Latest news with #Activision
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Business Standard
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Business Standard
Call of Duty Black Ops 6 and Warzone Season 5 to be released on August 7
American video game publisher Activision has announced the release of Season 5 for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Call of Duty: Warzone. It has also shared information on what gamers can expect from these updates. The update goes live on August 7 at 9:00 am PT (09:30 pm IST), bringing new multiplayer maps, modes, weapons, and zombie content to Black Ops 6, alongside gameplay changes and new features in Warzone. Here is what users can expect from the upcoming updates. Call of Duty Black Ops 6 Season 5 update: What to expect The update introduces four multiplayer maps, new and returning game modes, a Scorestreak weapon, and Ranked Play rewards. Key Highlights: Multiplayer maps: Runway, Exchange, and World Motor Dynasty (will launch as soon as update goes live), Jackpot – inspired by Black Ops 4's Casino (will arrive mid-season) Multiplayer modes: Aim High, Snipers Only, Cranked Moshpit, Cranked Demolition, Ransack, Blueprint Gunfight, Grief mode Zombies mode: A new mission called Reckoning takes players to Janus Towers, tying up the current zombie narrative arc. A new elite enemy is introduced–Uber Klaus. A new weapon known as the Gorgofex has been introduced. Scorestreak: Combat Bow returns as a low-cost Scorestreak, available at launch. Call of Duty Warzone Season 5: What to expect Season 5 in Warzone brings expanded Verdansk activity, new gameplay features, and limited-time events with tie-ins to Black Ops 6. Key Highlights: Map Update: Increased action around Verdansk Stadium, with a new central drop zone and updated POIs. New limited-time modes: Buy back your fallen squadmates and fight to the finish in Stadium Resurgence and claw your way up from the lowest-scoring squad to avoid being eliminated in Deadline. Season 5 Ranked Play: Keep winning in Battle Royale and Resurgence Ranked Play to claim new seasonal rewards. Call of Duty Season 5 is set to launch simultaneously across all supported platforms, including PlayStation, Xbox, and PC. While the update is free for all players, some cosmetic and BlackCell content will require purchases.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Microsoft Q4 2025 Earnings Preview: AI Keeps Cloud Growth Steady
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) reports fiscal fourth-quarter results after the close on July 30, 2025. Consensus targets call for EPS $3.38 and revenue $73.81 billion, up roughly 15% and 14% from last year's $2.95 and $64.73 billion. Shares closed $512.50 on Jul 28, 2025, and are about 20% higher year to date, just 1% below the intraday record $518.29 posted on Jul 25. Analysts expect Intelligent Cloud revenue of $29 billion, up about 3% YoY, and Productivity and Business Processes of $32.15 billion, up in the low teens. Investors will focus on three swing factors. First is Azure growth, with the Street looking for mid-30% constant-currency expansion. Even a one-point acceleration could lift cloud gross margin. Second is AI monetization. Management needs to give numbers on paid Copilot conversion and early traction for Copilot for Security to show the incremental revenue path. Updates on Activision integration synergies and the in-house Cobalt CPU roadmap could further shift sentiment. Lastly is capital spending. CFO Amy Hood signaled FY 2026 CapEx growth would moderate after the $80 billion FY 2025 build. Reaffirming that view, or shifting more GPU spend to operating leases, could ease FCF concerns. However, a lighter capex signal could spark a narrative that Microsoft is ceding ground to rivals willing to outspend on AI infrastructure. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Sign in to access your portfolio
Metro
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
80% of Call Of Duty players more excited for Battlefield 6 than Black Ops 7
An overwhelming majority of Call Of Duty players have voiced their enthusiasm for Battlefield 6 over Black Ops 7, but will it translate to actual success? Battlefield may have never matched the juggernaut sales of Activision's Call Of Duty, but there was a time when both games were seen as very close rivals. However, things have taken a sour turn for EA's shooter over the last decade or so, with 2021's Battlefield 2042, and its predecessor Battlefield 5, both failing to live up to sales expectations. Nevertheless, EA seems determined to make Battlefield 6 a success, with four studios – DICE, Motive, Criterion, and Ripple Effect – all working under the 'Battlefield Studios' umbrella to put the franchise back on the map. Whether the gamble of investing all those resources will pay off remains to be seen, but based on a poll, it seems EA has already won over hardcore Call Of Duty players, in part thanks to all the leaked videos. A poll conducted by prominent Call Of Duty fan account ModernWarzone asked its 922,000 followers whether they were more excited for Battlefield 6 or the next Call Of Duty title Black Ops 7, and the results were pretty surprising. After 31,417 votes, Battlefield 6 won the poll with 80.5% of the vote, leaving Black Ops 7 with only 19.5%. It's an overwhelming landslide, especially considering it's through a Call Of Duty fan account. Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. WOW – 80% of voters said that they were more excited for Battlefield 6 than Black Ops 7. 🤯That is a massive LANDSLIDE victory for BF6, especially considering the majority of my audience are COD fans or follow me for 20% are more exited for Size: 31,417 — ModernWarzone (@ModernWarzone) July 25, 2025 So why is Black Ops 7 failing to win over diehard Call Of Duty fans at the moment? For starters, we barely know anything about it (a full reveal is set for Gamescom in August), but considering it's the second Black Ops game in a row, there's a sense we already know exactly what to expect. 'It's essentially Black Ops 6, but with a new number,' one fan wrote. 'AKA same s*** different day.' There's a sense Battlefield 6 could tap into those looking for a purist approach to strategic warfare too, at a time when Call Of Duty is often unfavourably compared to Fortnite, for all its zany Seth Rogen skins and increasingly gross microtransactions. '[Battlefield 6] at least has the chance to be something new and fresh,' another X user added in response. It seems enthusiasm for Battlefield 6 goes beyond this poll too. According to a LinkedIn post from Alinea Analytics CEO Rickard Linder, Battlefield 6 racked up nearly 500,000 wishlists over the weekend on Steam, following the game's debut trailer. The trailer itself has hit over 7.6 million views and while it is much smaller than the 40 million views for the Black Ops 7 teaser, it's certainly a sizeable amount. More Trending The big question is whether, with this positive momentum, Battlefield 6 will be able to stick the landing. The last entry, Battlefield 2042, was lambasted by fans over its bugs and lack of modes at launch, from which it never recovered. If leaks are to be believed, Battlefield 6 is set to launch on October 10, ahead of Call Of Duty: Black Ops 7. The latter is rumoured to be launching in November, so EA's shooter may have a whole month to gain some early traction. Of course, it's very unlikely Battlefield 6 will come close to the sales of Call Of Duty: Black Ops 7 – the series has been consistently successful for way too long to be suddenly overtaken. But if Battlefield 6 can just be successful enough, the momentum may be on its side. Beyond the single-player and multiplayer, which is set to be showcased this week, Battlefield 6 is also rumoured to be getting a battle royale mode akin to Call Of Duty Warzone, which might be launching next year based on a new leak. Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. MORE: Tales Of The Shire: A The Lord Of The Rings Game review – Animal Crossing with hobbits MORE: Nintendo's next big Switch 2 game is just £50 right now – but only for today MORE: Wolfenstein 3 hopes reignited as live action TV show is announced
Los Angeles Times
5 days ago
- Los Angeles Times
‘Call of Duty' maker goes to war with ‘parasitic' cheat developers in L.A. federal court
Two summers ago, the Santa Monica-based company behind the popular video game 'Call of Duty' sent a letter to a 24-year-old man in Antioch, Tenn., who went by the online handle 'Lerggy.' Known in real life as Ryan Rothholz, court filings say, he is the creator of 'Lergware,' hacking software that enabled Call of Duty players to cheat by kicking opponents offline. A lawsuit filed in May against Rothholz and others allegedly involved in the hacking scheme is the latest salvo in years-long campaign by Activision-Blizzard and other companies to rid their games of cheating. The war is being waged in the Central District of California civil courts, but the defendants are scattered across the country and as far away as Australia. An immersive 'first-person shooter' game, Call of Duty takes players into simulated, realistic military combat. Gamers square off against one another — sometimes with real prize money at stake and large crowds of virtual spectators watching the virtual battles unfold on live streams. Activision warned Rothholz to cease and desist his alleged hacking activities in June 2023. According to a civil complaint filed by the company, he replied saying he wanted to 'maintain a cooperative spirit' and had already 'voluntarily deactivated all the software… as a gesture