Call of Duty

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 December 13 Update: Holiday Event (PS4), Patch (PC)

Keshav Bhat

Treyarch has released the latest Game Settings Update for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 on PS4 and Xbox One, and released a full patch update for PC players.

The newest game settings update brings a holiday theme event to Black Ops 4’s Blackout mode, Winter Calling event for Zombies, and the Winter Stream in Black Market for PlayStation 4 players.

PC players have also now gotten the newest patch update that went live on consoles earlier this week, and Treyarch has shared details on that update and why the update was behind consoles.

From Treyarch: 

Happy holidays from Treyarch! Today, we’ve kicked off our Holiday Event in Blackout, our Winter Event stream in the Black Market, and the new Winter Calling in Zombies first on PS4 – and to celebrate, we’re giving players on all platforms 2XP in MP and Zombies and 2X Merits in Blackout all weekend long starting tomorrow, Dec. 14 at 10AM PT!

We’re also happy to announce our newest limited-time mode in Blackout: Close Quarters Frenzy is coming to all platforms this weekend, Dec. 14-17 10AM PT! Fight to outlast a faster Collapse using close-quarters weapons – shotguns, SMGs, pistols, and melee are your only means of survival. Good luck out there.

We’ve also launched our PC 1.09 update today, with full patch notes below including new PC-specific Blackout adjustments. A quick note on PC release schedules:

  • Because we’ve made PC a priority this year with a dedicated studio team and more support for PC-exclusive options and features than ever before, we’re committed to taking the time to make sure each update is thoroughly tuned and tested before we release each update on PC. This will typically require a later release time for PC compared to its console counterparts, and we’ll always target a release window of within 24 hours of a console patch.
  • In the case of bigger title updates, such as this week’s massive 1.09 update (as opposed to smaller game settings changes), it can take longer than 24 hours to thoroughly test and approve new PC content, especially when there are additional PC-exclusive changes included. Even one change specific to the PC version can introduce new bugs that often prove tricky to nail down and squash. This was the case in 1.09, and the driving factor behind this update going live on a Thursday.
  • We hope this look behind the curtain provides more insight into the release process behind PC updates and (just some of) the reasons why updates will rarely release across  platforms at the exact same time. Thanks for your patience, PC players – 2019 is looking to be a stellar year for Black Ops 4 on PC.

Finally, we’re aware of an in-game issue with some previously-acquired Warpaints not displaying in the Personalization menu, and are actively working on a fix for an upcoming update. Hang tight!

TODAYS UPDATE: 

SUMMARY
  • Blackout Holiday Event: Snowballs, festive lighting/decorations, and holiday-themed Supply Stashes (PS4)
  • Winter Event Stream in Black Market for MP and Blackout (PS4)
  • Winter Calling in Zombies (PS4)
  • PC 1.09 title update
  • Zombies stability/exploit fixes for Dead of the Night
  • MP stability improvements for Zero’s Ice Pick
  • Fixed stuck flare issue in Blackout
PS4

We’ve made the following updates today on PS4:

General

  • Event
    • Limited-time Winter Event stream now live in the Black Market with new items to unlock for use in Multiplayer and Blackout.

Blackout

  • Event
    • Holiday Event now live in Blackout, first on PS4.
    • Added Snowballs, holiday lighting & decorations, and holiday-themed Supply Stashes.
  • Character Missions
    • Addressed an issue with the Character Mission for the IX version of Shaw that prevented one of the mission requirements from registering.

Zombies

  • Event
    • Limited-time Winter Calling event stream now live with new items to unlock in the Zombies Barracks.
  • Dead of the Night
    • Stability
      • Fixed some crashes that could occur during the Pack-a-Punch Quest.
    • Miscellaneous
      • Closed an exploit where players could reach a safe area in the East Stairway.
      • Closed an exploit where players could reach a safe area in the Forest.
      • Close some exploits where players could get into safe areas using Nowhere But There.

