Theater mode & standard mini-map returning in Black Ops Cold War

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is set to reintroduce two popular features that were either changed or absent from Modern Warfare: theater mode and the standard mini-map.

Theater mode was introduced to Call of Duty back in 2010 and became a beloved feature across both Modern Warfare and Black Ops iterations for the ease in which players and content creators could go back through their gameplay.

The mini-map was introduced even earlier, in 2007, and has been a longstanding comfort feature for players to assess their surroundings mid-game.

In Infinity Ward’s 2019 iteration of Modern Warfare, fans grappled with the absence of the Theater mode that so many had enjoyed in Black Ops 4 and the replacement of the mini-map with a compass. Fortunately, both seem to be making their return for Treyarch and Raven Software’s Black Ops Cold War. 

Theater mode

In Black Ops 4, players could revisit their gameplay from multiplayer, Blackout, and Zombies matches in Theater mode, toying with the footage to create and share their own highlights and content. This was a beloved feature for players who wanted to show off big plays and content creators who wanted to demonstrate some creativity, but it was nixed for Modern Warfare.

• Read more: Black Ops Cold War multiplayer: trailer, weapons, perks, maps, more

As of yet, we’re not entirely sure what features Black Ops Cold War’s Theater mode will enjoy, but we do know that it will be in the game for multiplayer, at the very least. This is an encouraging sign for those who have grown tired of needing to export footage to video editing software after saving it through methods like PS4’s in-console gameplay recording studio.

Mini-map

Aside from map design and movement mechanics, the mini-map may have been Modern Warfare’s most controversial legacy. Originally, it was removed altogether (unless a player had a UAV or Personal Radar) and replaced with a compass, but that caused massive backlash from Day 1 of the Beta. 

Subsequently, Infinity Ward responded by introducing a mini-map alongside the compass, but missing an essential feature: enemies did not ping when shooting. Those pings showed up in Warzone, but never in multiplayer, despite player complaints.

• Read more: How to watch Black Ops Cold War multiplayer reveal: stream, time, more

Now, the Black Ops Cold War mini-map will be a hybrid of the two. It will feature BO4’s Fog of War, a circular shape, and red dots when enemies fire. Interestingly, the compass is also expected to return.

Overall, these changes should be exciting. Although some weren’t thrilled with Black Ops 4’s “Fog of War,” which limits enemy pings to your immediate vicinity with a smaller radius, the new mini-map should be warmly welcomed by the many who were displeased with Modern Warfare’s lack of information.

With the return of Theater mode and a standard mini-map, veteran CoD players should be thrilled to get into the franchise’s upcoming iteration.