As part of a mid-season update, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War will be getting the fan-favorite multiplayer map Express from Black Ops 2. Black Ops Cold War is currently running its first season and the update is being referred to by developer Treyarch as Season One: Reloaded. Some parts of this update have already taken effect while others will be accessible in the coming weeks.
Black Ops Cold War only launched two months ago, around the same time as the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S, but that has not stopped Treyarch from bringing back fan-favorite maps already. Prior to Season 1's launch, Nuketown '84, Black Ops Cold War's interpretation of the popular map, was added to the game. While this version of Nuketown is different from the others, it still shows that Treyarch is not afraid to reuse and reimagine map ideas from previous installments. It seems that Nuketown might have paved the way for another classic Black Ops map.
As part of the Season One: Reloaded update that Treyarch detailed on their website, Black Ops Cold War players will be given the opportunity to play Express again. This classic from Black Ops 2 sets players in a high speed rail station and offers combat variety thanks to the environment. In its announcement, Treyarch did not mention if there would be any changes implemented to the Black Ops Cold War version of Express. It did say, however, that players will have to wait until February 4 for the map to be added.
Along with Express, Treyarch is adding a number of new maps, modes, and weaponry as part of the Season One: Reloaded update. Zombies mode in particular will see some significant additions and has been given a free access week beginning today, January 14. Another time sensitive event included in Season One: Reloaded is the Double Weapon XP Weekend, which begins tomorrow at 10a.m. Pacific time and runs until the same time on January 19. Treyarch is calling this "the biggest year in Black Ops" on its website and this mid-season update is a strong attempt to back up that claim.
There may be some doubt in player's minds as to whether or not Express still holds up. Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 is over eight years old and though Express is only a map, there is a possibility that it did not age well. Based the lack of information in the Season One: Reloaded announcement, it would seem like Treyarch has not made any changes to the map, making one assume that players will be getting something extremely close to what was in Black Ops 2. It will be interesting to see if Express keeps its reputation with the Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War player base.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is out now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S platforms.
Source: Treyarch