Multiplayer

  • Stability
    • Fixed multiple crashes that could occur related to Zero’s Ice Pick.
  • Gameplay
    • Addressed an issue where targeting reticles would still be visible when controlling a Mantis that had been hit by an EMP Disruptor.
    • Addressed an issue where controlling a Mantis that was hit with an EMP Disruptor, exiting the Mantis, then re-entering the Mantis could cause it to lose functionality.
ALL PLATFORMS

Multiplayer

  • Challenges
    • Added a scrollbar and numbers to the Dark Ops Challenges screen to point out additional challenges off-screen.
    • Fixed a missing image for the Handling Master Challenge in the After Action Report.
  • Miscellaneous
    • Addressed an issue that prevented some Reactive Camos from progressing if attachments were equipped.

Blackout

  • Armor
    • Repairs done on Armor will no longer disappear if that Armor had been previously worn by another player, then dropped after being repaired.
  • Stability
    • Fixed a potential crash that could occur while downed.
  • Miscellaneous
    • Addressed an issue that would cause a red flare and smoke to stay on players after they landed.
  • General
    • Personalization
    • Some previously-acquired Warpaints now properly display in the updated Character Customization menus (remaining Warpaints to come in an upcoming fix).
  • Paintshop
    • Addressed an issue that would cause UI Errors to appear when scrolling to Melee weapons in Paintshop.
PC ONLY:

In additions to the changes in the “All Platforms” section above, we’ve made the following updates in the 1.09 PC title update:

Multiplayer

  • Featured Playlists
    • Mercenary Capture Moshpit added as Featured Playlist.
      • Game Modes: Domination, Control, Hardpoint
    • Mercenary Deathmatch Moshpit added to Featured.
      • Game Modes: Team Deathmatch, Kill Confirmed.
      • 6v6, no parties allowed.
    • Deathmatch Moshpit added to Featured.
      • Game Modes: Team Deathmatch, Kill Confirmed.
    • Hardcore Free-For-All added to Featured.
    • Domination added to Featured.
  • Weapons
    • Melee
      • Increased melee detection range for melee weapons, including the Bayonet and Stiletto Knife Operator Mods.
    • Titan
      • Reduced ADS flinch mitigation (also applies in Blackout and Zombies).
  • Specialists
    • Prophet
      • Reduced Tempest ammo count from 14 to 10.
      • Tempest now requires more accuracy to hit its target.
    • Firebreak
      • Purifier now more reliably connects with enemies.
    • Seraph
      • Increased Annihilator earn rate.
  • Gameplay
    • EKIA credit can now carry over after respawning when a player damages an enemy and dies before their teammate finishes that enemy off.
    • EKIA credit will now clear after 5 seconds from last damage dealt.
  • Custom Games
    • Added Nuketown to the Custom Games map list.
    • Added Gun Game to the Custom Games mode list.
    • Added Safeguard to the Custom Games mode list.
    • Addressed an issue in Search & Destroy Custom Games with higher round limits ending after the 4th round.
  • Scorestreaks
    • RC-XD
      • Addressed an issue that prevented activating a second RC-XD after one was already used.
    • Drone Squadron
      • Start-of-round restriction timer is now applied to the Drone Squadron.
    • Gunship
      • Resolved an issue where some Gunship shots could impact the Gunship aircraft.
  • Challenges
    • Not Outgunned
      • Not Outgunned Challenge now properly tracks progress in Heist and Control.
    • Ninja
      • Ninja Challenge now properly tracks progress in Heist.
    • Surf’s Up
      • Surf’s Up Challenge now properly tracks progress in Domination around contested points.
    • Threat Neutralized
      • Threat Neutralized Challenge now properly tracks Lightning Strike kills in Domination.
      • Threat Neutralized Challenge now properly tracks progress in Control.
  • Weapon Camos
    • Modified requirements for Diamond and Dark Matter active visual stages to transition every 5 kills (not only kills without dying) and not reset on death.
    • Modified Killathon Reactive Camo to activate visual stages every 5 kills (not only kills without dying) and not reset on death.
  • Stability – Fixed crashes that could occur:
    • When launching Custom Games with Custom Classes or Specialist Draft disabled.
    • When a player disconnected while escorting the Robot in Safeguard.
    • When attempting to attribute score to players that disconnected.
    • When a disconnected enemy caused damage to a player’s equipment in certain circumstances.
    • When the player’s Attack Helicopter was destroyed.
    • When attempting to destroy a vehicle when out of bounds.
  • Miscellaneous
    • Addressed an issue where players with Diamond Camo equipped could face a different direction in third person.
    • Addressed an issue where attempting to fire an empty weapon could leave the shot count at 1, preventing the use of the Mesh Mine.
    • Addressed an issue where the NVIR Optic could cause the Engineer Perk to malfunction if the player switched between classes.
    • Secondary weapons now show in the Specialist Draft if no primary weapon is equipped.

