Pro Players Give Their Thoughts on Call of Duty Black Ops IIII

The Black Ops series has always been a fan favorite with the Call of Duty community, as each entry has helped to raise for the bar for both the casual and competitive scenes. It would not be difficult to find a Call of Duty player whose favorite game is either Call of Duty: Black Ops, Call of Duty: Black Ops II or Call of Duty: Black Ops III, as Treyarch has consistenly created some of the best experiences in the history of the legendary franchise. With the news of Treyarch's role as the main developer for this year's title and that it would be the fourth installment in the Black Ops series, hope was raised throughout the community, as many believe that Call of Duty: Black Ops IIII has the potential to propel the franchise back to its glory days. While at the recently completed Call of Duty World League Atlanta Open, we were able to sit down with a few members of the professional Call of Duty scene and get their thoughts on Black Ops IIII, and what they hope to see from it.  

Joshua-Lee "Joshh" Sheppard - Red Reserve

"The main thing I am looking forward to is having David Vonderhaar (Treyarch Design Director) behind us. When we had him last time, it was a great game and was so fun to play. Having him back, supporting the scene and listening to us is a really big thing. All of the Black Ops games have been really good, so it is nice to be going back to the series." 

Andres "Lacefield" Lacefield - Ghost Gaming

"I am pretty interested in it. Especially since they are dropping it early, so that makes it even better. I absolutely loved Black Ops III. I was considered to be a superstar in that game. I am hoping that Black Ops IIII is somewhat similar, so I can take back my title of being a superstar."

Daniel "Loony" Loza - Rise Nation

"Black Ops is a good Call of Duty series. If you just put it as a series, I think Black Ops is the best. Black Ops one, two and three did very well for us. I think Treyarch is one of the development studios that make good maps, and that is what you need in competitive play. You have to make a good map first and then that is where we come in. As long as they give us good maps I will be looking forward to it, but this year just got started, so I am still thinking about World War II. " 

Anthony "Methodz" Zinni - Rise Nation

"I can't wait for Black Ops IIII. I love Call of Duty in general, so every time a new game is announced I can't wait for it. I think the guys at Treyarch are great, but this game we are playing right now is great as well, so it is going to be a bittersweet when it comes out. It will be fun to learn a new game, but I am going to miss this game and the people behind it. I feel like Call of Duty is working in a really good direction to become the next top tier esport. I can't wait for more news and for the reveal. I am not sure if it is going to be boots on the ground or jetpacks, so I am excited to find out. " 

Matthew "FormaL" Piper - OpTic Gaming

"I am very excited for Black Ops IIII because I didn’t come to Call of Duty until Ghosts, which is the one right after Black Ops II, and all of the pro players I have talked to throughout the years have told me that they loved the game. I played Black Ops III, but it was also a jetpack Treyarch game, so going back to boots will be very interesting. Hopefully, it is like Black Ops II, and we can really blow up. " 

Austin "SlasheR" Liddicoat - Team EnVyUs

"I am really excited for it. Every Treyarch game for Call of Duty is always when I have the most fun competing. I am playing all of the time, and I believe that Treyarch does a great job. I believe that they really care about esports too, so they design a part of the game around that. They really focus on map design, which is the most important thing in my opinion. I am really looking forward to it because I think Black Ops II and Black Ops III were the best Call of Duty games that we have had in the past six years." 

Johnathon "John" Perez - Luminosity Gaming

"Every single Treyarch game has been phenomenal. They make the best competitive games, Call of Duty wise. I haven’t heard too much about it, but from what I have heard it makes me excited to play the damn game already. I love Treyarch and David Vonderhaar (Treyarch Design Director) and how they focus a lot on us." 

Ben "Bance" Bance - Spylce

"I am so excited for Black Ops IIII. We know that David Vonderharr (Treyarch Design Director) can always pull off a good game, as shown in Black Ops II and Black Ops III. I have a lot of faith in him to excel the game and the COD esports scene. I am probably way better on Black Ops games than I am on any other games, which was proven in Black Ops III when we came in second at Champs, so I just can't wait for it. I am happy to play both (boots on the ground or advanced movement), but I would probably say boots on the ground because it is a more simple game and you can really get the best out of everyone. " 

While there are still many more details and revealations about Black Ops IIII to come in the near future, it is clear that many members of the professional Call of Duty scene are anxiously awaiting their return to the virtual battlefields created by the Treyarch team.

(cover photo courtesy of Call of Duty)