Black Ops 6 Will See The Return Of Dedicated Melee Weapons

The excitement building up for the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is palpable, and as we approach its release, we're getting more and more information about what the game has to offer. One aspect that many veteran fans of the franchise are extremely excited about is the return of dedicated melee weapons.

This change might sound minor on paper, but its implementation and utility in the game are nearly game-breaking. So, let's go over the details of the return of dedicated melee weapons in Black Ops 6 and how it might affect the game upon release.

Dedicated Melee Weapons Alongside Firearms Will Return In Black Ops 6

Looking back at the history of melee weapons in COD, including Black Ops, players could always carry an additional melee weapon in their loadout, and using them in combat would result in an instant kill. As the games developed, melee weapons were relegated to non-dedicated items, meaning players had to choose between a melee weapon or a second sidearm, but not both.

Excitingly, in the debut episode of the COD POD, Call of Duty’s official podcast, Associate Director of Design at Treyarch Matt Scronce confirmed that you’ll no longer have to make space in your load-outs to engage in close-quarters combat. He stated, "We just like the idea of not having to give up a Secondary to take a melee weapon, so every player will have access to a dedicated melee weapon.”

While the full extent of the new dedicated melee mechanic isn't known yet, more information will likely be announced as we approach the release. It's expected that melee weapons could appear as a third weapon that players can select for their loadout, alongside regular firearms. Additionally, players might be able to customize their melee weapons with cosmetics or trinkets, though only time will tell.

There will also likely be new exclusive melee weapons to unlock as the seasons roll out for Black Ops 6 Multiplayer. For example, the Mind’s Eye Combat Knife is included in the Black Ops 6 Vault Edition as a presumably exclusive unlock.

The big question is, how will the mechanics of the melee weapons work? In the original games, they were instant kills, which could become a game design nightmare. While the exact approach hasn't been revealed, Treyarch is aware of the potential issues. The Associate Director noted, "We’ve got some kind of unique approaches to tuning because we also don’t want everybody running around with melee weapons and being annoying little nuisances.”

While some questions remain, it's confirmed that Black Ops 6 will see the return of dedicated melee weapons upon release in August 2024. Needless to say, we're more than excited to jump into the action, combat knives in hand, swiping our way through enemy combatants.