Blackout

  • Audio
    • Occlusion
      • Reduced situations that could make footsteps nearly inaudible.
      • Specific materials and buildings should now affect sound more realistically.
      • Terrain should now properly affect sounds.
      • Garage doors now affect properly when opening and closing them.
    • Distances
      • Rebalanced the distances at which players can hear first hear someone approaching.
      • Unified distances related to certain movement types – for example, sliding should now be heard about the same distance as other player movement sounds.
    • Gameplay Modifiers
      • Adjusted Awareness and Dead Silence Perks accordingly to reflect new distance settings for footstep audio.
    • Directionality
      • Lowered reverb on third-person footsteps, which helps with the player’s understanding of the overall location those footsteps are coming from. This is especially true when wearing headphones/playing in stereo and not in 5.1.
    • First and Third Person
      • Further lowered the first-person footstep volume that players hear themselves make.
      • Further lowered volume of teammates’ footsteps.
      • Decreased first-person weapon audio slightly to balance with third-person weapons heard by others.
      • Jumping into water no longer sounds louder than it should.
    • Environment
      • Lowered volume on the main ambient audio track (the overall sound made by the environment that players always hear), allowing subtler gameplay cues to be more audible more often, including footsteps.
      • Reduced volume and distance that garage doors can be heard from.
      • Modified volume and distances that opening Stashes can be heard from.
  • Armor
    • Armor Plates
      • Added Armor Plates to repair damaged Armor, which are applied from your Inventory.
      • It takes approximately two seconds to use an Armor Plate to repair a segment of damaged Armor.
      • One Armor Plate will repair a single Armor pip, regardless of Armor level.
      • PC players can assign the Armor Repair action in the Game Mode Specific section. New players or those who choose to reset keybinds will have Repair Armor bound to Q.
      • Armor Plates are located in enemy Death Stashes after destroying the Armor of an opponent, in Equipment Stashes, and more rarely, on the ground as a lootable item.
    • Durability
      • Armor durability has been increased, allowing Armor to last longer through an engagement.
      • Armor durability indicators have been updated to display individual pips of Armor.
    • Damage Mitigation
      • The percentage of damage that Armor mitigates has not been changed. As we monitor how these changes to Armor affect gameplay in Blackout, we will continue to evaluate damage mitigation values.
  • Map Changes
    • Overall
      • Added seasonal changes to foliage and softer winter lighting across the entire map.
    • Hydro Dam
      • Added elevators to allow players to get up and down in alternative ways.
      • Provided additional cover on the rooftops of both major buildings.
      • Opened additional rooms between the generator buildings.
    • Factory
      • Opened previously sealed buildings to offer additional looting opportunities.
      • Added new pipes to allow players to navigate between structures in alternative ways.
      • Some previously closed train cars are now accessible.
      • Several new containers are now accessible.
    • Nuketown Island
      • Opened up some previously closed garages throughout Nuketown Island.
    • Map Boundaries
      • Expanded and improved upon boundaries on all sides of the map to be more consistent with the physical indicator of those boundaries seen inside the map, including the fence along the northern boundary of the map, power lines along the eastern side of the map, and pipeline along the southern border of the map.
      • The mini-map now reflects the location of these boundaries.
  • Weapon Balance
    • SDM
      • Reduced damage.
      • Increased ADS time in and out.
      • Increased recoil.
    • Spitfire
      • Reduced damage.
      • Increased recoil.
  • Gameplay
    • Addressed an issue where the weapon scope would shake on Very High Anti-Aliasing.
  • General
    • Smoke Trails
      • Added Smoke Trails to wingsuits during initial infiltration to give players a better sense of how many people are dropping near their location.
    • Zombies in Blackout
      • Zombies will now have a chance to drop ammo when killed.

