Available since Friday, October 25, the new Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 offers a curious subscription to improve in-game sound reproduction.
It’s this Friday, October 25 that “Call of Duty: Black Ops 6”, the latest game in the successful FPS license, is released. Activision Blizzard kicked off this blockbuster after several betas on the game. The title is now available on multiple platforms such as Playstation 5, Xbox Series and PC.
But barely “Call of Duty: Black Ops 6” is available, the game is already under fire. On social networks, several players have complained about a curious purchase option available for the game: a custom sound rendering option.
The result of a collaboration between Activision Blizzard and the sound expert company Embody, this subscription allows you, for just 20 euros, to create a sound profile adapted to your ears and your listening habits. The official subscription description guarantees a “high level of directional precision so that every sound of footsteps or explosion can be perceived with unparalleled precision.”
Paying for advantages in a video game is not a new thing in itself. But when it comes to a game that relies heavily on its competitive aspect, this can quickly trigger players’ discontent. On social networks, many are already complaining about this option deemed “pay to win” (which gives an advantage to those who pay over those who do not). And for good reason: “Call of Duty: Black Ops 6” is, like its predecessors, a shooting game that relies heavily on strategy and anticipation of your opponents to win. Benefiting from better audio rendering on shots, and especially on footsteps, therefore constitutes a clear advantage for a player wishing to assert himself during online games.
Especially since the subscription offered by Embody is not for life. By paying 20 euros, you will therefore obtain a license to benefit from better personalized sound for the next five years. This option could very well only concern “Black Ops 6” since there is no guarantee that Activision Blizzard will not offer this option for the next games in the license to be released during the next five years.