Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War Timeline: Where does it fit in the series?

Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War was revealed quite recently by Activision, and the fanbase rejoiced as they got to see familiar characters once more.

After a set of leaks that had revealed the title for the next game, the rumour mill began to turn, and players' speculation about the timeline of events started soon after.

The reveal trailer for Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War featured characters from the previous games, namely: Alex Mason, Frank Woods, and Agent Hudson. This confused several players as to where exactly in the timeline will the new game fit in.

(Spoiler alert for Call of Duty: Black Ops II)

As per the events of Black Ops II, both Agent Hudson and Alex Mason (in 1 ending, at least) had been killed off. Therefore, the possibility of this being a direct sequel to the events of Black Ops II's 60's timeline seems unlikely.

When in the time Call of Duty Black Ops Timeline is Cold War Set in?

To clear up the confusion with the Black Ops timeline, we will only be taking a look at Call of Duty Black Ops (2010) and Black Ops II. The rest of the games that came after did not have a lot to do with the series' story, and IV did not have a campaign.

The ending of Black Ops (2010) saw the three main characters: Mason, Woods, and Hudson, survive through the events of the game. Mason broke free of his coding as a sleeper agent within the CIA.

However, in the next game, Mason is still seen struggling with his time in Vorkuta after a run-in with Kravchenko. By the end of the game, Mason is shot by Woods (unknowingly).

Hudson also suffers a similar fate and does not make it to the end of the game. Therefore, the new 2020 Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War does not seem to continue the story from Black Ops II's timeline in the 60s.

Recently, data miners worked hard to uncover where exactly the game fits in the timeline. According to the description by Activision, the game is a direct sequel to Call of Duty Black Ops (2010).

Therefore, it is highly likely that the game will take place between the events of Black Ops (2010) and Black Ops II. Whether Activision chooses to completely retcon the series post-2010, or even the original game itself, is yet to be seen.