Category: Video Games

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 gets its Season 3 Reloaded update today, May 1, and with it a long list of new content.

The Reloaded update is rolling out across all platforms, and Activision has published the patch notes detailing all the changes. Players can expect various gameplay improvements, weapon balance changes, and bug fixes.

There are two new 6v6 maps, a new weapon (BAL-27 Assault Rifle), three new Aftermarket Parts, and three new modes (Escort, Minefield, and Arcade).

But the headline change is probably the addition of Weapon Prestige Camos, a new progression system for players to “flex mastery of their favorite weaponry in Modern Warfare 3.” The debut Weapon Prestige Camo is One Trick, unlocked upon earning 150,000 Weapon XP. This camo coats the entire surface of your weapon in molten gold, and it’s animated. Activision said players can expect a new Weapon Prestige Camo in each of the remaining Seasons ahead of Modern Warfare 3.

#MW3 Season 3 Reloaded introduces Weapon Prestige Camos!

Today, we debut One Trick, a camo that coats the entire weapon surface in molten gold. Unlock it by earning 150K Weapon XP with any weapon. Choose wisely; this requirement must be met on a per-weapon basis. pic.twitter.com/7IKXoZBKdq

— Sledgehammer Games (@SHGames) May 1, 2024

As for Zombies, there’s a new story mission (Union), a new Dark Aether Rift, new acquisitions and schematics, and a new Warlord (Rainmaker).

Modern Warfare 3’s Season 3 Reloaded update launches hot on the heels of Microsoft’s tease of the next mainline Call of Duty game, which fans believe is called Black Ops V. Expect that to be revealed in June as part of the Xbox Showcase event, with a release date reportedly set for late October. Until then, the focus is on Modern Warfare 3 and Warzone.

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 Season 3 Reloaded patch notes in full:

NEW MAPS

Grime (6v6)

Take to the derelict streets of London in an all-new, medium-sized map that supports all varieties of gameplay.

Checkpoint (6v6)

Deploy to a familiar locale as the Stronghold portion of Rebirth Island has been modified to support 6v6 Multiplayer gameplay. Developed in partnership with our friends at Beenox.

NEW WEAPON

BAL-27 (Assault Rifle)

A bullpup prototype weapon designed to increase fire rate over time while the trigger is squeezed. The first 4 shots are slower to fire but highly accurate.

Unlock it via the classified sector in the Season 3 Battle Pass.

NEW AFTERMARKET PARTS

JAK Wardens (Lockwood Mk2)

Relive the glory days, stir up the hornet’s nest, and take down your enemies, leaving no loose ends with these museum-worthy akimbo lever-action Shotguns.

Unlock it today today via the Season 3 Week 5 Challenges!

JAK Patriot (M16)

Converts the M16 into a fully automatic rifle with a heavy ported barrel built to provide superior recoil control and firing aim stability.

JAK Atlas Kit (AMR9)

Converts the AMR9 into an extremely lethal and accurate 5-round burst carbine chambered in 556.

NEW MODES

Escort

In a game of strength and endurance, each team gets a turn to escort a MAW to its destination as the opposing team tries to stop it at all costs.

Minefield

Watch your step! Deadly mines are deployed at the death site of players, triggered by the presence of the fallen player’s team.

Arcade

Fight for control of weapons kitted with game-changing modifiers available for pickup around the map, all the while not forgetting to PTFO.

NEW EVENTS

In addition to limited-time Double XP and the ongoing Vortex: Vi.Rus Mainframe events, the Call of Duty Endowment has a two-week event on the horizon.

Call of Duty Endowment: U Assist Veterans

Complete the CODE UAV Challenge to help military veterans navigate their career search while earning rewards.

GLOBAL

CUSTOMIZATION

• Resolved an issue preventing the Wheelson-HS Killstreak from running over enemies while the Fire Breather Skin is equipped.
• Slash Damage Tracers on the Dino Might Blueprint will now consistently play.
• Improved visual effects when removing the Barrel from the Viral Ignition Blueprint.

PROGRESSION

Introducing Weapon Prestige Camos

In Season 3 Reloaded, we’re introducing Weapon Prestige Camos, a new progression system for players to flex mastery of their favorite weaponry in Modern Warfare III.

