In the aftermath of the release of Call of Duty Black Ops 6’s live-action reveal trailer, fans have unearthed a number of secrets, Easter eggs, and hidden details — and perhaps even a pointer to the game’s first Zombies map.
Activision’s marketing so far has revolved around teasing fans with cryptic nods to the Gulf War of the early ‘90s, and the trailer, below, continues the conspiracy theories with a few words of wisdom from world leaders central to the military action that took place in Iraq during the decade. Former U.S. presidents Bill Clinton and George H. W. Bush, as well as ex-UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Iraq leader Saddam Hussein, combine to utter words from the shadows that allude to some grand conspiracy the player will presumably unravel over the course of Black Ops 6’s campaign.
To accompany the release of the trailer, Activision released a single piece of key art for Black Ops 6. On the face of it, this image, below, rekindles memories of Black Ops 1’s iconic box art, with a soldier in a familiar pose while holding handguns. But fans have spotted various clues and Easter eggs in the image that have certainly set the cat among the pigeons within the community.
First off, at the 35-second mark the trailer shows a set of numbers that are the real-life coordinates to Saddam Hussein’s palace. This makes sense in the context of the trailer itself, which features Hussein, but fans are also wondering if Black Ops 6 features a mission that takes players inside the palace itself, or perhaps there’s a multiplayer map set within it.
#blackops6 Co-Ordinates found in the new teaser trailer are co-ordinates to Saddam Husseins Palace. Further confirming his appearance and his involvement in the campaign 🔥🔥 @MrDalekJD @MrRoflWaffles pic.twitter.com/cwqVExnFc1
— KullenJames (@kjwleader11) May 28, 2024
Dig deeper and there are even more hidden details, and this is where Call of Duty YouTuber MrRoflWaffles comes in. The video summarizing his findings less than 24 hours after the publication of the reveal trailer is a quite incredible journey to what ends up being a well-argued suggestion that Tranzit from Black Ops 2 has inspired the first Zombies map for Black Ops 6.
MrRoflWaffles demonstrates some remarkable detective skills as he analyzes the various clues in the trailer, including hard-to-read lines of text, seemingly innocuous images, as well as etchings on weapons, then cross-references them with real-world places and events to work ouit potential locations in which Black Ops 6 takes place. There are power plant accidents, old Black Ops lore, images of churches and bridges, and it all leads to a theory that a Tranzit-inspired map called Liberty Falls is the first Black Ops 6 Zombies map.
MrRoflWaffles is in full Pepe Silvia meme mode here as he either veers off in a completely wrong direction or solves a Zombies Easter egg months before Black Ops 6 comes out. “Am I crazy, or am I cooking?” MrRoflWaffles asks viewers. Either way, if you have even a vague interest in Call of Duty, the video is worth a watch.
More glaringly obvious is Activision’s clear tease relating to ‘Sally.’ Activision has released handgun variants into Modern Warfare 3 and Warzone with ‘Sally VI’ etched into one of them. At the 39-second mark in the teaser trailer, we see a one-frame visual for ‘Sally VIII.’ Sally VIII is etched into one of the handguns on the Black Ops 1 key art. And, completing the set, the Black Ops 6 key art includes the text: ‘Codename Sally VII.’ Whatever it means, Sally looks set to play a key role in Black Ops 6.
Activision has expertly laid these breadcrumbs for fans to follow, and they’re having a lot of fun doing just that. Expect a Black Ops 6 gameplay reveal, and plenty more breadcrumbs to follow, during the Xbox showcase and subsequent Call of Duty Direct in June.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
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