Call of Duty: Black Ops III is a 2015 first-person shooter game created by Treyarch and published by Activision. It is the twelfth game in the Call of Duty series and follows the 2012 game, Call of Duty: Black Ops II. The game was released on November 6, 2015, for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One. A version with fewer features, developed by Beenox and Mercenary Technology, was released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. This version only included multiplayer modes and was the last Call of Duty game available on those platforms.
Set in the year 2065, 40 years after the events of Black Ops II, the game takes place in a world affected by climate change and advanced technology, such as cybernetic enhancements. Like earlier games in the series, the story follows a group of black ops soldiers. The campaign mode allows up to four players to work together, creating larger, more open levels with less focus on narrow corridors. Because the player character has cybernetic enhancements, players can use special abilities. The game also includes a separate Zombies campaign mode and a "Nightmares" mode, where all enemies are zombies.
Announced in late April 2015, the game was the first Call of Duty title released after Activision ended its partnership with Microsoft Studios and instead partnered with Sony Computer Entertainment. Sony had exclusive access to the game's downloadable content for a limited time. When the game was released, critics gave it mostly positive reviews, praising the gameplay, Zombies mode, and amount of content. However, some critics criticized the story and lack of new ideas. The versions for seventh-generation consoles, such as PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, were criticized for poor performance and limited features. Later reviews were mixed, with the game generally ranked below the top 10 in lists of the best Call of Duty games. Despite this, the game was a commercial success, becoming the top-selling retail game in the United States in 2015 and one of the most successful titles for eighth-generation consoles. It sold over 43 million copies worldwide since its release. A prequel, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, was released in 2018.
Gameplay
The campaign in Black Ops III is designed to support 4-player cooperative gameplay, allowing for larger, more open levels and fewer narrow, confined areas. Players can change how their character looks, including clothing choices. The campaign includes a progression system where players earn tokens to unlock new weapons and gear as they complete missions. A "realistic" difficulty mode is included, where players are defeated if they are hit by a single bullet. Completing all campaign missions unlocks "Nightmares" mode, which lets players replay the campaign with a new story and zombies replacing most enemies.
The multiplayer mode uses a movement system that allows players to jump slowly into the air, run along walls, and slide while maintaining full control of their weapons. The Pick 10 class system from Black Ops II returns, and a new "Specialists" system lets players choose from 9 soldiers, each with unique weapons or abilities. A tenth specialist, Blackjack, was later added. Blackjack can copy the abilities of other specialists but is only playable for a short time after completing specific challenges. A "Gunsmith" feature lets players change weapon attachments for different looks, and the Paintshop feature allows players to design custom patterns on specific parts of weapons.
The Zombies mode includes an experience points system, similar to the campaign and multiplayer, to unlock items. These items include "Gobblegums," which provide temporary advantages, and weapon kits that let players change how weapons look and function with different camos and attachments.
Black Ops III includes several bonus game modes beyond the main ones: Nightmares, a new story version of the campaign with zombies; Dead Ops Arcade, a top-down shooter mode that continues the story from Call of Duty: Black Ops; and Freerun, a mode inspired by parkour where players use advanced movement skills to navigate levels and reach goals.
Plot
Forty years after the events of Call of Duty: Black Ops II, the world is involved in a Third Cold War between the Winslow Accord (WA) and the Common Defense Pact (CDP). On October 27, 2065, the Player (Ben Browder / Abby Brammell) and their partner Jacob Hendricks (Sean Douglas) from WA Black Ops are sent to Ethiopia to rescue the Egyptian Prime Minister and other hostages held by the CDP-aligned Nile River Coalition (NRC). The mission fails, and the Player is seriously injured by a combat robot. They are saved by fellow operative John Taylor (Christopher Meloni), who performs emergency cybernetic surgery on the Player, including a direct neural interface (DNI). Taylor and his teammates, Sebastian Diaz (Reynaldo Gallegos), Sarah Hall (Katee Sackhoff), and Peter Maretti (Ary Katz), also provide virtual training. Hendricks agrees to undergo surgery as well.