To unlock a Weapon Prestige Camo, players must earn a set amount of Weapon XP for any weapon of choice, including those carried forward from MWII. Weapon Prestige Camos are earned on a per-weapon basis, rewarding commitment and giving those of you completionists a grind to keep you busy for Seasons to come.

Our debut Weapon Prestige Camo is One Trick. Unlocked upon earning 150,000 Weapon XP, this camo coats the entire surface of your weapon in molten gold – and yes, it’s animated.

You can expect to see a new Weapon Prestige Camo in each of the remaining Seasons ahead. We look forward to seeing which weapons you choose first for your journey to prestige!

MULTIPLAYER

UIX

• Increased the number of allowed favorite Attachments from 10 to 30.
• Weekly Challenges that reward an Aftermarket Part will now display the base Weapon in the information modal.
• Added Locked and Unlocked filter options to Calling Cards in the Customization menu.
• Bug Fixes
  • Unlocked Calling Cards that required Challenge completion once again indicate the fulfilled criteria.
  • Resolved an issue causing the Customization menu to not appear properly on ultrawide displays.
  • Addressed an exploit allowing multiple Attachments to be equipped to a single slot on a Weapon in the Gunsmith.
  • Quick Equip option in Bundles is once again available while using a mouse and keyboard input device.
  • Pros and Cons are no longer hidden when viewing locked Attachments.
  • Prompt to perform a Finishing Move on enemy Operators is now visible while using a Juggernaut Recon.
  • Weapon ammo count no longer disappears after performing a Finishing Move while using a Juggernaut Recon.
  • Bomb Drone Killcams no longer display overlapping overlay effects.

GAMEPLAY

• In Hardpoint, increased preference for spawns further from enemies and nearer to spawn points recently used by a teammate.
• Bug Fixes
  • Weapons with a charged fire ability now function properly when the Manual Fire Behavior option is set to Hold.
  • Swapping from tac-stance to aiming down sight will no longer cause a jarring recoil animation.

PROGRESSION

• Resolved an issue preventing the DG-58 Miro Barrel Attachment from unlocking.
• Kills without reloading Challenges will no longer continue to track between matches.
• DM56 Priceless Camo Challenge description once again matches the tracking requirements.

MAPS

• 6 Star
  • Transparent glass doors in the Security area have been swapped with opaque glass doors to better communicate the lack of penetrability.
  • Added bullet collision to the DJ booth in the Club to prevent unintended kills through the wall.
  • Reworked Hardpoint capture point locations, sizes, and associated spawns.
    • P1: Club
    • P2: Garden (New)
    • P3: Lightwell (New)
    • P4: Infinity Pool (New)
    • P5: Security (New)
• Emergency
  • Added additional spawn points in Team Deathmatch, Domination, and Hardpoint.
• Growhouse
  • Polished environment in several areas of the map where there were visual glitches and inconsistencies.
• Invasion
  • Added an additional spawn point near P3 in Hardpoint.
• Karachi
  • Added additional spawn points near P3 in Hardpoint.

MODES

• Infected
  • Limited-time holiday variant of the mode icon is no longer used.
• One in the Chamber
  • Radar pings are no longer active until three alive players remain.

