A leaked gameplay video has revealed two new cosmetic item types for Call of Duty Black Ops 4. Players will apparently have the ability to utilize sprays and third-person emotes, not unlike in Overwatch.
Black Ops 4 Sprays and Third-Person Emotes
As of this writing, Treyarch hasn’t officially confirmed the presence of sprays and emotes in Black Ops 4. However, this leaked Reddit clip is pretty hard evidence to ignore. The clip shows the player bringing up a wheel from which they can select different sprays and emotes.
Players can paint sprays onto walls, and the sprays include symbols such as royal crowns and cute chickens. The emotes shown in the clip are pretty basic, but they’re displayed in third-person upon use. Previous Call of Duty games such as Infinite Warfare and WWII also included emotes, but they were performed in first-person. It looks like Black Ops 4’s emotes will operate in a manner more akin to Overwatch or Destiny 2’s emotes.
Commenters in the Reddit thread expressed concern that the emotes will facilitate exploitive play. After all, if you can “peek” around a corner without exposing yourself, that’s a pretty big advantage. However, other commenters noted that it’s never really been an issue in Overwatch or Destiny 2. There is also the possibility that Treyarch will disable emote use in more competitive Black Ops 4 playlists.
It’s unlikely that Treyarch would let emotes compromise multiplayer balance given the pains it is taking with the Zombies mode. If you want to hear more about how Black Ops 4 multiplayer will stand out, this video should do. The video features gameplay footage and commentary straight from Treyarch itself explaining Black Ops 4’s unique multiplayer features.
Call of Duty Black Ops 4 will launch tomorrow, October 12, for PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4.