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Blackout Tips and Tricks
Bringing the world of the Black Ops franchise together, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4's Battle Royale mode, Blackout, not only sees the return of some of the most memorable characters and settings in series but also the introduction of their biggest map yet, as 88 (or more, depending on Treyarch's final decision on the playercount) players go head to head in the ultimate survival experience.
With so many features to understand, we have compiled a complete Blackout guide that will include everything you need to know in order to get that much-anticipated win.
Whether it’s deciding where you’re going to land, navigating your first crucial minutes on the ground, or trying to find the best areas to loot, we have you covered in our complete Blackout guide below.
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Quick Tips
Below are a collection of tips from players on all sorts of Blackout topics. Have one you'd like to add? Sign in and hit that "Edit Page" button, or leave it in the comments below and, at your request, an IGN editor will add it for you.
Map and Traversal Tips
- Nuketown Island's Welcome to Nuketown sign shows the number of players on the island.
- The Lighthouse has very, very noisy metal stairs. Be careful when traversing them.
- When someone locks on to your vehicle, the alerts increase in speed as the missile approaches.
- When underwater, you'll begin to gasp for air, you have a little less than 2 seconds before you start taking a good amount of damage.
- When swimming, you can press the sprint button and you soldier will put away their gun and swim faster.
- Iron Lung is a great perk to use when traversing water, as it gives you a few extra seconds underwater before having to come up for breath, which could be a real lifesaver in hectic situations.
- To get to a location faster, pitch your camera straight downwards until you get to 70 M/S, then, even if you pitch it fully up, you'll still be going around 65 M/S, helps you get anywhere super fast.
- Redeploy your wingsuit by sprinting off an edge and jumping and holding the jump button. Only works when high up, such as Lighthouse or Construction Site.
- The blue beam on a building indicates zombies are present.
- Every time a collapse happens the Zombies get a bit stronger!
- It's important to remember that doors will always be closed, so if you are approaching a building with an open door, chances are the place has already been looted and the enemy could still be inside. You can also use this method to your advantage by shutting doors as you enter, in hopes of catching enemies off guard when entering a seemly 'non looted' building.
- Have enough bandages and medkits to last you ages? Try staying in the storm for a few moments during the later rounds of the game to pick off any unsuspecting players nearby.
General Gameplay Tips
- Make looting on consoles so much easier by changing the Pick Up settings within the 'Controls' menu. Instead of having to hold the pick up button, simply select the option that will allow you to tap the button to pick up items off the ground. The only catch though, it will favor picking up items rather than reloading your weapon when placed in situations with items nearby on the ground.
- Attach a Sensor Dart to your vehicles or even an RC-XD to create the ultimate portable UAV to seek out your opponents without having to give away your location.
- Entice enemy players with traps by placing down popular weapons and attachments in easy to find locations. Simply watch and wait patiently for the right moment to strike when enemies fall for your trap.
- Need extra space? Truck beds can store upwards of 20 items.
- Always take into account - especially for those long distance shots - that your bullets will begin to lose speed and altitude over distance.
- Don't forget to use your perks!
- The Skulker perk is great for traveling long distances or simply navigating populated areas as it allows you to move at sprinting speed while crouched, giving you that extra bit of much-needed protection.
- Keep an eye out for special character items that will allow you to complete a set of specific tasks to unlock unique Blackout characters. These items can be found in Supply Drops, Supply Boxes, and even looted from Zombies and fallen players.
- Trauma Kits are great for boosting your health to 200 before engaging in fights.
- Unlike other Battle Royale games, Blackout allows you to heal while moving.
- Always take cover when engaging with other enemy players.
- Using the RC-XD is a great way to scope out your environment without having to give away your location. Using scoped weapons while taking cover is also a great way to spy on your opponents.
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- Receive early Supply Drops by shooting down incoming Supply Drop planes by using the rocket launcher to destroy the plane.
- Sick and tired of rockets blowing up your vehicles and helicopters? Use a Trophy System on on your vehicle to prevent damage from any incoming rockets.
