Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is set to launch later this month, and Activision has now unveiled the audio innovations that Treyarch has integrated into the game. The publisher asserts that the gameplay audio will be more dynamic and precise than ever before. Additionally, a new accessibility setting has been introduced to assist individuals with tinnitus.
Activision states that Treyarch's audio team has significantly improved the 3D sound for Call of Duty, enabling players to more accurately perceive the location, speed, and direction of nearby activity—crucial elements for audio in a competitive shooter game. The developer's objective for Black Ops 6 audio is to create a more "purposeful and directional soundscape" that emphasizes the information players need, while minimizing unnecessary noise. Specifically, the team has focused on distant firing sounds, providing players with data on directionality, distance, and threat level, thereby helping them to more easily pinpoint where enemy fire is coming from.
Treyarch achieved this in part by collaborating with Microsoft Project Acoustics to create more realistic and immersive sound for Black Ops 6. As demonstrated in CharlieIntel's video below, the characters' voice-lines now echo and reverberate through the environment, resulting in a more realistic auditory experience.
"We aim to ensure that the soundscape in this game adapts to each player as they play, creating a dynamic and responsive play space," says Treyarch's lead audio designer, Collin Ayers. Expert audio engineer William Cornell further explains, "Players will experience gunshots and grenades that realistically fill the space around them. Footsteps will echo down long hallways."
Enhanced immersion is also achieved in Black Ops 6 through the use of Head Related Transfer Function (HRTF) technology, which better simulates how sound is transferred from the game world to a player's ears. Cornell elaborates, "HRTF mimics the way sounds are affected by the shape of your head and ears before you hear them. It's the gold standard for maximizing directional perception when listening on headphones."
An advanced headphone mode in the game utilizes HRTF and Immerse Spatial Audio technology to enhance the directional accuracy of sounds. The developer notes that Immerse Spatial Audio is compatible with any headphone or earbud model and significantly improves the player's spatial audio experience. This new mode will be available at the game's launch. Optionally, players can further customize this HRTF experience by creating a personalized profile that considers their physical attributes, such as the shape of their ear or head.
Treyarch also aims to provide more audio accessibility options with Black Ops 6, including the Reduce Tinnitus Sound setting. This new audio feature will replace the sound from concussion and flash grenade shellshock with a softer audio cue, helping those who suffer from tinnitus, a condition that causes ringing or other sounds in one or both ears without an external source.
Be sure to check out the blog post for more audio samples of Black Ops 6's footsteps and character voice-lines.
Black Ops 6 is scheduled for release on October 25 for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC. The game will feature a campaign, multiplayer, and Zombies mode. Here's everything we know so far about Black Ops 6 Zombies.
