The map in Blackout mode in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is substantially larger than any map in previous entries. For comparison, the new battle royale map is 1500 times the size of the beloved “Nuketown” map from the first Black Ops game.
In short, that’s a lot of ground to cover. Faithful Call of Duty multiplayer fans know that it takes a few rounds on a map to get to the point where you’re playing your best. The Blackout map in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is no different. So, how can you master that much map?
A Different Kind of Lobby
Thankfully, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 takes a different approach to its lobby than Fortnite or Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds. While those popular battle royales drop the player in an unrelated area, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Blackout drops the player on a random section of the in-game map.
That means that while you’re waiting for the match to start, you can begin committing portions of the island to memory. It may be tempting to put your dukes up and start bare-knuckle brawling with the soldier next to you, but scouting the map pays dividends in the match.
Learning the Map in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Blackout
Battle royale players know that the learning curve can be steep when attempting to get into a new game. When matches that don’t go your way can end in 30 seconds, it can be hard to feel like you’re making progress. That’s why Blackout’s approach is so helpful.
For example, if you drop near the train station during the lobby phase, take a second to run through the train cars, making mental notes of where loot drops. Check out the seats and railings to see where you can find cover. Practice the process of quickly hopping from train to train.
All of this may sound simple, but when you’re up against 87 other players, you’ll likely need every advantage you can get.