- Always go prone while looting to prevent being caught off guard by enemy players.
- Always utilize the map markers! Map markers are a great way to communicate with your teammates or to simply get your bearings.
- If you've made it to the point in the game where the Safe Zone is quite small, do away with the magnified scopes, as their effectiveness is little to none when used in?small areas.
- The Bowie Knife can be found in several different locations in Blackout: Equipment Stashes, Zombie drops, and even as weapon pickups in randomized Zombie locations.
Loot Is Randomized, So Don’t Expect To Find The Same Weapons Every Time
You may want to think twice if you are planning on visiting the same location each and every time in hopes of receiving the same weapons. Treyarch has not only confirmed that weapons will spawn randomly across the map, but they will also not spawn in the same location every game.
So, don’t be afraid to spread out and try to find some different – more low-key – areas, as you may never know what you will find.?
Always Be Aware Of Your Surroundings, Especially When You Land
Much like Fortnite and PUBG, Blackout is no different when it comes to always keeping an eye on your surroundings, especially as you drop into the map.
By checking your surroundings just before you land, you will usually be able to gauge just how your first several minutes of the match will play out.
If you find that you are not alone, and other players are landing in the same area as yourself, you will know that your first course of action will be finding a weapon as soon as possible, no matter what it may be as your fists will simply not do. Once you have a weapon, begin to slowly pick off each of the surrounding players one by one.
However, if you are lucky enough, you may just find that you have the area completely to yourself and can begin the looting process of finding the best weapons and perks without having to worry about players seeking you out.
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Avoid Open Areas At All Cost When Searching For Loot
Whether you’re searching the massive cargo ship at the docks or the zombie-filled Asylum, you are always going to want to avoid searching for loot in large open areas. Not only will open spaces leave you a sitting target, but the chances of actually finding decent loot will be slim to none, as loot is often heavily found around areas with a number of buildings – which is why you always see players flocking to these areas when first landing.
In order to have even the slightest chance of winning, you will always want to ensure that you aren’t landing with other people and always have a building to gather loot from.
Head Towards That Bright Blue Beam Of Light In The Sky For The Chance At Rare Loot
If you’re a fan of Call of Duty’s Zombies mode, then you’ll be all too familiar with that giant blue beam of light in the sky, as it marks the location of a mystery box. Unfortunately, accessing the mystery boxes won’t be easy, as it will not only be targeted by countless groups of players, but it will also be guarded by a horde of zombies – which won’t be easy to defeat.
Although the mystery box works a little different in Blackout – you aren’t required to pay to open the box – you will still be granted a number of high-end items such as tier three armor and a rather decent weapon that will usually be equip with some of the best attachments available. You may also be lucky enough to get your hands on the infamous Ray Gun, Zweihander, or even the Cymbal Monkey.
In most cases, the mystery box will spawn randomly across the map, however, I have witnessed in several situations the box first spawning in the area surrounding the Asylum. ?
Backpacks Are Extremely Helpful
Apart from picking up a weapon, finding a backpack should always be among some of your highest priorities when you first land. What makes a backpack so helpful is that it allows you to increase how many items you can carry from the default of five to a maximum of 10 items at one time.
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Avoid Engaging In Combat Unless You Have Armor Equipped
One of the biggest mistakes that many players make in Blackout is engaging in combat without any armor equipped. There are currently three different tires of armor available for players to find across the map, however, the higher the tier of armor, the harder it will be to find.
Whether it’s the lowest tier or the highest, wearing armor will be vital to your success, as it not only increases your chances of winning, but it also allows you to take more calculated risks when facing an opponent as you can take more damage.
Healing Is Crucial To Your Survival
Healing is one of the most crucial aspects of?Blackout?as if you don’t heal, you simply won’t survive. With an?all-new?starting health of 150, players will need to find items that will allow them to restore their health after taking damage. There are currently three different items that can be used in Blackout to restore your health.??
