Activision unveiled the first details on the new Call of Duty Ghost multiplayer mode with an hour-long presentation yesterday.Activision's Eric Hirshberg took to the stage to introduce the multiplayer debut trailer which showed off the first-in-game footage of the multiplayer mode in action. The trailer confirmed female soldiers, showed destructible environments, remote-controlled drones, the appearance of the dog previously revealed for the single-player campaign, and player squads.
Here's the official multiplayer reveal trailer:
Activision revealed some of the game's new gameplay modes including Cranked, in which kills make you faster, but activates a countdown timer which must be topped up with further kills. Upon the countdown's timeout, you will explode.
A new Search and Rescue mode is similar to 'Search and Destroy', but your team can revive you. Players drop dog tags when killed; if a teammate grabs a tag that player is revived, if an enemy gets it you're out of the round.
In Ghosts, players won't just customize load outs, but will create and customize a full squad of 10 soldiers, each with their own XP count, equipment and, eventually, Prestige status.
Adding to that is a new Squads mode - previously teased - which is a solo, co-operative and competitive mode that lets players match their squads against others.
The firm detailed four Squads modes; 'Squad vs Squad' has you team with your Squad (controlled by AI) against another player and their AI squad. 'Wargame' lets you pick five squad mates to play against an all-AI enemy team. 'Safeguard' is a four-player co-op mode with wave-based AI enemies. Squad Assault is a six-player co-op mode that lets you and five others tackle an offline player's squad.
Thankfully, XP earned in the Squads mode counts towards multiplayer, allowing players of all skill levels to gain XP. The Squads mode trailer is below.
Other details:
- A new 'Field Orders' feature sees the first player to die drop a suitcase. When another player grabs that suitcase they're given a special side-mission (such as getting a set number of kills, or head shots). If the mini-mission is achieved before that player dies they will get a strike package containing any of the game's powerful Strike weapons. When they die the suitcase is dropped for another player to grab.
- As previously detailed, Dynamic Map Events are events that can be triggered within maps that potentially change the lay of the land. Footage showed busses falling from cliffs, petrol stations exploding and walls being taken out - providing at least partially destructible environments.
- There will be no more Death Streaks.
- Instead of a linear unlocking path, you will unlock weapons, streaks and other items in any order you like using Squad Points earned as you play multiplayer matches.
- When you Prestige a soldier in your squad you keep all of your unlocked gear. With a maximum of 10 soldiers in your Squad, that equates to 10 levels of Prestige, said Infinity Wards' Mark Rubin.
- The game will contain 30 new weapons, which represents "an 80 per cent overhaul from Modern Warfare 3". This including an entirely new weapon class, the Marksman Rifles, which Rubin said "bridges the gap between snipers and marksman".
- There will be over 20 new Killstreaks, with examples shown that let players control a Juggernaut, snipping while flying over a map, controlling a remote grenade-equipped drone and more.
- For one new Killstreak, the now infamous pooch Riley can be called in as a guard dog - he will follow you around the map, attacking foes and will growl when enemies are nearby.
- Cross-gen profile transfers are confirmed, meaning all stats built up on Xbox 360, for example, can be picked up on the Xbox One version of the game. Cross-gen transfers are restricted to the same console family (so 360 profiles are not retrievable on PS4).
- Call of Duty Elite will be integrated with mobile and tablet apps, for which you can sign up for free. The app, launching alongside Ghosts, will track career stats, allow for custom load outs and more.
- The mobile app will introduce new Clan support features, including clan chat and game invites, and a Clan-based meta game with Clan XP that can be earned in Clan games allowing you to level up your Clan.
- Clan Wars pairs your clan up with others, with matches giving clans points in a mini tournament that lasts two weeks.
