Call of Duty: Black Ops II is a 2012 first-person shooter game created by Treyarch and published by Activision. It was released for Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 on November 13, 2012, and for the Wii U on November 18 in North America and November 30 in PAL regions. Black Ops II is the ninth game in the Call of Duty series, a sequel to the 2010 game Call of Duty: Black Ops, and the first Call of Duty game for the Wii U. A related game for the PlayStation Vita, Call of Duty: Black Ops: Declassified, was made by nStigate Games and released on November 13.

In the 1980s, players control Alex Mason and Frank Woods, with Mason being a main character from Black Ops. In 2025, players control David, Mason’s son (codenamed "Section"). Both time periods involve characters chasing Raul Menendez, a Nicaraguan arms dealer and later terrorist who kidnapped David in the 1980s and caused a Second Cold War in 2025. The game’s story has non-linear gameplay and multiple endings. Locations in the game include Angola, Myanmar, Afghanistan, Nicaragua, Pakistan, the Cayman Islands, Panama, Yemen, the United States, and Haiti.

Development of the game started shortly after Black Ops was released. Activision promised the follow-up would bring "meaningful innovation" to the series. Black Ops II is the first game in the series to include futuristic warfare technology and branching storylines based on player choices. It also allows players to choose weapons before starting story missions and offers a 3D display option. The game was officially announced on May 1, 2012, after leaked information appeared earlier that year.

Black Ops II received mostly positive reviews from critics, who praised its gameplay variety, story, multiplayer, Zombies mode, and villain. However, some critics criticized the Strike Force missions. Retrospective reviews later called it one of the best games in the series. The game was a commercial success, earning over $500 million in its first 24 hours. It remained the largest entertainment launch until Grand Theft Auto V was released in 2013. By November 2013, the game had sold over 24 million copies, making it one of the series’ top-selling titles.

Later games in the series continued or expanded the story: Call of Duty: Black Ops III (2015) is a direct sequel; Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (2020) takes place between Black Ops and Black Ops II; Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (2024) is set after Black Ops II’s flashback missions; and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 (2025) is set after the events of Black Ops II.

Gameplay

Black Ops II is the first Call of Duty game to include different story paths. The choices you make during a mission can change how the story ends. These special missions, called "Strike Force missions," appear during the 2025 storyline and include "permadeath," meaning if you die in a mission, you cannot restart it unless you begin a new campaign. Success or failure in these missions can affect the larger story. Choosing one mission means you cannot play the others unless you start over.

During Strike Force missions, players can control different military tools, such as drones, fighter planes, and robots. If a player dies in a Strike Force mission, the game records the loss, and you cannot reload a previous save. Choices made in these missions may change the plans of the story's main villain, Raul Menendez. By the end of the game, your choices might change the outcome of the new Cold War.

In the main story missions, players sometimes have choices that affect how the game plays and how the story unfolds. Black Ops II is also the first game in the series to let players customize their equipment before starting a mission, giving them more options for how to approach challenges.

A major change in multiplayer mode is the introduction of "Pick 10," a system that lets players choose 10 different items for their character, such as weapons, abilities, and grenades. Players can adjust how many slots are used for weapons, abilities, or other items.

Killstreaks from earlier games are now called "Scorestreaks." These are earned by collecting points instead of kills, which helps players focus on completing objectives that also earn points.

Unlike previous games, weapons in Black Ops II have a progression system that unlocks new weapon attachments. After reaching the highest level for a weapon, players can "prestige" it, resetting their progress. In return, they can add custom symbols and emblems to their weapons.

Black Ops II is the first Call of Duty game to include a competitive mode called "League Play." This mode matches players with similar skill levels and follows the rules used in Major League Gaming.

Treyarch confirmed that the Zombies mode would return in Black Ops II with new game modes. This is the third Call of Duty game to include Zombies, following Call of Duty: World at War and Call of Duty: Black Ops. It is the first to offer game modes other than the traditional "Survival" mode. Zombies mode now uses the same engine as multiplayer, allowing for more community features. A new 8-player co-op mode called "Grief" is also included, where two teams of four players compete to survive. Unlike earlier games, which only supported 4-player online co-op, "Grief" allows more players to join. Each Zombies map includes "Easter eggs," which are side quests that help advance the story. A new mode called "Turned" is also added, featuring downloadable content maps where one player tries to survive while three other players try to turn them into a zombie.