Zombies

  • Features
    • Daily Callings
      • Daily Callings added to the Barracks in Zombies.
      • Players can complete new Daily Callings challenges for bonus Zombies XP and Nebulium Plasma each day.
    • Black Ops Authenticity Stamp
      • Black Ops Authenticity Stamp feature added to the After Action Report after each match.
      • Players can enter their unique 4-word code generated in the After Action Report at http://callofduty.com/boas to share their accomplishments with the world.
    • Daily Tier Skip
      • Added Daily Tier Skip credit for completing 15 rounds in a game of Classic Zombies each day.
  • Stability
    • High Rounds
      • Fixes for multiple memory leaks and other issues that could lead to crashes at high rounds in all maps.
    • General – Fixed crashes that could occur:
      • During respawn after the Join The Party Elixir or Charm of Impatience Talisman was used.
      • When every player disconnected before the match started.
      • When the player disconnected while certain audio played.
      • When sharing a Mystery Box weapon.
      • In rare cases when using the Scepter of Ra.
      • In rare cases when enemies transformed into Catalysts or Blightfathers.
      • In rare cases when taking damage to Armor.
      • In rare cases when a player disconnected after using a trap.
    • Voyage of Despair – Fixed crashes that could occur:
      • During steps 4 or 7 of the Main Quest.
      • When the player disconnected while using the Kraken.
      • When shocking a zombie with Kill-O-Watt while it was transforming into a Catalyst.
      • When a player disconnected while reviving another player.
      • In rare cases when using the Sentry or Ragnarok DG-5.
    • IX – Fixed crashes that could occur:
      • In rare cases while Perk statues randomly cycled.
      • In rare cases while using the Hammer of Valhalla.
      • In rare cases during special rounds in IX.
      • In rare cases when using Serpent’s Kiss on large group of Zombies.
    • Blood of the Dead – Fixed crashes that could occur:
      • When killing the Warden during the Michigan Avenue ghost escort due to a memory leak that could occur.
      • In certain cases during step 3 of Main Quest.
      • In rare cases when throwing the Hell’s Retriever at the bird during step 2 of the Main Quest.
      • In rare cases when using the Acid Trap in the Cafeteria.
      • In rare cases during the prison breakout step in the Main Quest.
      • In rare sound-related cases tied to the Spectral Shield.
      • In Theater Mode while spectating Richtofen when initiating the Magmagat quest.
    • Classified – Fixed crashes that could occur:
      • When entering codes during the Classified Wonder Weapon quest.
      • In rare cases when using teleporters.
  • Achievements
    • Prestigious Award
      • Now properly tracks progress for attaining max level or Prestige with 25 different weapons in Zombies.

General

  • Character Customization
    • Warpaints can now be equipped with outfits across different Themes on the same Specialist without having to own a corresponding outfit.
    • Character Personalization menu updated to separate Outfits from Warpaints, with larger display of items.
  • Weapon Camos
    • Camos (Multiplayer & Zombies) and Reactive Camos (Multiplayer) obtained through the Black Market can now be equipped in the Weapon Personalization menu via the Black Market tab.
  • Weapon Reticles
    • Reticles obtained through the Black Market can now be equipped in the Reticle Personalization menu via the Black Market tab.
  • Options (Global)
    • Added gamepad ADS Sensitivity Options for both high zoom optics and regular weapons.
  • Specialist HQ
    • Improved stability with Ajax’s Combat Training mission.

SOURCE: Reddit

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