return in Black Ops 6.
It’s price noting that Black Ops 2 additionally has a sequence of missions set within the 2020s.
Nevertheless, these occasions haven’t taken place on the time of Black Ops 6, so we haven’t included them in our recap.