Activision Locks Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 DLC to Season Pass

The Call of Duty community received a bit of shocking news Thursday morning as Activision revealed more details about the game’s post-launch content. There were more than a few bombs dropped by the publisher about their forthcoming title, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. It appears that post-game downloadable content will be tied to the game’s season pass, the Black Ops Pass, and the content cannot be purchased separately.

Furthermore, the Black Ops Pass can only be obtained through the Digital Deluxe, Digital Deluxe Enhanced and Pro Editions of the game. The game’s FAQ page reveals that players who have already preordered the physical standard edition of the game will need to “return to your retailer to upgrade your preorder to an edition that includes Black Ops Pass.” The same is true if players preordered the game digitally.

The Black Ops Pass comes with the following content:

– “Classified,” a Bonus Zombies Experience, available at Launch
– 4 Additional All-New Zombies Experiences
– 12 Multiplayer Maps
– 4 Exclusive Blackout Characters

The Digital and Digital Enhanced editions of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 will retail for $99.99 and $129.99, respectively. Meanwhile, the Pro edition is only available at GameStop and costs $119.99. Activision says that the “Black Ops Pass will be available as a standalone offering at a later date,” for players who buy the physical standard edition after launch. There is no word on how much the Black Ops Pass will cost once it is made available for purchase.

Many fans have voiced their frustrations over the announcement on the Black Ops 4 subreddit. Some have even lobbied for having the content released for free, much like Battlefield V, in order to prevent splitting the community between those who have and do not have the DLC. A Treyarch representative posted a response on the subreddit, stating, “I want to make it clear that we are very much listening to your thoughts, comments, and ideas.”