WEAPONS & ATTACHMENTS

Assault Rifles

• BP50
  • Increased hipfire spread minimum from 2.4deg/s to 3deg/s (+25%).
  • Increased hipfire spread maximum from 6.7deg/s to 7.2deg/s (+7%).
  • Increased moving hipfire spread maximum from 4.7deg/s to 5.2deg/s (+11%).
• SVA 545
  • Increased hipfire spread minimum from 2.6deg/s to 3.3deg/s (+27%).
  • Increased hipfire spread maximum from 7.3deg/s to 7.8deg/s (+7%).
  • Increased moving hipfire spread maximum from 5.3deg/s to 5.8deg/s (+9%).
• RAM-7
  • Increased hipfire spread minimum from 2.6deg/s to 3deg/s (+15%).
• MTZ-556
  • Increased hipfire spread minimum from 2.6deg/s to 3.1deg/s (+19%).
  • Increased hipfire spread maximum from 7deg/s to 7.4deg/s (+6%).
  • Increased moving hipfire spread maximum from 5.3deg/s to 5.4deg/s (+2%).
• Holger 556
  • Increased hipfire spread minimum from 2.6deg/s to 3.4deg/s (+31%).
  • Increased hipfire spread maximum from 7.5deg/s to 7.8deg/s (+4%).
  • Increased moving hipfire spread maximum from 5.5deg/s to 5.8deg/s (+5%).
• MCW
  • Increased hipfire spread minimum from 2.6deg/s to 3.2deg/s (+23%).
  • Increased moving hipfire spread maximum from 5.3deg/s to 5.6deg/s (+6%).
• DG-56
  • Increased hipfire spread minimum from 2.4deg/s to 2.8deg/s (+17%).
  • Increased moving hipfire spread maximum from 3.3deg/s to 5deg/s (+52%).
  • Added medium damage range, 29 damage to 38.1m.
  • Decreased minimum damage from 29 to 25 (-14%).
• FR 5.56
  • Decreased sprint to fire time from 231ms to 216ms (-6%).
  • Decreased aim down sight time from 260ms to 250ms (-4%).
  • Increased aim down sight movement speed from 2.7m/s to 2.9m/s (+7%).
  • Increased bullet velocity from 680m/s to 720m/s (+6%).
  • 600mm FR Longbore Barrel
    • Removed hipfire spread minimum benefit.
    • Decreased hipfire spread penalty by 8%.
    • Decreased aim down sight speed penalty by 20%.
    • Replaced aiming idle sway penalty with benefit.
  • 435mm FR 435 Barrel
    • Removed movement speed penalties.
    • Removed hipfire spread penalties and benefits.
    • Increased recoil control benefit by 5%.
    • Added firing aim stability benefit.
    • Removed bullet velocity benefit.
    • Removed damage range penalty.
    • Decreased aim down sight speed penalty by 2%.
    • Decreased aim down sight movement speed penalty by 3%.
    • Removed aiming idle sway penalty.
  • 395 FR Minibore Barrel
    • Replaced hipfire spread minimum penalty with benefit.
    • Added sprint to fire speed benefit.
    • Removed aiming idle sway penalty.
  • FR Sprinter Stock
    • Removed tactical sprint speed benefit.
    • Added aim down sight speed benefit.
    • Decreased aiming idle sway penalty.
    • Added flinch resistance benefit.
  • Recon Stock Pad
    • Removed crouch movement speed benefit.
    • Added movement speed benefit.
    • Replaced hipfire spread penalty with benefit.
    • Added sprint to fire speed benefit.
    • Removed aim down sight speed benefit.
  • FR Anchor Comb
    • Removed tactical sprint speed penalty.
    • Decreased sprint to fire speed penalty by 3%.
    • Added aiming idle sway benefit.
  • FR TON-618 Comb
    • Decreased aim down sight speed penalty by 18%.
    • Removed aiming idle sway benefit.
    • Added firing aim stability benefit.
  • FR Giga Comb
    • Increased aim down sight speed benefit by 2%.
    • Removed aim down sight movement speed penalty.
    • Added flinch resistance penalty.
  • RMT Rear Grip
    • Increased aim down sight speed benefit by 2%.
  • 45 Round Magazine
    • Decreased movement speed penalties.
    • Decreased aim down sight speed penalty by 4%.
  • 60 Round Magazine
    • Decreased movement speed penalties.
    • Decreased aim down sight speed penalty by 7%.

Many FR 5.56 Attachments have been reworked to increase their appeal and the overall viability of the Weapon.

• Lachmann-762 (MWII)
  • Increased maximum damage range from 19.3m to 30.5m (+58%).
  • Increased near-medium damage range from 37.1m to 43.2m (+16%).
  • Increased medium damage range from 48m to 55.9m (+16%).
• M13C (MWII)
  • Increased maximum damage range from 17.8m to 25.4m (+43%).
  • Increased near-medium damage from 27 to 28 (+4%).
  • Increased near-medium damage range from 33.5m to 39.4m (+17%).
  • Increased leg and foot damage multipliers from 0.88x to 1x (+14%).