of goodwill.' But the company alleges Rothholz instead rebranded, changing his online name to 'Joker,' giving the source code of 'Lergware' to other developers and working on a new cheat. The lawsuit says he dubbed the next iteration 'GameHook,' adding additional features that allowed players to see enemies through walls and auto-aim at targets. The company claims he sold a 'master key' for $350 that facilitated cheating across a range of games. Activision claims the cheats harm the company's reputation and turn off legitimate gamers who play by the rules, ultimately causing lost revenue. The hacks 'are parasitic in nature,' the complaint said, alleging violations of the game's terms of service, copyright law and the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. The company declined to comment on the pending litigation. Rothholz did not respond to inquiries from The Times. David B. Hoppe, managing partner at Gamma Law, a San Francisco-based video game and digital media law firm, told The Times the lawsuit 'is the latest iteration in quite a significant increase in these cheat cases.' It also shows how skilled the hackers are at cracking the security measures that protect one of the world's best-selling video games, Hoppe added. ''Call of Duty' has to have CIA-level protection, you would assume, right?' he said. Activision and competitors behind similar competitive shooter games 'Valorant' and 'Fortnite' have been in a cybersecurity arms race to deter and catch cheaters for years. Call of Duty now comes with an anti-cheat system known as a 'kernel-level driver' — required software that grants surveillance access to the gamer's machine. 'Cheating software has become more sophisticated, allowing cheaters to circumvent traditional approaches to security,' Activision said on a Call of Duty website. The company said its solution 'allows for the monitoring of applications that may attempt to manipulate game code.' The company said in May that it had banned 228,000 suspicious accounts from Call of Duty's 'Black Ops 6' franchise, shut down five 'cheat makers,' and disrupted the operations of over 150 resellers who broker deals on the hacks by 'shutting them down or rendering their software ineffective.' But Activision's lawsuit against Rothholz also reveals the challenges of cracking down. Filed in L.A. because of the company's local headquarters, the company said in its complaint that 'hundreds, if not thousands' of people purchased Rothholz's software, which sold for as little as $50 for codes to a single game. He allegedly recruited partners to hawk the cheats on online marketplaces and through private Discord servers. Court filings identify one of the distributors as being located in Whyalla Stuart, Australia, a tiny town on the country's southern coast. Some of the defendants, the court filing said, were known online by aliases like 'Seemo,' 'CEO' and simply 'Aussie' for their partner down under. Rothholz, who does not have a listed attorney, submitted requests in June and earlier this month to dismiss the case or move it to the Southern District of New York, but both were denied due to filing errors. The competitive nature of its games are what keep people coming back, Activision said in its complaint. When cheaters damage the fairness of the game, it drives them away, meaning they don't stick around to make in-game purchases or re-up for the next installment in the franchise. Past lawsuits against other alleged cheat developers have resulted in massive payouts. In another Central District of California case last year, the court awarded more than $14 million in damages to Activision in a case that involved cheats for Call of Duty along with Counter-Strike, Titanfall and other first-person shooters. But it was unclear whether Activision would ever see a reward from the case — EngineOwning, the company it sued, is based in Germany and may not be beholden to U.S. courts. No attorneys showed up when the company asked for default judgment in the case, court records show. One case went to trial last year, with Bungie, developer of the game 'Destiny 2,' proving copyright infringement and winning $63,210 — the amount the defendant made in proceeds from selling unauthorized software. Still, high-profile gamers have insisted cheating remains rampant. Matthew 'Nadeshot' Haag, a popular content creator who founded the L.A.-based e-sports organization 100 Thieves, has criticized Activision for failing to address the problem. Haag — who has a YouTube audience of more than 3 million subscribers — said in a video in December that the newest entry to the series 'Call of Duty: Black Ops 6' was becoming unplayable. 'These last three weeks have been quite literally the most miserable gaming experience I've ever had,' he said. 'Every single lobby, somebody's cheating.'
