Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 'Omnimovement' is a hit because controller aim assist got a huge nerf this year

GamesFPSCall of DutyCall of Duty: Black Ops 6Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 ‘Omnimovement’ is a hit because controller aim assist got a huge nerf this yearWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

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(Image credit: Activision Blizzard)

black ops 6 nuketown

That said, the reason Omnivmovement is working out so well isn’t visible on the surface. When Treyarch revealed the feature in June, I was worried more mobility would only further empower the tiresome “movement king” playstyle—bunnyhopping and slide-canceling around every corner—that Modern Warfare 3 (2023) leaned into.

There’s a degree of that going on in Black Ops 6 with excessive sliding, but I’m also having an easier time playing around that behavior than last year, and now I know why. As YouTuberTheXclusiveAcerecently demonstrated, controller aim assist got a huge nerf in Black Ops 6. Specifically, rotational aim assist (which helps track enemies while you’re also moving) is significantly weaker at close range than any modern CoD. It’s the sort of change that you can feel, but can’t really put your finger on until you see a direct comparison.

Was Aim Assist Actually Nerfed in Black Ops 6? | (BO6 vs MWIII) - YouTubeWatch On

Was Aim Assist Actually Nerfed in Black Ops 6? | (BO6 vs MWIII) - YouTube

Now that advantage has been sliced in half, and it’s already showing trickle-down effects. Dialed-down aim assist pairs nicely with Black Ops 6’s mobility. Sliding or diving into a fight to throw off the other team’s aim is a more viable strategy when AA isn’t compensating for movement as much as it used to. TheXclusiveAce’s testing is consistent with my experiences against controller players this past week: getting up close and personal isn’t as dangerous as it used to be, and the killcams I stick around to watch aren’t making me grumble to myself as often. I (a mouse player) have a better shot against controllers in those common “headbutt” encounters where we smack into each other and scramble to shoot first.

(Image credit: Activision)

Black Ops 6 best loadouts

The availability of directional change and momentum conservation in Black Ops 6 inches Call of Duty closer to, dare I say, a classic PC arena shooter. Qualms with Treyarch’s gun designs aside, this is the best that 6v6 CoD has played on a mouse and keyboard maybe ever. But the upsides of weaker aim assist aren’t platform exclusive: All of Call of Duty benefits when fights are scrappier and have more than one possible ending.

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