Synopsis

In July 1986, Alex Mason, a retired CIA agent, lives a quiet life in Alaska with his son, David. One day, his former handler, Jason Hudson, arrives with a mission: Mason’s friend and fellow operative, Frank Woods, disappeared in Angola while investigating an arms smuggling operation. Mason and Hudson help Jonas Savimbi’s UNITA rebels fight against the MPLA. They rescue Woods from a barge on the Cubango River and meet Nicaraguan arms dealer Raul Menendez. After a battle, the trio is saved by Savimbi, and Menendez is found to be the one who captured Woods. In September 1986, the CIA approves an attack on Menendez, who is now profiting from the Soviet–Afghan War. The group travels to Afghanistan, meets Chinese intelligence agent Tian Zhao, and joins the Afghan mujahideen in fighting the Soviets. After capturing Colonel Lev Kravchenko, Menendez’s partner, Mason’s past trauma returns. If Mason resists during Kravchenko’s questioning, Kravchenko reveals Menendez has spies in the CIA before Woods kills him. Despite this, the mujahideen betray the Americans and Zhao, leaving them to die in the desert until two travelers save them. Mason sees one of the travelers as Viktor Reznov in a vision.

Menendez’s hatred of America began after his sister, Josefina, was disfigured in a fire linked to an American businessman’s insurance fraud. In 1972, an earthquake left Menendez’s family poor, so he and his father started selling drugs. The CIA killed Menendez’s father. After Afghanistan, Mason, Woods, Hudson, and Panamanian forces led by Manuel Noriega raid Menendez’s compound in Nicaragua. Woods, seeking revenge, tries to kill Menendez despite orders to take him alive. However, Woods accidentally kills Josefina, and Menendez is believed to have died; he conspires with Noriega to fake his death. In December 1989, during the American invasion of Panama, Mason and Woods capture Noriega for a prisoner swap, but Woods is tricked into shooting Mason. Menendez reveals himself, shoots Woods in the knees, and kidnaps David to force Hudson into luring Mason and Woods into a trap. Menendez kills Hudson and promises to finish his revenge against Woods. Later, a disabled Woods raises David in Mason’s place, hiding the truth about his father’s death.

In 2014, Menendez starts a movement called Cordis Die. In 2018, the group launches a cyberattack that disrupts Chinese stock markets, starting a new Cold War between NATO and the Chinese-led Strategic Defense Coalition led by Zhao. By 2025, Cordis Die has about two billion followers. David, now a DEVGRU Lieutenant Commander named Section, leads JSOC and his team, including Mike Harper and Javier Salazar, to stop Menendez. Section and Harper visit "The Vault," a CIA retirement home where an elderly Woods lives. Woods tells them Menendez recently gave him a heart-shaped pendant belonging to Josefina. After raiding a Cordis Die compound in Myanmar, Section’s team learns Menendez plans a second cyberattack using "celerium," a rare element that could create a powerful computer virus. Spying on Menendez in Lahore, they find he is targeting a hacker named Chloe Lynch. The team infiltrates Colossus, a floating city in the Cayman Islands, to rescue Lynch and kill Menendez’s lieutenant, DeFalco. Troubled by memories of Panama, Section visits Woods again and learns the truth about his father’s death. On June 19, JSOC captures Menendez in Socotra, Yemen, with help from CIA agent Farid. Menendez is taken aboard the USS Barack Obama, commanded by Admiral Tommy Briggs. During interrogation, Menendez escapes with help from Salazar, a spy in JSOC. Menendez uploads his celerium virus, hijacking American drones and sending them toward American and Chinese cities. Section responds to an attack on Los Angeles during the G20, where he helps the U.S. President escape with Secret Service agent Eric Samuels. Menendez is tracked to Haiti, where Section leads JSOC to raid the Cordis Die facility. Section stops Menendez as he tries to flee, deciding whether to execute him or take him back.

The ending depends on Menendez, Chloe Lynch, and Alex Mason, as well as whether the Strike Force missions were completed.

