Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's new 'Omnimovement' could be CoD's best (or worst) idea of all time

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[4K] Xbox Games Showcase Followed by Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Direct - YouTube

Of all the details on Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 coming out of the Xbox Games Showcase, the head turner of the day was “Omnimovement,” a redesigned movement system that’ll let players sprint or dive in any direction for the first time.

It’s a strange idea—sprinting around corners while facing the opposite direction sounds like it’ll look goofy—but Treyarch is confident it’ll do wonders for BO6’s movement. Treyarch says Omnimovement shatters “long-established FPS constructs,” letting players move “much more realistically” than past Calls of Duty.

“We truly believe that once you experience Omnimovement, there’s no going back,” Treyarch said.

Looking in the direction that you want to sprint is as natural as breathing for longtime CoD players. I’ve never wished I could aggressively sidestep, though maybe playing really is believing in this case. I already consider Call of Duty one of the best-feeling shooters out there, so I’m not sure how much camera-agnostic sprinting will move the needle.

But Black Ops 6’s movement suite isn’t all about sprinting. You can also dive in any direction, which I expect to love as much as I do in Helldivers 2. Then there’s “intelligent movement,” which will automate some movement techniques like sprinting, mantling, and sliding through crouch-height holes. Treyarch says the idea is to minimize friction in getting where you want to go in CoD.

Another way to see Omnimovement and automatic sliding/mantling is that Treyarch wants to help further level the playing field between controllers and mice. Aggressive aim assist already does a decent job of this, but core techniques like turning corners, quick turns, and strafing are undeniably easier on PC.

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The Black Ops 6 Direct stream was light on other multiplayer details, but a few important notes:

We also know when multiplayer will get its own spotlight: Call of Duty Next is happening August 26. Content creators will be playing the game live like in past years, and the first Black Ops 6 beta will follow soon after.

Black Ops 6 releases two months later on October 25.

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