If you’re a fan of the Call of Duty franchise, you’ve probably played or at least heard of Black Ops 3. This game, released in 2015, brought an entirely new dimension to the series with its fast-paced multiplayer action, futuristic jetpack combat, and immersive zombies mode.
However, with the rise of cross-platform gaming in recent years, one question still lingers for many fans: Is Black Ops 3 cross-platform?
In this article, we will dive deep into the game’s features and its history while exploring whether it supports crossplay, a highly sought-after feature in modern games.
A Look Back at Black Ops 3’s Success
Black Ops 3 was a milestone in the Call of Duty franchise, released at a time when first-person shooters were highly competitive. It introduced a futuristic element, allowing players to use jetpacks for high-speed aerial combat.
This mechanic not only made the game more dynamic but also separated it from its predecessors. Fans quickly flocked to the game, making it a commercial success.
With a dedicated multiplayer mode, engaging zombies gameplay, and a campaign that provided a deep storyline (although controversial), Black Ops 3 became a beloved title. But even though it gained immense popularity, some players began to wonder about its limitations, particularly regarding cross-platform play.
What About Cross-Platform Play?
To answer the burning question: No, Black Ops 3 is not a cross-platform game. Unlike some newer Call of Duty titles that allow players to team up regardless of the console or PC they’re on, Black Ops 3 was released before crossplay became a common feature in the gaming world.
Cross-platform play, or crossplay, means that gamers using different platforms (like Xbox, PlayStation, or PC) can play together online. But when Black Ops 3 was launched, the gaming industry had yet to fully embrace this idea.
At the time, players could only connect with others using the same platform—Xbox players with Xbox players, PlayStation with PlayStation, and so on.
Although the game was immensely popular, it didn’t benefit from the cross-platform revolution that has swept through the gaming world in recent years. In fact, Call of Duty didn’t introduce crossplay until 2019, with the release of Modern Warfare.
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Why Isn’t Black Ops 3 Cross-Platform?
The main reason Black Ops 3 doesn’t support crossplay is that it was developed during a time when the technology and infrastructure for such a feature were not widely available or prioritized.
The game was created for the platforms of that era—PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC—each having its own ecosystem and limitations.
For example, when the game launched on the older PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles, it was already missing certain features, like the campaign mode, due to hardware limitations.
Adding crossplay on top of that would have required significant adjustments, something that was not feasible at the time.
What Features Did Black Ops 3 Offer?
Despite the lack of cross-platform play, Black Ops 3 had a lot going for it:
- Multiplayer: The fast-paced, high-energy combat featured unique “specialist” characters, each with their own special abilities. This added a layer of strategy and personalization that kept players engaged for hours.
- Zombies Mode: The game’s zombies mode continued the franchise’s tradition of thrilling, co-op zombie survival. It became a fan favorite for those who enjoyed working together to fend off waves of the undead.
- Campaign: Though controversial for excluding the campaign mode on older consoles, Black Ops 3’s story mode was well-received by players on newer platforms. It allowed for a four-player cooperative experience, adding more replayability to the campaign.
Is Cross-Platform Play the Future of Call of Duty?
Since 2019, Call of Duty has made cross-platform play a standard feature in its games. Modern Warfare, Warzone, and Vanguard all support this functionality, allowing players to connect no matter what console or system they’re using.
While Black Ops 3 won’t see any updates to include cross-platform play, it’s safe to say that future Call of Duty titles will have this feature by default.
Crossplay has become a crucial aspect of the online multiplayer experience, helping to unify the community and ensure that games remain populated with players across all platforms.
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Summary
To wrap it up, Black Ops 3 remains a beloved entry in the Call of Duty franchise, offering innovative multiplayer features, a captivating zombies mode, and a campaign mode on select platforms.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t support cross-platform play, as it was released before this technology became common in gaming. However, fans of the Call of Duty series can look forward to crossplay as a default feature in the more recent and future titles, keeping the community more connected than ever.