Battle Rifles

• SOA Subverter
  • Added near-medium damage range, 33 damage to 38.1m.
  • Decreased minimum damage from 33 to 26 (-21%).

The SOA Subverter is now a 6-shot kill within the minimum damage range.

• MTZ-762
  • Decreased aim down sight time from 280ms to 260ms (-7%).
  • JAK Thunder LMG Kit
    • Decreased aim down sight time benefit by 20ms.
• FTAC Recon (MWII)
  • Fire Type: Semi-Auto
    • Increased minimum damage from 45 to 50 (+11%).

Within its maximum damage range, the FTAC Recon is now a guaranteed 3-shot kill, or 2-shot kill to the head.

• Fire Type: Full-Auto
  • Increased upper torso, arm, and hand damage multipliers from 1x to 1.1x (+10%).

Within its near-medium damage range, the FTAC Recon (full-auto) 3-shot kill with 1 to the head and 2 to the upper torso,

• SO-14 (MWII)
  • Fire Type: Semi-Auto
    • Increased maximum damage from 46 to 50 (+9%).
    • Increased near-medium damage from 35 to 46 (+31%).
    • Increased medium damage from 32 to 40 (+25%).
    • Increased minimum damage from 30 to 38 (+27%).

Within its maximum damage range, the SO-14 is now a consistent 3-shot kill.

• Fire Type: Full-Auto
  • Decreased sprint to fire time from 307ms to 261ms (-15%).
  • Decreased aim down sight time from 290ms to 270ms (-7%).
  • Decreased torso, arm, hand, leg, and foot damage multipliers from 0.8x to 0.74x (-8%).

Submachine Guns

• RAM-9
  • Increased horizontal recoil from 16.9deg/s to 17.6deg/s (+4%).
  • Increased vertical recoil from 42.9deg/s to 44.4deg/s (+3%).
  • Decreased maximum damage range from 12.7m to 11.2m (-12%).
• AMR9
  • Increased near-medium damage from 25 to 29 (+16%).
  • Increased medium damage from 23 to 24 (+4%).
  • Increased minimum damage from 21 to 22 (+5%).
  • Increased lower arm and hand damage multipliers from 1x to 1.1x (+10%).
• HRM-9
  • Increased medium damage range from 30.5m to 33m (+8%).
• WSP-9
  • Decreased sprint to fire time from 110ms to 66ms (-40%).
• WSP Swarm
  • Decreased maximum damage range from 6.9m to 5.6m (-19%).

Shotguns

• KV Broadside
  • JAK Jawbreaker
    • Removed aim down sight spread.
    • Decreased hipfire spread penalty from 100% to 30%.
    • Muzzle Attachments can now be equipped.
• Riveter
  • Decreased aim down sight spread by 10%.

Decreased spread while aiming down sight allows a more consistent 3-shot kill within the Riveter’s medium damage range.

• .410 Gauge Ball Ammunition
  • Increased aim down sight spread by 10%.
  • Increased maximum damage from 33 to 37 (+12%).
  • Increased near-medium damage from 26 to 33 (+27%).
  • Increased medium damage from 21 to 27 (+29%).
  • Increased minimum damage from 19 to 25 (+32%).

With the Ball rounds equipped, the Riveter now performs considerably better within its 3-shot kill range.

Light Machine Guns

• DG-58 LSW
  • Decreased horizontal recoil from 7.28deg/s to 6.35deg/s (-13%).
  • Decreased vertical recoil from 52.65deg/s to 47.89deg/s (-9%).
  • Increased minimum damage from 33 to 35 (+6%).
  • Increased torso, arm, and hand damage multipliers from 1x to 1.1x (+10%).

With the DG-58 LSW, a 4-shot kill is now possible if 2 shots hit the torso.

• TAQ Eradicator
  • Decreased sprint to fire time from 252ms to 210ms (-17%).
  • Decreased aim down sight time from 340ms to 330ms (-3%).
• Holger 26
  • Increased neck damage multiplier from 1.1x to 1.2x (+9%).

Marksman Rifles

• MTZ Interceptor
  • Decreased maximum damage range from 38.1m to 30.5m (-20%).

