SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Prepare for the awakening. Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), and award-winning developer Treyarch have released new details for Call of Duty®: Black Ops III Awakening, the first DLC pack for the blockbuster Call of Duty: Black Ops III. Featuring four new action-packed multiplayer maps and a new Zombies experience set in a medieval Austrian castle during World War II, Awakening releases on February 2, 2016, first on the PlayStation® Network for the PlayStation 4 games and entertainment system from Sony, with other next-gen platforms to follow.
“Since Black Ops III launched last month, the response from our community has been incredible in every way,” said Mark Lamia, Studio Head, Treyarch. “With Awakening, the studio is focused on creating a wide variety of gameplay experiences for our fans in Multiplayer and Zombies that will keep players coming back for more.”
Der Eisendrache, the first chapter of Call of Duty: Black Ops III’s Zombies DLC adventure will take players on an epic journey with the Origin characters Richtofen, Nicolai, Takeo, and Dempsey. Set in an eerie medieval castle built upon an ancient site of unspeakable horror, massive deposits of Element 115 have recently been discovered, delivering inspired new gameplay and – in Zombies tradition – a variety of exciting plot twists and surprises that fans will have the opportunity to discover for themselves.
In addition to the new Zombies content, Awakening features four new multiplayer maps: Gauntlet, Splash, Rise and Skyjacked, a reimagined version of a fan-favorite Black Ops II multiplayer map.
- Gauntlet: Grounded in a military training facility, Gauntlet plays up the core philosophy of Treyarch’s classic three lane map structure with distinct variety in visuals and gameplay. Each of the three primary lanes has a unique environment as players battle through a sprawling jungle, sub-zero artic zone and rainy urban cityscape.
- Splash: Set in an abandoned water theme park, this vibrant and playful map delivers an imaginative environment complete with waterslides, a wrecked pirate ship, and a lazy river ride that winds through a fantastical forgotten city. Splash is designed to drive an open flow of combat, including plenty of opportunities for underwater gameplay.
- Rise: Set in the snowy outskirts of Zurich, Rise is a Coalescence Corporation construction project for a massive subterranean research campus. The design of the map caters to a mix of classic Call of Duty cover combat alongside strategic core movement opportunities, with each section of the map offering distinctly different styles of gameplay.
- Skyjacked: Set on a security VTOL in the clouds over urban Zurich, Skyjacked is a reimagined version of the popular Call of Duty®: Black Ops II multiplayer map Hijacked, and retains the same fast and frenetic gameplay from one of the most popular maps in Call of Duty® history, but with a twist. Skyjacked gives players the opportunity to explore the map in a variety of new ways thanks to the all-new core movement system in Black Ops III.
Call of Duty: Black Ops III Awakening DLC Map Pack is available at a discounted rate via the Call of Duty: Black Ops III DLC Season Pass**, which features all four DLC Map Packs planned for the year, as part of the discounted bundle offered at a suggested retail price of $49.99. Individual purchase of DLC Map Packs is at a suggested retail price of $15. Call of Duty: Black Ops III is rated M for Mature with Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence and Strong Language.
Call of Duty: Black Ops III Awakening is scheduled for release on PlayStation 4 on February 2, 2016, other next-gen platform availability to follow.
*Awakening DLC content not available on PS3 or Xbox 360.
**Season Pass content not available on PS3 or Xbox 360. Downloadable content in the Season Pass may be sold separately. If you purchase the DLC Season Pass offering, do not also purchase these standalone DLC Map Packs, as you will be charged for them. DLC Season Pass and DLC Map Packs may not be available on all platforms or in all territories. Pricing and release dates may vary by platform. Call of Duty: Black Ops III game required; sold separately.
About Treyarch
Treyarch is an award-winning video game studio, driven by the desire to create epic gameplay experiences that are enjoyed by as many video game fans as possible. It is an approach that has helped to make the studio an industry-leading game developer, whose Call of Duty: Black Ops II set world-wide launch day records, and whose previous game Call of Duty: Black Ops set an entertainment launch opening record upon its release in 2010 and continues to be one of the best-selling games of all time, according to NPD and GfK Chart-Track. Treyarch is wholly owned by Activision Publishing, Inc.
About Activision Publishing, Inc.
Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading global producer and publisher of interactive entertainment. Activision maintains operations throughout the world and is a division of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), an S&P 500 company. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company's website, www.activision.com or by following @Activision.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Activision Publishing’s expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future, including statements about the expected Call of Duty: Black Ops III Awakening DLC 1 release on February 2, 2016, are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause Activision Publishing’s actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include unanticipated product delays and other factors identified in the risk factors sections of Activision Blizzard’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Activision Publishing and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Activision Publishing nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Activision Publishing or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.
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