Black Ops 6 preload guide: release date, file size, and preorder

By Jesse Lennox Updated October 24, 2024

A motorcycle jumps over a car in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. — Activision

The hype for Black Ops 6 might be the highest it has been for a Call of Duty game in years. Everything from the campaign, new omnimovement system, and return to the classic zombies structure has fans excited to get back to the roots of what made this franchise so popular in the first place. The first few hours and days after launch are always the most exciting. This is before the meta has set in and we’re all thrown into a massive pool together having fun and experimenting with what works. Odds are everyone on your friends list is geared up and ready for launch, so you should be too by learning all the preload details so you can jump into the action ASAP.

Black Ops 6 release time

The Black Ops 6 launch time map. — Activision

Black Ops 6’s launch will be slightly staggered depending on your platform, and roll out over a window of time rather than one specific time.

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Xbox, PlayStation, and PC players on the Microsoft store will be able to start playing between 4 a.m. and 11 p.m. PT on October 24.

If you are playing on PC via Battlenet or Steam, your launch window will be 9 p.m. PT on October 24.

Black Ops 6 file size

The Black Ops 6 file size is broken up into two campaign packs and the multiplayer pack, but for simplicity’s sake, we will just list the full download size so you know the maximum space you will need.

The full Black Ops 6 game will take up 56GB, which is a breath of fresh air compared to previous games that were more than double the size.

Black Ops 6 preload options

The launch and preload times for Black Ops 6. — Activision

You can preload Black Ops 6 on all platforms starting at 9 a.m. PT on October 21. All you need is to have any version of the game preordered on any platform to have access to preloading. No special editions will get you early access this time around.

Black Ops 6 preorder details

There are two editions you can preorder for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. Here are the differences between the two and what they cost.

Cross-Gen bundle — $70

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Open Beta access
Woods Operator pack

BO6 Vault — $100

Everything in the Cross-Gen Bundle
Hunters vs. Hunted Operator pack
Mastercraft Collection
BlackCell (1 Season)
GobbleGum Pack for Zombies

Jesse Lennox has been a writer at Digital Trends for over four years and has no plans of stopping. He covers all things…

Computing

The best PC settings for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

Call of Duty Black Ops 6.

Call of Duty Black Ops 6 is the latest in a long line of high-paced shooters, and like its predecessors, it brings with it not only a new campaign and multiplayer features but enhanced graphics too. Although upgrading your graphics card or processor is always a great way to boost performance in new and demanding games, you can also have a big impact by adjusting its settings to the best ones for you and your PC.

However, even if you’re the most competitive player, you won’t want to just turn all the settings off to maximize your frame rate. You still need clarity to make out your opponents at distance, and what’s the point of playing the latest Call of Duty, if you can’t enjoy some of its new visual flair?

Gaming

Black Ops 6 just can’t compete with these 2 RPGs on Steam

Lucanis in Dragon Age: The Veilguard in center frame.

Despite Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 on its way to being one of the biggest Call of Duty launches of all time, two role-playing games are giving it a run for its money.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard, the latest RPG from BioWare and the first Dragon Age game in over a decade, is currently selling better on Steam than Black Ops 6 just a day after release. According to the Steam top sellers list, The Veilguard is just barely outranking Black Ops 6's single-player campaign as the top seller on the platform, followed by MMO Throne and Liberty and Monster Hunter Wilds, an open beta for which launched on Friday.

Gaming

The best Augments in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

A screenshot from Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's zombies mode.

Longtime fans of the Zombies mode in past Call of Duty games are no doubt loving the return to the round-based structure Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has taken. Between the Perks, Pack-A-Punch machines, and Easter eggs, there's already a ton of content to explore in the first two maps. Whether you're new to the mode or know all the tips and tricks from past games, there's one element that has most players scratching their heads. Augments are hardly explained in Black Ops 6 and are largely ignored because of this. However, ignoring this mechanic will only make life harder for you and your team. We've done all the research required to tell you how Augments work and which ones you should try to get first in Black Ops 6.
How Augments work in Black Ops 6

In short, Augments are equippable passive perks that add an additional minor or major effect to either a Perk, field upgrade, or ammo mod. Each one of these has six possible augments -- three minor and three major -- that each give a different buff. But there are two things you need to do before you can even begin tinkering with these Augments.