Sniper Rifles

• MORS
  • Increased aim down sight time from 560ms to 580ms (+4%).
  • Decreased lower leg and foot damage multipliers from 1x to 0.95x (-5%).
  • HVP Anti-Materiel Slug Ammunition
    • Increased bullet velocity penalty from 15% to 20%.

While equipped with HVP Anti-Materiel Slug Ammunition, the MORS can no longer one-shot kill to the lower leg or foot.

Handguns

• COR-45
  • Increased movement speed from 5.2m/s to 5.4m/s (+4%).
• Renetti
  • Increased movement speed from 5.2m/s to 5.4m/s (+4%).
• TYR
  • Increased movement speed from 5.1m/s to 5.3m/s (+4%).
• WSP Stinger
  • Increased movement speed from 5.7m/s to 5.9m/s (+4%).
• P890 (MWII)
  • Increased movement speed from 5.2m/s to 5.3m/s (+2%).
• .50 GS (MWII)
  • Increased sprint speed from 5.7m/s to 5.8m/s (+2%).
• X12 (MWII)
  • Increased movement speed from 5.2m/s to 5.4m/s (+4%).
  • Increased sprint speed from 6m/s to 6.1m/s (+2%).
• Basilisk (MWII)
  • Increased movement speed from 5.1m/s to 5.3m/s (+4%).
• FTAC Siege (MWII)
  • Increased movement speed from 5.1m/s to 5.3m/s (+4%).
• GS Magna (MWII)
  • Increased sprint speed from 5.7m/s to 5.8m/s (+2%).
• 9mm Daemon (MWII)
  • Increased movement speed from 5.3m/s to 5.5m/s (+4%).
  • Akimbo 9mm Daemon Rear Grip
    • Removed 10% movement speed penalty.
    • Decreased hipfire spread minimum from 2.4deg/s to 1.7deg/s (-29%).
    • Decreased hipfire spread maximum from 5.5deg/s to 5deg/s (-9%).
    • Removed 26% damage penalty.
    • Increased lower torso, arm, and hand damage multipliers from 1.1x to 1.3 (+18%).

Melee

• Gladiator
  • Decreased standing lunge distance to 1.3m, matching that of the Combat Knife.

PERKS

• Climbing Boots
  • Removed this Perk and applied its effects to all players by default.
    • Increased climbing and mantling speed. Reduces fall damage.
• All-Terrain Boots
  • Added a new Perk to the Boots category, replacing Climbing Boots.
    • Significantly increased movement speed. Disables Tactical Sprint.
• Running Sneakers (Boots)
  • Improved sprint to fire time while using Tactical Sprint by 25%.
• Stalker Boots
  • Increased strafe speed is now omnidirectional, rather than lateral.
  • Added walking smoothness benefit, decreasing the bounciness of the reticle while aiming down sight.
• Commando Gloves
  • Improved sprint to fire speed by 10%.
  • Added the ability to cancel a reload by using Tactical Sprint.
• Assault Gloves
  • Improved hipfire spread while moving by 15%.

EQUIPMENT

• EMD Grenade (Tactical)
  • Tracking devices are now destroyed by enemy EMP and DDoS effects.
  • Decreased tracking device duration from 30s to 20s (-33%).

FIELD UPGRADES

• Trophy System
  • Decreased the total number of shots fired from 3 to 2.

ZOMBIES

NEW CONTENT

STORY MISSION: UNION

• A new anomaly has appeared in the Exclusion Zone and Dr. Jansen has gone through the portal alone. Operation Deadbolt Strike Teams must now conduct a rescue mission with Ravenov’s help to get her back before it’s too late.

NEW DARK AETHER RIFT

• Seek out and attune the required relics after completing the Season 3 Reloaded Story Mission to re-open the Dark Aether Rift for subsequent runs. Complete the objectives within to acquire new powerful schematics.
  • Dark Aether Rifts are unlocked by solving a hidden quest, which activates after completing the new Season 3 Reloaded Story Mission.

