What you need to know
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has revealed a new multiplayer feature that allows you to use your enemy as a human shield, while automatically enabling proximity chat between you and your victim.
- Treyarch Studios tweeted the feature reveal with a “Be nice…” caption.
- Fan reception has been mixed, with fears this will encourage toxicity in the game and concerns over it’s interaction with the AI-powered voice chat moderation.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 NEXT event has revealed much more about the game launching into Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass on October 25, but one feature in particular has got tongues wagging right now. The Body Shield. Yes you can grab an enemy player in the game and use them to absorb enemy fire, but that in itself isn’t unusual. What is hilarious is that they are going to enable proximity voice chat between you and the enemy. So not only do you have the enemy in a vulnerable position, you can now whisper sweet nothings into their ear. “We’re trying to contact you about your car’s extended warranty.” will now become an actual threat.
Response from fans has been mixed
We heard you and can confirm that the Body Shield feature in Multiplayer will enable voice chat between the attacker and victim. Be nice… pic.twitter.com/KxyaDo7bAcAugust 28, 2024
Treyarch Studios’ tweet with “Be nice…” has been met with some disbelief by fans who already know full well how this feature is going to be used. Given the addition of Activision AI-assisted voice chat moderation, it’s likely going to get a lot of players in trouble. However, I can already anticipate some great memes and viral moments when the community gets their hands on this feature and a human shield buddy.
I’ve already come up with some ideas for what you can say to your new hostage:
- “Hows the wife? The kids doing well? Where did you Summer?”
- “That’s not a gun in my pocket.”
- “Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down.”
- “What scent is that? Dior Savauge?”
- “Any last words?”
- “Hey I just met you, and this is crazy. But here’s my number, so call me maybe?”
- “Curse you, Bayle! I hereby vow! You will rue this day!”
- “Bro I’m telling you, a Gemini cannot data a Scorpio bro, they’re incompatible when Venus aligns with Saturn bro, it emits a toxic aura bro.”
My point being here that this could be a really fun mechanic as long as the community behaves which… let’s face it is probably not going to happen. That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t add it though, as it will be great for those who really want to have fun with it. Let’s just hope those moderation tools do their job.
Preorders for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 are now available, offering a choice between the Standard, Cross-gen, or Vault editions. Xbox Game Pass subscribers will receive the Cross-gen edition on day one, with the option to upgrade to the Vault edition at a discounted price. Preordering the game unlocks the exclusive Woods operator bundle for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Call of Duty: Warzone, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (upon its release).
