Anyone who has played Call of Duty in recent years probably has feelings about the riot shield. In Black Ops 6, however, the weapon is not returning–at least not at launch.
Activision recently published the list of Black Ops 6 weapons, attachments, and field upgrades that will be available at launch, and the controversial riot shield was nowhere to be seen. Barring some last-minute change, the riot shield will not be in play when Black Ops 6 launches, and players probably have strong feelings about that.
The riot shield can be particularly frustrating to run up against in matches due to its ability to deflect incoming fire, prompting enemies to have to change their strategy to take down the shield-users. Skilled players who successfully utilize the riot shield can sway the flow of any given match, especially so in certain modes like Hardpoint and Domination. Fans of the riot shield, meanwhile, say it brings a new level of strategy and meta-game to the mix.
In any event, some amongst the Call of Duty fanbase have called for its removal for years, but it remains to be seen why Activision isn’t including it in Black Ops 6. The developer did not provide any commentary around why the riot shield is being left out this time around.
It’s always possible that Black Ops 6 could bring the riot shield to the game through an update in the future, as numerous more weapons, attachments, and field upgrades are expected to come to the game over the course of its seasons.
Black Ops 6 will have a shield of sorts at launch, as the game allows players to use players as a “meat shield” similar to the long-running feature in the Gears of War games. If a player can successfully sneak up behind an enemy, they can choose to use them as a body shield for a period of time, or execute them immediately.
While Black Ops 6 is dropping the riot shield, it’s bringing back the Last Stand perk–sort of. It’s returning in the form of a field upgrade called Morphine Injector, and it’s likely to spark some debate of its own.
Black Ops 6 launches on October 25 for PlayStation, Xbox, and PC, and it will also be available through Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. For more, check out GameSpot’s breakdown of the game’s progression and prestige. You can also find out how long the campaign should be and if the game has multiple endings.