Black Ops Cold War release date sends you back to the 1980s on November 13

Black Ops Cold War release
(Image credit: Activision)

The Black Ops Cold War release date has been revealed as November 13 and will initially launch for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. This year's Call of Duty is also coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X, although we don't officially know when yet. However, the timing of this Black Ops Cold War release date is pretty intriguing given the current rumors around when both consoles will finally arrive. 

Barring delays, that means Black Ops Cold War will arrive the week before games such as Assassin's Creed: Valhalla, Cyberpunk 2077, and the Fortnite Last Laugh bundle that specifically mentions being available in time for next-gen consoles. Given that the Black Ops Cold War reveal trailer and gameplay recently shown to the press was specifically named as ‘captured on PS5’, that first half of November is looking more and more likely as launch date. 

(Image credit: Activision)

The latest game’s campaign, developed by Raven, sees a return for Mason, Woods, and Hudson in a 1981 direct sequel to the first game, so Black Ops 2 and Black Ops 3 (set in the late 80s to 2065 respectively) haven’t happened yet. Following on from Modern Warfare though it makes sense to stay with a more realistic and grounded campaign take - no one’s ready to go back to robo-knee wall running just yet.   

Of course, with Warzone still one of the biggest games in the world, there’s more to the Black Ops Cold War release date than just a new installment. There have been bunkers full of Soviet codes, equipment and nukes that suggest the Cold War will be affecting the battle royale in some way. However, the multiplayer side of things, which Black Ops creator Treyarch overseeing, is currently still under wraps. So we’ll have to wait and see what effect Black Ops Cold War might have on Warzone and Verdansk in general. 

When this year's Call of Duty arrives you'll be able to decide the Black Ops Cold War ending.

Leon Hurley
Managing editor for guides

I'm GamesRadar's Managing Editor for guides, which means I run GamesRadar's guides and tips content. I also write reviews, previews and features, largely about horror, action adventure, FPS and open world games. I previously worked on Kotaku, and the Official PlayStation Magazine and website.