After five years of secret missions, the Player and Hendricks are assigned to CIA handler Rachel Kane (Rachel Kimsey) to investigate a CIA black site in Singapore. They find the site attacked by the crime group 54 Immortals, and its data stolen. Kane concludes that Taylor’s team defected and killed the staff. To find the stolen data, the Player and Hendricks pose as arms dealers to meet the Immortals, but their cover is exposed, leading to the death of the Immortals’ leader, Goh Min. They recover data pointing to Taylor’s last known location: a Coalescence Corporation facility in Singapore, which was destroyed in a deadly explosion ten years earlier. At the facility, they discover a hidden CIA laboratory and learn that Diaz is leaking classified information to the CDP. They are forced to kill Diaz. Diaz’s DNI reveals that Taylor’s goal is to find the two survivors of the explosion: CEO Sebastian Krueger (Robert Picardo) and Dr. Yousef Salim (Tony Amendola). When the stolen data leads to Kane’s capture by the Immortals, the Player disobeys orders to leave her behind and rescues her by killing Goh Min’s sister, Xiulan (Lynn Chen).
The Player, Kane, and Hendricks travel to Cairo, where they find Salim. Salim explains he conducted illegal DNI experiments that involved calming humans by making them imagine a frozen forest. The NRC then attacks, allowing Taylor’s team to abduct Salim, who is tortured and killed by Taylor. The trio pursues Taylor with the help of the Egyptian Army but faces resistance from Hall. After killing Hall, the Player connects to her DNI and encounters Corvus, a type of intelligence that emerged during the experiments to monitor DNI users’ thoughts. Corvus malfunctioned, causing the explosion and later infecting Taylor’s team. Corvus’ obsession with finding the frozen forest spreads to the Player and Hendricks after they interface with Hall and Diaz, respectively. After killing Maretti, the Player and Hendricks spark an uprising against the NRC, using the chaos to locate and corner Taylor. Taylor resists Corvus, removes his DNI, and is killed by Hendricks, who abandons the Player to pursue Krueger.
The Player and Kane race to Coalescence’s headquarters in Zürich to stop Hendricks but discover Corvus is storing Nova 6 gas, a substance previously used in the Singapore explosion. Kane tries to contain the gas but is locked in a room and killed by it in front of the Player. The Player finds Hendricks holding Krueger hostage. After Hendricks kills Krueger, the Player kills Hendricks. The Player attempts to commit suicide to stop Corvus but is trapped in a simulated frozen forest created by Corvus as an afterlife for deceased DNI users. As a glitch, Taylor’s consciousness reunites with the Player, advising them to purge their DNI to end Corvus. With Taylor’s help, the Player resists Corvus and deletes the virus, then escapes and identifies as “Taylor” to Zürich Security Forces.
Taylor’s mission reports reveal that the Player actually died during their surgery due to complications. The events that follow until Taylor’s death occur in a simulation that differs from Taylor’s and Hendricks’ experience of hunting Dylan Stone and his team (Javier Ramirez, Alice Conrad, and Joseph Fierro), who defected after discovering the black site. The Player’s consciousness is shown living in Taylor’s mind throughout the simulation, indicating that the Player took over Taylor’s body after his simulated death until the DNI purge results in Corvus and the Player being erased as Taylor regains control.
The Player wakes up and is told by Dr. Salim that they are dead and must recount their memories. The Player tells Dr. Salim they are a Deadkiller, an Undead Exterminator whose cybernetic enhancements make them immune to Zombie infection. The year is 2070, ten years after Virus 61-15, a CIA weapon combining biochemicals Nova 6 and Element 115, which spread across Earth and caused the dead to rise as Zombies and create mutated creatures known as Parasites. The Player was sent to investigate the disappearance of Taylor’s Deadkiller team at a facility in Singapore, the initial outbreak point of the virus. However, the Player and Hendricks discover that Taylor’s team used their DNI connections to disable global Quarantine Zone defenses. Teaming up with Rachel Kane, the Player and Hendricks chase Taylor’s team from Singapore to Egypt, eventually killing the entire team. However, Hendricks is infected by the same virus that turned Taylor and his team mad and heads for Zurich. The Player discovers that Dr. Salim is actually Deimos, the demigod responsible for unleashing the undead plague on humanity. Deimos entered the Player’s mind when they interfaced with Hall and tried to manipulate them into opening a portal to his home dimension, Malus. The Player is contacted by another demigod, Dolos, who is sympathetic to humanity and seeks to kill Deimos, her brother. Dolos transports the Player and Deimos to Malus, where Deimos is vulnerable. Under Dolos’ guidance, the Player kills Deimos, ending the undead plague on Earth but trapping the Player in Malus. Dolos explains her true plan to kill every other demigod and supernatural being that can challenge her, and the Player agrees to help her.