NEW ACQUISITIONS AND SCHEMATICS

• Dead Wire Detonators: Electrify your blasts for massive damage using the Dead Wire Detonators, adding the Dead Wire Ammo Mod effect to all of your explosive armaments, including Lethals and Launchers.
  • Note: Dead Wire Detonators do not apply to Wonder Weapons.
• Golden Mask Filter: Forget the constant search for a functioning gas mask when approaching strongholds and other areas where gas threatens to suffocate incoming Operators. Attaching the Golden Mask Filter to a gas mask causes its charge to self-regenerate over time. The mask can still break if its charge is fully used up in one go, though the filter will be reapplied to the next one you find.
• Sergeant’s Beret: With the undead roaming around, you’ve got enough to worry about before taking Zakhaev’s Mercs into consideration. Don the Sergeant’s Beret to trick the faction into thinking that you’re one of their own. As a bonus, you’ll gain a Merc Bodyguard who fearlessly follows you into the action.

NEW WARLORD: RAINMAKER

• Challengers of the new Warlord Rainmaker will need to plan their tactics carefully when approaching this artillery and demolitions expert. Find him in his fortress on Rahaa Island in the southeastern Urzikstan Exclusion Zone, where he’s supported by an army that he’s only too willing to expend in pursuit of annihilating Operation Deadbolt.

GAMEPLAY UPDATES

• Stash Storage Increased
  • The Stash storage limit has been doubled, allowing Players to store 20 acquisitions instead of 10.
• Exfil Based Schematic Cooldown
  • When Players successfully exfil they will now also receive Schematic cooldown time in addition to their Insured Weapon cooldown time reward.

PATCH NOTES

GAMEPLAY

• Addressed an issue that would knock back Containment Levels by one Tier when Players exfil from a Story Mission.
• Addressed an issue that prevented equipped Lethals and Tacticals from saving when traveling to a Dark Aether Rift or Story Mission if the Player had expended all of them.

ALLIES

• Zombies
  • Hell Hounds
    • Friendly (Pet) Hell Hounds acquired from a Dog House in the Medium and High Threat Zones will no longer reset their Tier when entering and exiting the Aether Storm.

CUSTOMIZATION

• Weapon Blueprints
  • MORS
    • Situation Hazard BlackCell
      • Addressed an issue that prevented the Desync Dismemberment Death Effect from always applying to enemy kills.

UI/UX

• Players can now interact with the Containment Level UI on the Strike Team Ready menu.
• The Containment Level splash screen when a Player exfils will now correctly display their Containment Level progression gained during the match.

STABILITY

• Added various crash and stability fixes.

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.

Fallout 4’s next-gen update suffered a troubled launch, but it was PC players of Bethesda’s post-apocalyptic role-playing game that endured the most issues. Now, some of the most popular mods for Fallout 4 let players “downgrade” the game to a pre-patch point.

The PC-specific update for Fallout 4 broke a number of crucial, long-running mods for the game, including Fallout 4 Script Extender (F4SE), which itself is used by many other mods for compatibility. The most high-profile casualty of the patch was the long-awaited Fallout London mod. Its developers were forced to delay the mod just days before it was due to release out of fear the next-gen update would break it, and so it proved.

As reported by VG247, some of the most popular Fallout 4 mods over the last two weeks let players revert the game to a pre-patch state. Zerratar’s Fallout 4 Downgrader, for example, restores your game’s mod compatibility, letting users quickly revert Fallout 4 to its pre-next-gen version to continue using mods that use F4SE and Buffout. “Simple, automated, and available in two versions to suit your setup,” reads the official blurb. At the time of this article’s publication, Fallout 4 Downgrader had been downloaded 34,951 times from Nexus Mods.

Similarly, Bilago’s STEAM – Skip Next-Gen update mod tricks Steam into thinking your game is updated, “so you can use your mods with peace of mind.” This one has been downloaded 23,685 times.

As PC Fallout 4 players wrestle with mods, there is light at the end of the tunnel. The creator of F4SE has in the last day released a “very early” build for testing that will hopefully make this crucial mod work with the latest version of Fallout 4. Work on this continues, with the creators of Fallout London no-doubt watching closely.

The effect of all this on Fallout 4 on Steam at least is mixed. Recent user reviews are ‘mostly positive’, compared to ‘very positive’ for overall reviews. Most of the negative reaction revolves around the next-gen update’s impact on mods. PC players have questioned the value of the patch in the first place, given it lacks meaningful changes. Regardless, Fallout 4 is enjoying a big boost in player numbers, fueled by the breakout success of the Prime Video Fallout TV show. According to SteamDB, Fallout 4 had an impressive 187,468 concurrent players on Steam, the highest peak since late 2015.

