Remember how Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 was playing all coy about Nuketown? Well, Nuketown's coming just a week after launch
Built with care, blown up with flare
After extensively teasing all sorts of Nuketown-related fun in the months leading up to launch, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 ended up debuting without the beloved multiplayer map in tow. But take heart: the devs have confirmed that Nuketown is coming just one week after the game's release.
"Launch was only the beginning," Treyarch said in a tweet. "Tomorrow, the Infected are coming to play. Nuketown joins the party on Friday. LFG." A trailer soon followed that announcement, showing exactly what the map will look like in the new game. Shock of all shocks, it looks like the classic map upgraded to an impressive visual standard. If you're not familiar with the map - or you just want to indulge some nostalgia before the new version goes live - the devs have a blog post running down the full layout.
It's a weird way to release Nuketown, given just how coy the devs were about its appearance in Black Ops 6 prior to launch. The multiplayer reveal in August included a rundown of Warzone Resurgence map Area 99, which is styled as "the birthplace of Nuketown." The same event revealed Sandhouse, set in a version of Nuketown that's been, well, nuked.
All the Nuketown teasers without actual Nuketown seemed a little conspicuous, like this would be some big theme sticking with the game for a few seasons before the actual classic map got added. But hey, what do I know about keeping players engaged with a live-service game? A beloved map is back in rotation, and that looks to be a win for Black Ops fans.
Check out our guide to the best assault rifles in Black Ops 6.
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Dustin Bailey joined the GamesRadar team as a Staff Writer in May 2022, and is currently based in Missouri. He's been covering games (with occasional dalliances in the worlds of anime and pro wrestling) since 2015, first as a freelancer, then as a news writer at PCGamesN for nearly five years. His love for games was sparked somewhere between Metal Gear Solid 2 and Knights of the Old Republic, and these days you can usually find him splitting his entertainment time between retro gaming, the latest big action-adventure title, or a long haul in American Truck Simulator.