• If Section executes Menendez, a video is uploaded to YouTube where Menendez orders Cordis Die to revolt. This causes global chaos, including the burning of the White House, and sets up events for Black Ops 7 and Black Ops III.
• If Section reapprehends Menendez and Lynch survives, she stops Menendez’s attack. He remains in prison while Lynch is interviewed on Jimmy Kimmel Live, where she mocks him.
• If Section reapprehends Menendez and Lynch is killed or not rescued, Menendez’s attack succeeds. He escapes prison, kills Woods with the pendant, and lights himself on fire at Josefina’s grave.
• If all Strike Force missions are completed and Zhao is killed, the U.S. and China form an alliance, ending the Second Cold War. This is also part of Black Ops III.

If Mason survives being shot by Woods, he reunites with Woods and Section at the Vault in 2025. If he dies, Section retires after visiting his father’s grave. This ending is part of Black Ops 6.

A non-canon post-credits scene shows Woods and Menendez performing the Avenged Sevenfold song "Carry On" with the band at a concert.

Development

On November 8, 2011, Bobby Kotick, the CEO of Activision Blizzard, said that a new Call of Duty game was being made for a 2012 release and would be the next game in the series. Activision officially announced the game during its fourth-quarter earnings call on February 9, 2012, and said the game would include important new features for the series. Oliver North, a person involved in the Iran–Contra affair, worked as a consultant for the 1980s part of the game and helped promote it. Peter W. Singer, a writer and defense expert, was a consultant for the 2025 part of the game.

When making Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Treyarch changed some gameplay rules for online multiplayer that are important to the Call of Duty series. These changes include adding "multi-team" games, which let matches have three or more teams instead of the usual two teams. The "Create-A-Class" system was also updated, letting players choose weapons, attachments, camouflage, and perks (special bonuses that change how the game works) for multiplayer matches. The "Kill Streak" feature, which gave players rewards for killing enemies, was changed to "Score Streaks."

Now, players still get in-game rewards, but these are earned by doing specific actions, such as killing enemies or capturing territory, instead of just killing enemies. The "wager matches" feature from Call of Duty: Black Ops was also removed. These changes were made to focus more on objective-based gameplay, to reward teamwork, and to make the game easier for new players.

The game supports 3D visuals if players use an HDMI cable with a 3D TV. Before starting multiplayer, players can adjust the 3D settings in the "options" menu.

The game's soundtrack was created by Jack Wall, with the main theme composed by Trent Reznor, the lead singer of Nine Inch Nails and a film score composer. The soundtrack was included in the Hardened Edition, Care Package, and sold on iTunes and Amazon. It also includes two extra songs by Brian Tuey and a piece by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart called "Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K550 (Allegro Molto)." A version of the song "Try It Out" by Skrillex and Alvin Risk is used in the game but is not on the soundtrack album. After finishing the campaign and the end credits, Woods and Menendez perform a concert with the heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold on their song "Carry On," with Woods on drums and Menendez on rhythm guitar. The band chose Woods as the drummer because their original drummer, The Rev, died in 2009. The band's song "Shepherd of Fire" is used in the Zombie map "Origins." Other artists who contributed include Sean Murray, Jimmy Hinson, Sergio Jimenez Lacima, Kamar de los Reyes, Azam Ali, and Rudy Cardenas. A collection of Black Ops II songs is included in Black Ops Cold War's season two battle pass.

Release

In February 2012, a product page for Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 appeared on Amazon France. It was quickly removed. Activision had not shared any details about the game yet. However, Gameblog said that Activision asked them to remove their original report. When Gameblog refused, Activision reportedly stopped providing them with advertising support, game reviews, and invitations to future events. Activision denied these claims. Around the same time, a computer game artist named Hugo Beyer listed "Black Ops 2" as his current project on LinkedIn. He later removed his LinkedIn page. Beyer works for Nerve Software, a company based in Dallas that has helped with previous Activision games, including Black Ops in 2010. In January 2012, Activision registered a trademark for "Black Ops 2." In March 2012, the French retail chain Fnac listed the game with a predicted release date of November.