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Business Standard
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Business Standard
Call of Duty Mobile Season 7 update rolls out on July 31: What to expect
American video game publisher Activision is set to roll out Call of Duty: Mobile's Season 7 update, titled Phantom Current, on July 31 at 5:30 am (IST). The new season introduces a limited-time RC-XD car racing mode in multiplayer, the franchise's first-ever implementation of the Gulag in battle royale, and a themed crossover with Girls' Frontline. Players can also expect a new LMG, scorestreak, and additional unlockables via the Battle Pass. Call of Duty Mobile Phantom Current: What's new Key additions in multiplayer and battle royale Season 7 debuts a new multiplayer mode called Mini Mayhem, where players race RC-XD vehicles across various maps. Races can include up to eight participants and feature respawn checkpoints in case of crashes or environmental hazards. Victories contribute to a leaderboard system and unlock custom vehicle skins. In the battle royale mode, the Gulag (in-game arena) arrives for the first time in Call of Duty: Mobile. Available only on the Isolated map, this limited-time event allows players a single 1v1 duel after their first elimination. A win results in redeployment; a loss relegates players to spectating, unless revived via dog tag buybacks at the Buy Station. Additional attempts require Gulag Tickets, which are also purchasable at the Buy Station. New weapon, scorestreak, and Wildcard The Phantom Current Battle Pass includes the new MG 82 light machine gun, which Activision said is noted for its fast fire rate and large magazine. Another addition is the Bomb Drone scorestreak, which enables remote attacks from above. A new MP Wildcard, Skill Overdrive, lets players equip an extra Operator Skill, though at a balancing cost. Free and premium Battle Pass content Free Battle Pass tiers will provide access to the MG 82, Bomb Drone, Vault Coins, and other cosmetic items. Premium tiers will offer themed Operator skins — including Farah (Stealth), Kreuger (Deep Six), Ethan (AQUA-44), and Stone (Painkiller) — along with weapon blueprints for the KN-44, QQ9, Peacekeeper MK2, XPR-50, and MG 82. Battle Pass subscribers under the Ground Forces plan will receive the Zane (Monsoon Season) skin, an SKS blueprint, and a backpack cosmetic, in addition to XP boosts and in-game discounts. Limited-time events and collaborations The update brings several in-game events: Challenge Pass: Completing missions earns tokens for exchanging summer-themed cosmetics like the Soap — Toxic Splash skin and Jet Skies camos. Secret Caches: A new progression system unlocks the RUS-79U — Mystical Lamp legendary weapon and other milestone rewards. Girls' Frontline crossover: The collaboration includes themed event tasks, free rewards, and a Lucky Draw featuring Scylla — ASM10 and the corresponding legendary weapon. Additional content is available via bundles and Strongboxes. Store draws and returning content A new Mythic Operator, Dark Shepherd — Phantom, is available through a limited-time Draw. The Draw also includes two Legendary weapons: AS-VAL — Shadow Marksman and a scythe melee weapon. Once acquired, Dark Shepherd can be further upgraded with kill effects, custom reticles, and visuals. Additional legendary draws include: Bloody Seas: Nyx skin and USS 9 — Spectral Seas Fathomless: Bathysphere Operator and JAK-12 — Briny Deep Broken Tides: Lustre Operator and Grau 5.56 — Immense Tides A limited-time Double CP event will also run throughout the season, offering bonus COD Points on purchases. Finally, two past Battle Passes — Zombies Are Back (Season 9, 2022) and Ultimate Frontier (Season 11, 2022) — are returning to the Vault.