Development
Call of Duty: Black Ops III is the twelfth game in the Call of Duty franchise and the fourth in the Black Ops series. It was the second game to be developed under Activision's three-year development cycle, with the first being Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. This cycle allows each development team (Infinity Ward, Treyarch, and Sledgehammer Games) to create games over three years, instead of the previous two-year schedule. Black Ops III uses a changed version of the IW engine previously used in Black Ops II.
On June 9, 2015, versions for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 were confirmed to be in development by Beenox and Mercenary Technology. These versions do not include some features available on other platforms, such as the campaign mode and additional downloadable content. On June 15, 2015, it was announced that all future Call of Duty downloadable content, starting with Black Ops III, would be released first on PlayStation platforms as timed exclusives. This ended a similar exclusivity deal with Microsoft that began with Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.
According to gaming journalist Jason Schreier, Call of Duty: Black Ops III was originally planned to include an open-world campaign, but this idea was canceled during development, leading to a period of intense work for employees.
A multiplayer beta was released for the PlayStation 4 on August 18, 2015, and for Windows and Xbox One on August 26, 2015. All versions of the beta lasted for six days.
In March 2026, Creative Director Jason Blundell stated that when the team regrouped during development of Black Ops III, they had about nine to ten months to create both the Campaign and Zombies modes. At the time, the team had little to work with and described the final result as "a miracle."
Jack Wall, who previously composed the score for Call of Duty: Black Ops II, returned with Treyarch's Audio Director Brian Tuey to create the game's music. The game also included an instrumental score called "Jade Helm" by Avenged Sevenfold for the multiplayer mode. Additionally, Wall, Tuey, and Treyarch's Sound Designer Kevin Sherwood contributed to the Zombies mode's soundtrack, which included new songs performed by Elena Siegman and Malukah for each map.
To promote the game, DJ and producer Afrojack created a song titled "Unstoppable."
Marketing
Teasers for the game were shared starting with links to Black Ops II gameplay on Snapchat and a video from Treyarch. On April 26, 2015, the first trailer was released, showing the return of the Zombies mode and beta access for players who pre-ordered the game for PC, PS4, and Xbox One. The full game was released on November 6, 2015.
On September 29, 2015, the official Call of Duty Twitter account was temporarily renamed to "Current Events Aggregate." It posted messages about real-life topics like fashion, movies, and a terrorist attack in Singapore. Activision later said these posts were fake and were part of a marketing campaign for the game's story. Some people criticized the campaign for using fake news, and Activision was called "irresponsible." The game's director, Jason Blundell, said the team was "shocked" by the negative reaction and apologized.
"Seize Glory" is a live-action trailer for Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 directed by Wayne McClammy and starring Michael B. Jordan, Cara Delevingne, and Marshawn Lynch. The trailer shows Michael B. Jordan following a man named Kevin as he fights zombies and robots. The trailer aired in November 2015.
Activision hired Wayne McClammy to direct the trailer. He has directed many Call of Duty advertisements. Activision's CMO, Tim Ellis, said the trailer aimed to show that the gaming community is diverse. Michael B. Jordan and Cara Delevingne were chosen because they are fans of the Call of Duty series.
Call of Duty: Black Ops III and its Digital Deluxe Edition were available for pre-order on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. The Digital Deluxe Edition includes a season pass, which could be purchased separately. Pre-ordering gave players access to the multiplayer beta and in-game items from Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, such as custom reticles, emblems, and supply drops. Sony announced the PS4 beta would start on August 19, 2015, but it began earlier on August 18. After the beta ended, pre-orders included the bonus map "NUK3TOWN," a remake of the original "Nuketown" map. The PS3 and Xbox 360 versions included a digital copy of Black Ops and had a $10 price reduction.
A comic book titled Call of Duty: Black Ops III was announced on July 1, 2015. The first issue was released worldwide on November 4, 2015, by Dark Horse Comics. The story, written by Larry Hama and drawn by Marcelo Ferreira, takes place years before the game and follows Jacob Hendricks and John Taylor as they stop a Russian terrorist plot. More issues were released in 2016.
On July 11, 2016, Treyarch announced a new comic series called Call of Duty: Zombies. It expands the Zombies mode story and brings back characters from Black Ops II, including Abigail "Misty" Briarton, Marlton Johnson, Russman, and Samuel Stuhlinger. They search for an artifact called the Kronorium and uncover secrets about Edward Richtofen's return. The series, published by Dark Horse Comics, was written by Justin Jordan and drawn by Jonathan Wayshak. The first issue was released on October 28, 2016, with more issues following in 2017.