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.

A new report has revealed launch timings for Xbox games throughout the rest of 2024, spilling the beans on when to expect everything from the next Call of Duty to Indiana Jones.

The Verge reported that Bethesda is currently targeting a September release for the Starfield expansion Shattered Space. In a recent interview, Bethesda development chief Todd Howard announced a fall release window for the expansion.

Elsewhere, Activision plans to release the next Call of Duty, which some fans believe is called Black Ops V, in late October, according to The Verge. The same report claims Obsidian’s Avowed and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 follow in November, leaving MachineGames’ hotly anticipated Indiana Jones and the Great Circle to launch in December.

If true, that’s a jam-packed second half of 2024 for Xbox, which is now boosted by Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard and all the games it owns. It’s worth remembering that Microsoft now owns Blizzard and MMO World of Warcraft, which is set to receive the The War Within expansion before the end of this year.

Microsoft is heavily rumored to be planning to announce the next Gears of War game during its showcase, although there’s no indication it’s a 2024 title. Expect plenty of release dates for all the games coming out this year, and some set for 2025. Other announced Microsoft games include The Initiative and Crystal Dynamics’ Perfect Dark reboot, Rare’s Everwild, Playground’s Fable reboot, InXile’s Clockwork Revolution, Undead Labs’ State of Decay 3, and Compulsion Games’ South of Midnight.

Fans don’t have long to wait before hearing all this straight from the horse’s mouth; Microsoft’s Xbox showcase event is set for June 9.

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.

This week, Microsoft announced the timing of its Xbox showcase event in June as well as a follow-up Direct for a mystery game that looks like a clear tease for the next Call of Duty.

This year’s mainline Call of Duty is reportedly a Treyarch-developed Black Ops game set in the Gulf War. Some had even thought it might be called Call of Duty Black Ops Gulf War, following the naming convention set out by the previous Black Ops game, Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War.

However, following Microsoft’s tease, eagle-eyed Call of Duty fans are giving the image included the zoom and enhance treatment, and believe the redacted section conceals the words Call of Duty Black Ops V.

We’re going to be talking about games of course

Tune in to the Xbox Games Showcase followed by [REDACTED] Direct on Sunday, June 9 @ 10am PT: https://t.co/z78G8h75r2 | #XboxShowcase pic.twitter.com/XgOGJy2gLv

— Xbox (@Xbox) April 30, 2024

As many fans have pointed out, you can almost make out the ‘OPS’ from Black Ops in the redacted section in the bottom of the image. The suggestion is the spacing only makes sense if the words are ‘Black Ops V’, not ‘Gulf War.’

Why the V, specifically? It’s all in the pixels, fans believe. Actually, the single pixel to the right of the blacked out part of the image. Would it be more of a bar if it concealed a ‘5’ than a ‘V’? Some fans believe so.

Black Ops V only seems suitable 😉 https://t.co/ggCMOJbmSk pic.twitter.com/cHs7DbBBWL

— Desire (@Deziah) April 30, 2024

Here’s some better versions made by @omgFawzi that give a better look at what BO5’s teaser should look like uncensored pic.twitter.com/m8OP8vy3IP

— Forward (@ForwardLeaks) April 30, 2024

If the game is called Black Ops V, that would track with the roman numeral system used for previous Black Ops games (bizarrely, Activision went with Black Ops IIII for the fourth game in the series, as opposed to IV). Black Ops V would also be a somewhat puzzling choice given it wouldn’t actually be the fifth mainline Black Ops game, but the sixth. Perhaps Activision wants to lean more on the idea of this new Black Ops being a fully-fledged sequel after veering into potential sub-sub-brand territory with Cold War. Perhaps the game spans more than the Gulf War, so using the name in the title wouldn’t properly reflect its content. Or perhaps Activision feels like having Gulf War in the title of the game is a step too far, even for Call of Duty.

Whatever the case, fans don’t have long to wait to find out, given the Xbox Showcase and the Call of Duty Direct are a little over a month away.

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.