Summary (tl;dr)

Activision has released native PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 ports of classic Call of Duty titles Black Ops and Black Ops II, leading to a surge in interest as players seek to revisit these popular games on modern consoles.

Essential Background

Call of Duty: Black Ops, originally released in 2010, and Call of Duty: Black Ops II, released in 2012, are highly acclaimed first-person shooter games developed by Treyarch. These titles were immensely popular on their original platforms, including the PlayStation 3. However, the PlayStation 5 lacks native backward compatibility for PlayStation 3 games, meaning these classic titles were previously unavailable on Sony's latest console, a contrast to Xbox's more extensive backward compatibility for its older Call of Duty titles.

The Full Story

Following earlier rumors and database leaks, Activision officially confirmed in June 2026, and then released on July 9, 2026, dedicated ports of Call of Duty: Black Ops and Black Ops II for both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. These releases are straight ports, not remasters, and include the original campaigns, multiplayer, and Zombies modes. The existence of separate PS5 trophy lists confirms native PlayStation 5 versions, rather than just relying on PS4 backward compatibility. However, some fan-favorite features like Wager Matches and Theater Mode are reportedly absent from the Black Ops 1 port, and League Play from Black Ops 2, which has sparked some discussion among the community. The pricing has also been a point of contention, with each base game costing $40 and their respective season passes priced at $29.99, totaling $140 for the complete experience without a PlayStation Plus subscriber discount. PlayStation Plus subscribers can acquire both games and their season passes for approximately $60 until August 6.

Why It Matters

The trending keywords reflect a significant demand from players eager to revisit these iconic Call of Duty titles on their current-generation PlayStation consoles, largely driven by nostalgia and the games' enduring popularity. The release addresses a long-standing desire among PlayStation users who have been unable to play these PS3-era classics on their PS4 or PS5 due to Sony's lack of native backward compatibility for that generation. While the ports allow access to beloved gameplay, the reported removal of some original features and the steep pricing for the full package have become points of discussion, influencing player satisfaction and purchasing decisions.

Geographic Location

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