Special editions of the game include the Hardened Edition and Juggernog Edition. The Juggernog Edition includes a mini-refrigerator, season pass, and in-game content. A bonus map for Zombies mode called "The Giant" was announced. It is a remake of the World at War map "Der Riese" and features characters from that game. A multiplayer-only starter pack for Windows was released on February 16, 2016, but it excluded Zombies and Nightmare modes. This version was available until February 2016 but is now permanently available.
In December 2015, Activision announced the first downloadable content map pack for Black Ops III, titled "Awakening." It was released on PlayStation 4 on February 2, 2016, and on Windows and Xbox One in March 2016. The pack includes four multiplayer maps, a Zombies map called "Der Eisendrache," and new gumballs for Zombies mode. A second map pack, "Eclipse," was released in April 2016 and included remakes of maps from World at War and a new Zombies map.
The third map pack, "Descent," was released in July 2016 and included remakes of maps from Black Ops II and a new Zombies map. The PC version of "Descent" caused controversy because players could no longer buy map packs separately and had to purchase the season pass. The fourth map pack, "Salvation," was released in September 2016 and included remakes of maps from Black Ops II and a final Zombies map.
The fifth and final map pack, "Zombies Chronicles," includes remastered versions of eight Zombies maps from previous games. It was released in May 2017 and is not included in the season pass.
On May 24, 2017, Activision and Treyarch announced a free trial for the PC version of Black Ops III, allowing players to use all multiplayer maps from the four map packs for a limited time. In March 2018, Zombies maps from the four map packs became available for separate purchase on PS4 and Xbox One, with PC following in May. On June 11, 2018, the "Back in Black" map pack was announced, featuring remastered versions of four fan-favorite maps from Black Ops and Black Ops II.
Reception
According to review site Metacritic, Call of Duty: Black Ops III received "generally favorable" critic reviews for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and "mixed or average" reviews for PC. GameSpot gave it a score of 7 out of 10, stating, "Black Ops III does not offer anything remarkable to the series, but does just enough to keep the Call of Duty experience consistent. The franchise continues to move forward, even if slowly." Polygon also scored it 7 out of 10, noting, "The game’s biggest strength is the amount of content available, which is a valid point. However, Treyarch does not make meaningful changes to the series." IGN awarded it a score of 9.2 out of 10, saying, "With fun 4-player co-op, new powers, and an expanded Zombies mode, Black Ops III is the largest Call of Duty game yet." Stuart Andrews of Trusted Reviews criticized the game’s setting and story, writing, "Black Ops III is a solid game that will satisfy fans of the series, but it does not appeal to a wide audience like last year’s Advanced Warfare. It focuses heavily on science fiction and removes some of the series’ previous mystery elements, making it feel more like Call of Duty: Even More Advanced Warfare than a traditional Black Ops game."
The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions received less praise than the newer versions. IGN’s Brian Albert criticized the lack of a campaign mode in these versions, along with poor graphics and long loading times. However, he concluded that these versions were still enjoyable to play despite their issues.
Black Ops III sold over 6.6 million copies in its first week (not including digital sales) and earned over $550 million in sales during its first three days of release. In the United Kingdom, it became the top-selling game, surpassing Halo 5: Guardians. In the United States, it was the best-selling game according to NPD’s data. Later, it became the top-selling game of 2015. Activision reported that Black Ops III was one of the best-selling games for the eighth generation of video game consoles and performed financially better than its predecessor, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. By December 2024, the game had sold over 43 million copies worldwide.
Legacy
Reviews of Call of Duty: Black Ops III have been varied. NME's staff called the game "forgettable," saying it had too many elements and not enough freedom for players. Critics said the story was confusing and hard to follow. Chris Freiberg from Den of Geek noted that the story was weaker when played alone compared to playing with others. Opinions on the multiplayer mode were also divided, with some people unsure about the addition of Specialists and changes to weapon balance. Some believed the game improved on futuristic ideas from Advanced Warfare, similar to Titanfall (2014). Freiberg said the game showed the series beginning to take inspiration from competitors instead of creating new ideas.
Although Black Ops III has usually ranked below the top 10 in lists comparing Call of Duty games, some praised it. Dan Wenerowicz of Complex called it the fifth-best Call of Duty game in 2024. Dominic Allen of Screen Rant said the multiplayer and Zombies modes were the best in the series. Allen highlighted the multiplayer's map designs and weapons, and the Zombies mode's maps and the addition of GobbleGums, which made it a favorite among fans. Allen criticized Supply Drops as the game's worst feature. Cade Onder of ComicBook.com said Black Ops III "pushed the series in exciting new directions, even if it didn't keep going that way for long."