Highlights

  • Activision should consider releasing more remastered versions of classic Call of Duty games to satisfy fans' nostalgia without overshadowing new games. However, Black Ops 1's usage of CoD Points could make a remaster difficult.
  • CoD Points in Call of Duty: Black Ops allowed players to unlock attachments, killstreaks, and perks in any order they wanted, adding a unique twist to the custom loadout system.
  • The use of CoD Points as microtransactions in modern Call of Duty games could create a challenge if a remastered version of Call of Duty: Black Ops is released, as it may require a different approach to the beloved in-game currency system of the original.

While some modern Call of Duty entries have certainly had their moments, many series fans are always chasing that nostalgic feeling of classic CoD. Activision knows this all too well, which is why the last few entries have included a great deal of fan-service, ranging from the return of some classic modes and weapons to an onslaught of remastered maps. But while this is good in moderation, too much nostalgia often ends up ruining a new game's sense of identity, and last year's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 was the perfect example of that. The real key might actually be something CoD has already experimented with before.

Back in 2016, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was remastered, and it received a good deal of praise across the board, albeit with criticism about its greedy release tactics. Exceptionally faithful, this Call of Duty 4 remaster had all the bells and whistles of a modern CoD, but transposed onto the same 2007 campaign and maps that fans knew and loved. It's honestly bizarre that Activision hasn't released any more of these remasters, but if a Call of Duty: Black Ops remaster was to ever come out, it'd have a very niche obstacle to overcome.

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A Call of Duty: Black Ops Remaster Would Have to Reinvent COD Points

The First Black Ops Revolved Around CoD Points

Back in 2007, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare pioneered the intuitive custom loadout system that's since become a staple of the multiplayer shooter genre. This system was simple and accessible, but still had just enough complexity to keep it an engaging progression system. While World at War and Modern Warfare 2 added to this custom loadout system, Call of Duty: Black Ops took a slightly more unique approach, not giving players attachments, weapons, and killstreaks in a linear sequence, but instead putting the player in control of what they unlock and when.

Call of Duty: Black Ops introduced a system called "CoD Points." A free in-game currency, CoD Points were awarded to the player whenever they finished a match, completed a Contract, and leveled up. These CoD Points could then be used by the player to unlock any attachment, killstreak, or perk in any order they saw fit. For instance, if a player wanted to get the Dual Mags attachment, they wouldn't need to unlock a handful of other attachments before getting to it like in other CoD games, they could just purchase it straight away as long as they had enough CoD Points. Comsetics like calling cards were also purchased through this system.

One of the best things to come out of Black Ops' addition of CoD Points was the game's Wager Matches. Functioning exactly how they sound, Call of Duty: Black Ops' Wager Matches saw players compete in a series of party games in an attempt to win a large sum of CoD Points. These Wager Matches brought about some of the most beloved modes of all time, marking the debut of Sticks and Stones, One in the Chamber, and Gun Game, along with the lesser-known Sharpshooter.

COD Points Don't Mean What They Used To

Modern Call of Duty entries still have CoD Points, but now they're the series' microtransactions, allowing players to use real-world cash to buy in-game cosmetics. This presents a bit of a unique issue if a Call of Duty: Black Ops 1 remaster was ever released. All of Call of Duty: Black Ops' multiplayer component was based around CoD Points in their original form, and their removal in a remaster would feel like a major misstep to many fans.

But Activision has spent years marketing its modern version of CoD Points, and it wouldn't want to refrain from putting them in a Black Ops remaster, or renaming them for the sake of just one game. The only real solution would be to rename Black Ops' free in-game currency so that COD Points could also be added. Not only is juggling two currencies difficult, but tweaking even the name of COD Points might also disappoint some old school fans.