On April 9, 2012, an image of the Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 logo and a date of April 28, 2012, appeared on the official Call of Duty website. The image was later removed. On April 18, 2012, Kotaku received an image from a retail source showing a teaser poster with clues pointing to Black Ops and a date of May 2. On April 27, 2012, an image of two Target pre-order cards sent by an IGN reader confirmed the game's title and release date of November 13, 2012.

On April 23, 2012, Activision redesigned its website to announce the game would be revealed on May 1, 2012, during the NBA playoffs on TNT. The website’s art matched the earlier leaked image. Parts of the site went live before the announcement, revealing the game’s title, release date for PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360, and the "21st Century Cold War" setting. Activision mentioned the game might later be available for Nintendo consoles but had no official plans at the time. As promised, a YouTube trailer was released, showing the game’s futuristic setting, characters from previous games, and the story.

After the game was revealed, preorder sales reached record levels, three times higher than for the first Black Ops. Critics noted the trailer’s similarities to Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. On July 19, 2012, a second trailer was released by Treyarch, offering more details about the story. The writer David S. Goyer described the storyline as "better than a Hollywood movie."

Square Enix released the game in Japan on November 22, 2012, as a version with subtitles. A voice-dubbed version was released separately on December 20, 2012. The translated script was criticized for errors. The Japanese version of the Wii U port only included the dubbed version because the console was not available in Japan at that time.

To promote the game’s DLC packs, Activision released live-action shorts starring Peter Stormare as The Replacer, an undercover agent who takes over clients’ daily tasks while they play. Stormare appeared in scenarios like pretending to be a pregnant woman’s husband, working in an office, and dealing with a talkative grandmother.

For the second DLC, "Uprising," comedian J.B. Smoove joined Stormare. The two had an unpredictable relationship. Stormare often guided Smoove during his tasks, such as helping him defend a client while pretending to be a lawyer.

Treyarch released the Black Ops II Season Pass with the game. On December 12, 2012, Xbox 360 Season Pass holders received access to the Nuketown Zombies map. PC and PlayStation 3 holders received it later due to technical issues. The map was later sold separately for PC on April 13, 2013.

The first major DLC pack, "Revolution," was announced on January 8, 2013, and released on January 29 for Xbox 360 and February 28 for PC and PS3. It included four multiplayer maps, two Zombies modes, and a new weapon. The Zombies mode "Turned" takes place in the Diner segment of the "TranZit" map and allows up to four players to fight zombies. The "Die Rise" map is a large Zombies survival map set in two skyscrapers in Shanghai.

Personalization pack microtransactions were released on March 12, 2013, for Xbox 360 and April 12 for PC and PS3. These allowed players to make small changes, like adding country flags to kill notifications, new weapon skins, and extra Create-a-Class slots.

The second major DLC, "Uprising," was released on April 16, 2013, for Xbox 360 and May 16 for PC and PS3. It included the Zombies map "Mob of the Dead" and new multiplayer maps "Magma," "Vertigo," "Encore," and a remake of the fan-favorite map "Firing Range" called "Studio."

The third major DLC, "Vengeance," was released on July 2, 2013, for Xbox 360 and August 1 for PC and PS3. It included the Zombies map "Buried" and new multiplayer maps "Cove," "Detour," "Rush," and a remake of the map "Summit" from Black Ops called "Uplink."

The fourth and final major DLC, "Apocalypse," was released on August 27, 2013, for Xbox 360 and September 26 for PC and PS3. It included the Zombies map "Origins," which brought back old characters like Takeo, Nikolai, Richtofen, and Dempsey, and new multiplayer maps "Pod," "Frost," and remakes of "Courtyard" and "Stadium" from earlier games.

On August 7, 2014, Activision released "Nuketown 2025" for the Wii U version. None of the DLC packs released for Xbox 360, PS3, or PC were available for the Wii U.

Reception

Call of Duty: Black Ops II received "generally positive" reviews for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii U versions, but "mixed or average" reviews for the PC version, according to Metacritic. IGN editor Anthony Gallegos said the game is a good example of how to improve a yearly series. He praised the game for having an interesting story and creating a villain that made him think about his own actions during the story. Gallegos criticized the artificial intelligence of allies in Strike Force mode and the ending of the campaign, which he found disappointing even though he knew the ending was influenced by his choices.

