The Black Ops Cold War beta has only just begun, though an early bug may have let slip a huge feature on the way: The return of the Supply Drop system last seen in WWII.
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[UPDATE October 9, 2020: Treyarch Community Manager Josh Torres has confirmed via Reddit that the bug seen below is indeed leftover code, more specifically placeholder UI from Black Ops 4, and does not indicate the possible return of supply drops]
When it comes to microtransactions in Call of Duty, we’ve seen a number of different systems over the years. Some games have opted for the loot box-style method, while others have gone with a mix of Battle Passes and individual bundles.
We already know that Treyarch’s upcoming release will be sticking with Battle Passes, but could there be more microtransactions on the way too? If you’ve already been playing the Black Ops Cold War beta on PS4, you may not have noticed anything out of the ordinary on controller.
However, if you happen to plug in a keyboard and mouse while playing on console, things get a little different. As a result, a brand-new bug appears to have slipped through the cracks, revealing mention of a Supply Drop system in Black Ops Cold War.
On the #BlackOpsColdWarBeta , Reserves,Purchase Crate and many other options were found if you use a Keyboard and Mouse to check out the message of the day. pic.twitter.com/hkMEWyba4G
— James (@NoobOfVerdansk) October 8, 2020
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No different from many recent titles in the series, when booting up Black Ops Cold War, players are greeted with a message of the day. It’s here that ‘NoobOfVerdansk’ stumbled upon an eye-opening glitch. Instead of displaying the usual message along with a few standard tabs below, “many other options were found.”
Reserves, Purchase Crate, and Crate Bundle were all options visible in the menu. While it is only a beta, and bugs are inevitable, it could be hinting at a return. Perhaps the old microtransaction model may appear alongside Battle Passes.
Supply Drops, or Reserve Crates as they were called in Black Ops 4, have featured all sorts of items. Some games kept powerful guns in these randomized lootboxes while other games stuck to purely visual unlocks.
These labels slipping through the cracks in the beta could be indicative of what’s to come, though it is worth taking this leak with a grain of salt. After all, it could just be leftover code from a system that’s since been scrapped in development.
Only time will tell if the old system of in-game purchases replaces the specific bundle method of 2019’s Modern Warfare. Who knows, perhaps all three forms will be included: Supply Drops, Battle Passes, and bundles altogether.
If you haven’t yet jumped into the beta, fear not. Check up on our full overview so you know when and how to dive in on every platform.