Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 multiplayer features detailed

Gamescom 2012 is on, and while James shops for the perfect pair of lederhosen in Cologne, I’ve spent the last six hours compiling all the important information coming out about Call of Duty: Black Ops 2’s multiplayer.

Not unexpectedly, the next game includes a number of new features and changes, one of the most significant being a swap from kill streaks to score streaks, which means that ~~careless~~ brave players like myself finally get their chance to call in things like choppers and airstrikes without worrying about inconvenient deaths getting in the way.

Although kills will still be added to the streak score, additional points are also awarded for assists and completing objectives like capturing flags and defending teammates.

According to game design director David Vonderhaar, the new score streak feature “allows us to reward desirable gameplay behaviour, that is behaviour that helps you and your team win the game mode you’re playing”.

The game will ship out with 55 ranks and 10 prestige levels, as well as a completely revised Create-A-Class system dubbed “Pick 10”. Instead of choosing regular primary and secondary weapons plus equipment and perks, players can instead choose ten items – including any combination weapons, equipment, and perks – and assign them to ten slots on a custom class.

If you don’t want to use grenades, for example, you can use that slot for an extra perk. If you want to pack two secondary weapons, go for it. If you want ten M60s, how totally awesome would that be?

There are 100 kit items available in total (including a new “Uber Weapons” category, starring a “War Machine” grenade launcher and a “Death Machine” handheld gatling gun), and players are given a single point at each new rank to spend on unlocking a new one, from a list of seven. In order to unlock everything then, you’d have to prestige at least once.

Black Ops 2 also introduces a new League Play ladder matchmaking system that sorts players into skill-based divisions, neatly precluding all that nasty spawn-and-die-instantly stuff that probably spoils it forever for about 98% of beginners, and adds live streaming and a sportscasting toolset for commentators.

Two new game modes have been confirmed, including the six-team “Multi-Team” and King of the Hill remix “HardPoint”, as well as four maps – Aftermath, Cargo, Turbine, and Yemen.

Game’s out in November.