Marty Sliva of 1UP gave the game a B+ and praised the freedom of choice in game modes and the variety of gameplay. He said, "I was surprised by the risks Treyarch took to create a unique and creative experience. Not all of them worked, but knowing the team was willing to take chances helped keep the series from becoming boring."

Dan Ryckert of Game Informer also criticized the artificial intelligence in Strike Force mode and was not impressed by the "Pick Ten" system in multiplayer modes. He said the system was "interesting, but ultimately less exciting" than systems used in earlier Call of Duty games. Like Gallegos, Ryckert praised the story and structure of the single-player campaign, calling the changes overdue and noting that the branching storylines made him talk to others about their experiences in ways he had not done before with the series.

Steven O'Donnell and Stephanie Bendixsen of the Australian video game show Good Game gave the game an 8.5 out of 10. They praised the multiplayer and zombies modes but criticized the campaign's confusing story and Strike Force missions. They were especially critical of the opening battle where the player shoots fleeing Angolan soldiers, calling it added for shock value.

Frederick Charles Fripp of IT News Africa gave the game a final score of 9.2/10 and wrote that "BO2 is a fast-paced shooter that keeps gamers excited. It has everything a player wants: good graphics, a strong story, easy controls, and great acting."

At the 16th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated Black Ops II for outstanding achievement in "Connectivity," "Online Gameplay," and "Visual Engineering."

Activision reported that Black Ops II made over $500 million in its first 24 hours, making it the biggest entertainment launch until Grand Theft Auto V surpassed it in 2013. It is the fourth year in a row that the Call of Duty series broke the same record. In 2011, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 made $400 million in one day; in 2010, Call of Duty: Black Ops made $360 million on day one; and in 2009, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 made $310 million. By November 24, 2012, it had sold more than 7.5 million copies in the United States.

Black Ops II earned $1 billion in its first 15 days, beating Modern Warfare 3's record of $1 billion in 16 days. On November 5, 2013, IGN confirmed the game sold 24.2 million copies, making it the third best-selling game in the series, behind 2010's Black Ops and 2011's Modern Warfare 3.

In July 2014, Manuel Noriega sued Activision for lost profits from the use of his likeness in the game. He also claimed his inclusion helped increase sales of Black Ops II. Noriega appears in the game's Cold War sections and helps the main antagonist. The lawsuit asked for compensation for lost profits and damages for his portrayal as a "kidnapper, murderer, and enemy of the state." A Los Angeles court dismissed the lawsuit, ruling that Noriega's inclusion was protected under free speech laws.

Activision was also sued in a French court by family members of Jonas Savimbi, who said his portrayal in the game was inaccurate. They claimed he was shown as a "barbarian" and wanted 1 million euros for damages. The French court dismissed the case in 2016. Savimbi appears early in the game, leading UNITA rebels during a fictional battle called Operation Alpha Centauri.

Legacy

Retrospective reviews rank Call of Duty: Black Ops II as one of the best games in the series. Some consider it a "standout" title, the best Call of Duty game ever, and Treyarch's finest work in the series. The campaign received praise for its futuristic setting, variety of missions, and multiple endings. IGN's staff named Raul Menendez as one of the series' best villains. Chris Freiberg of Den of Geek highlighted the campaign for its freedom to explore, replayability, and the ability to customize equipment. He also noted that player choices directly influence the story.

The game's multiplayer mode is often called "iconic." It introduced the "pick 10" system for creating custom classes, which gave players more freedom and customization options. It also added "scorestreaks" (replacing "killstreaks"), a feature that remained in later games. The maps were praised as some of the best in the series, and the addition of ranked play allowed for competitive gameplay styles not seen in earlier games. Dan Wenerowicz of Complex described the multiplayer mode as "the best balance of competitive play" in the series.

Reviewers also praised the Zombies mode, especially the map "Mob of the Dead." Cade Onder of ComicBook.com called Black Ops II "one of the best shooters of its time" and noted that fans have requested a remaster since its release. NME's staff said Black Ops II was the last "phenomenal" Call of Duty game before Modern Warfare in 2019.