Black Ops Cold War’s PlayStation Exclusivity Just Got Worse (Or Better, Depending on your Platform)

I don’t know what goes on behind closed doors, especially between giants like Activision and Sony, but man…it sure seems like someone at Sony threw a lot of money at Activision, because the exclusivity that PlayStation has long enjoyed when it comes to Call of Duty just got a whole lot worse for basically everyone.

In case you missed it, PlayStation announced in a blog post today that PlayStation players will receive a whole lot more than the exclusive Onslaught Zombies mode, and I can’t wait to see how the community takes it.

To break it down, PlayStation players will be able to level up faster, skip more Battle Pass tiers, and save two more loadouts than the rest of us.

More specifically, it looks like this:

• Battle Pass Bundle Bonus: Unlock new gear and goodies even faster. PlayStation players that purchase the $20 Battle Pass Bundles will get an additional 5 tier skips. That’s a total of 25 tier skips!
• PlayStation Party Bonus: Teamwork makes the dream work. PlayStation players that play together in parties receive +25% bonus weapon XP. The bonus still counts when playing with cross-platform teammates.
• Double XP Bonus: PlayStation players can look forward to exclusive Monthly Double XP events (24 hr duration), so prepare to boost your rank.
• Extra Loadouts: Be prepared for any scenario. PlayStation players get an additional 2 loadout slots, ready for customization. Available when Create-A-Class unlocks upon reaching Level 4.

For anyone else who had to do a double take, PlayStation players were just handed the ability to earn more weapon XP and regular, consistent double XP events, for no reason other than having a PS4 or PS5.

It’s surprisingly expansive as well, covering pretty much anything I think Call of Duty players actually care about; namely weapon and account XP, which, lets be honest, are the only things that really matter in a Call of Duty title.

Honestly? I’m surprised, more than anything, at the simple fact that this is actually happening. Console exclusivity is something fans of the franchise have had to live with for years, but this has easily bridged the gap from an exclusive game mode to a straight up pay-to-win advantage, especially since PlayStation players will be able to access and level the better weapons in the game faster than anyone else. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if we hear that some players manage to max out the new Prestige system in the first week thanks to this.

I’ve never been a fan of console exclusivity, but the new advantages for PlayStation players could have serious consequences for the future of the franchise if this isn’t either removed or significantly toned down.