"Fun always comes first": COD developer explains why goofy skins will always be part of Black Ops 6

Modified Dec 18, 2024 15:43 GMT

Blunty Operator skin in Black Ops 6 that transforms the Operator into a Chameleon — Black Ops 6 developers explain the reasons for adding goofy skins to the game (Image via Activision)

One of the issues that Call of Duty fans have brought up time and time again over Black Ops 6 is the inclusion of goofy or out-of-place skins. For instance, the latest Call of Duty game is set in the 90s. This theme is reflected in the game's maps and weapons. However, there are several cosmetics one can buy from the store in the game that provide a complete overhaul to the characters and weapons, which might make them seem out of place.

One such example is the Shark Operator skin, which transforms the character into a living breathing shark. For many, this seems out-of-place since in a game that is based in the '90s, one wouldn't imagine running around as a shark, shooting down enemies. This creates thematic incongruity.

In an interview with Dexerto, Miles Leslie, Associate Creative Director at Treyarch discussed the inclusion of such skins in Black Ops 6. Responding to the concerns of the community regarding these goofy out-of-place Operator cosmetics, he stated:

"Fun always comes first for us".

Read below to learn more about what the developer had to say about the goofy skins in Black Ops 6.

Goofy skins aren't going away from Black Ops 6 any time soon, explains Call of Duty developer

According to Leslie, fun comes first for the team and hence it won't be uncommon to see many skins that might seem out of place in the game. He described how the team plans to integrate the Campaign and the Multiplayer without creating any sort of immersion break between the two:

"The Campaign has a tightly defined cast of characters with an era-specific look to them that fits the story that we and our friends at Raven Software are telling. The cool thing is, because the story then continues directly from the Campaign into our Multiplayer experience throughout our post-launch seasons, we now get to develop new looks and lore for those characters while simultaneously building out the cast for both the Rogue Black Ops and Crimson One factions."

Speaking of balancing realism with fun skins, he adds:

"This is something we take very seriously at the studio, and those who remember the continuing story with Stitch and Perseus throughout Black Ops Cold War’s seasons will know what I’m talking about. That doesn’t mean we can’t have some fun with cosmetics along the way!"

So to speak, it is clear that these goofy skins exist for fun. They don't represent the realistic nature of the Campaign and hence, the cosmetic carry-over happens only in one direction i.e., from Campaign to the Multiplayer.

This ensures the authenticity of the Campaign is maintained and players get to see a similar set of characters in the Multiplayer, which also acts as a secondary tool of storytelling. However, in the case of the latter, developers are willing to introduce a few fun skins along the way to keep things interesting for their community.

So, if you were wondering why these skins are in the game, the answer is simple — it's fun. And it seems like this is the creative direction the developers have decided on and it's highly unlikely that the goofy skin releases will suddenly disappear from the series any time soon.

Also read — All Warzone and Black Ops 6 Season 1 Reloaded bundles: Everything we know

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Edited by Sijo Samuel Paul