- First Aids can be applied very quickly and heal 25 health. These are the most common healing items available and can stack five of them in one inventory slot.?
- Med Kits heal 50 health but take longer than first aids.
- Trauma Kits can heal you up to 200 health (which is 50 health more than what you can normally have). These kits aren’t as common and can unfortunately not be stacked, as each kit requires a separate slot in your inventory.
You will always want to make sure you have first aids equipped during fights, as they provide the fastest healing time when engaging enemies.
Long Range Weapons Are A Must
The map in Blackout is the biggest map yet in COD so having long-range weapons are key. Make sure to have long-range optics as well such as the 3x scope and sniper scope.?
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With the ability to carry two weapons at once, you should always consider carrying a sniper when possible for those long-range situations that could potentially get you that victory.
Your Wingsuit Can Get You Out Of Some Sticky Situations
Your wingsuit will stay with you throughout the entire match and can be used to jump out of helicopters safely and even to base jump off the likes of the Hydro Dam when things get sticky
Always Attach Silencers When Possible
Silencers are great for engaging enemies without audibly revealing your location to the entire map. If you happen to find one, always attach it your weapons.
Always Pick The Right Throwable For The Right Situation
There are a ton of throwables that you can loot but make sure to equip the right one for the right situation. (i.e 9 bang flash bangs to breach and clear and?molotovs?to force out campers)
Flashbangs are EXTREMELY effective for surprising enemies. Hold R1 (or cook the flashbang) for longer flashbang duration.?
Special Weapons and Equipment Can Be A Complete Game Changer
A major feature that many players seem to be overlooking in Blackout is the specialist items, as they can be very useful for getting out of messy situations.
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Currently one of the best items you can pick up in the game is the Recon Car, which looks very similar to the RC-XD. However, there is one catch, this one doesn’t explode. If you’re stuck in a rather messy situation, the Recon Car can be used to scope out a location in order to find where your opponents are hiding without risking your location or even your life.
Ruins’ grappling gun is also another key item that should definitely be utilized, as escaping from enemy fire or simply traversing the environment, the grappling gun is a great weapon that can be used in many different situations.
The best thing about all of these weapons though is that you don’t need to be playing a specific specialist to get your hands on the items, as anyone can freely pick them up in Blackout without any special requirements.
Supply Drops and Hidden Stashes Are Great For Receiving Rare Loot
Supply drops and Stashes are a great way to pick up rare weapons, additional ammunition, health kits, armor, gear, and even specialist items.
Supply Stashes are hidden crates that can often be found within buildings, all across the map.
Supply Drops, on the other hand,?are air-dropped crates that will often?contain?some rather juicy loot, however, it will usually be targeted by a number of players, so be?cautious?when approaching them.
It is also worth noting that when interacting with both Supply Drops and Stashes, you are vulnerable to enemy attacks, so make sure you scope out the area before rushing in.
Blackout Is All About That Cover
Don’t be fooled, Blackout is not like Fortnite, you cannot build to save yourself from incoming enemy fire. For that reason, Blackout is all about that cover. With such a large map and so much area to cover, it is easy to think that just because you haven’t seen an enemy in quite some time that you are safe to go out into the open. That is one of the biggest mistakes you can make in Blackout as you may never know where your opponents may be lurking, as a well-covered sniper will be almost impossible to spot from a distance.
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If you do need to travel in open areas, it is always best that you move between trees, buildings and even shadows as anything to throw off your position will be an advantage.
As you are getting accustomed to Blackouts gameplay style, it is highly recommended that you stick to covered areas as much as possible while you are learning.
Play The Waiting Game And Don’t Be Fooled Into Giving Up Your Position
If your nearing that victory, don’t be tempted to go out into the open in hopes of hunting down your opponents. With such a large area to cover, the later stages of the game will usually play fairly slowly, so it’s important that you play the waiting game.
Simply stick to the inside of buildings and camp your way to victory as you wait for a visual on your opponents – yes, we know, camping is frowned upon, but sometimes you have to swoop to desperate measures if you want that win.