The core multiplayer ofCall of Duty: Black Ops 6has shaken up the formula of what the franchise has recently experienced quite significantly, taking greater inspiration from older titles while introducing a lot of brand-new core game mechanics. As expected, the recently released title pays a lot of respect to the originalBlack Opsgames, with this largely being reflected in its multiplayer approach as well as its Zombies mode and single-player campaign.
One aspect of the wider franchise that has had a shifting and divisive identity in recent years is its player customization andCall of Duty: Black Ops 6has taken this back to its roots with a huge range of rewards for players to unlock. Aside from the array of weapon camos that players have come to expect in recent years,Black Ops 6has made a huge push in its variety of calling cards and mastery badges for fans to work towards. Despite the depth and scale of the game’s approach to calling cards, the multiplayer emblems ofBlack Ops 6are bare-bones to say the least, showing a level of inconsistency between some of the most iconic elements ofCoD’s online formula.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6’s Calling Cards Highlight How Disappointing the Game’s Emblem Selection is
Aside from the addictive fast-paced gameplay that hasallowed multiplayerCall of Dutyto thrive for so long, a massive part of its appeal is tied to the challenges and rewards that players can unlock over time. The concept of allowing a player to show flare and display their achievements was first introduced in 2009’sModern Warfare 2in the way of calling cards and emblems, with this being a mainstay element of the franchise ever since.
Despite this, the focus and screen time of player customization inCoDhas waned in recent years, butBlack Ops 6makes a fantastic step in putting flare and individuality back into the hands of the player. This is most evident inthe game’s staggering range of calling cards, with there currently being over 450 calling cards that players can start working towards. Many of these are directly tied to multiplayer, Zombies, and even the campaign, with players even being able to display their most coveted cards in a dedicated player showcase.
As things stand, however, there are only 17 emblems that players can choose from inBlack Ops 6, not including emblems that are tied to things like Twitch drops or promotional events.11 of these emblems are directly tied to Prestige progression, with there being no other way to work towards flashy and hard-earned emblems inBlack Ops 6besides this. While the title gets everything right with calling cards, its selection of emblems falls massively short of the mark, being made worse by the rich history that theBlack Opssub-franchise, in particular, has with emblems.
Either Custom Emblems or Emblem Challenges Need to Return in Black Ops 6
The originalBlack Opsintroduced custom emblems to the franchise, giving players ultimate freedom and customization by designing their own emblems in a comprehensive emblem creation system. This is generally considered a beloved element ofCoD’s history, with emblem editors going on to appear in a range of subsequent titles, but the propensity that this had for the creation of offensive imagery means that emblem editing has not appeared in the franchise since 2016’sInfinite Warfare.
There is a good case for emblem editing to be reintroduced toBlack Ops 6, with the franchise’s comprehensive moderation across the likes of text and voice chat perhaps extending over to a potential emblem customization system. Of course, it will be harder to moderate community conduct through emblems as opposed to text communication, yet there is still a clear need forBlack Ops 6’s emblem offerings to be significantly expanded. If custom emblems do not appear inBlack Ops 6’s future, then Treyarch should at least introduce a huge range of post-launch emblems tied to their own addictive challenges, bringing this element of customization up to speed with the game’s calling cards.
