Blackout is a battle royale game mode where the last person—or team—standing wins the game. Survive to the end as the playable space collapses over time, forcing everyone into increasingly smaller spaces creating more intense battles.

You have one life per game and you will not respawn, so make that life count. If you die before the match is over, you can either back out and try again or spectate remaining players. In Duos and Quads, the game doesn't end if a teammate is eliminated, and teammates can stick around to spectate and chat with other teammates.

Getting into the Game

Pregame

Before the game officially begins, Blackout will toss you into a random location on the map. Here, you can explore and try out systems, mechanics, items, and equipment you'll experience in the game, allowing you to get familiar with things before the action heats up. Although the equipment or vehicles you use can be damaged or destroyed, every player in the pregame period is invulnerable.

When enough time has passed, and/or enough players have joined, a timer will begin counting down to the start of the game.

Infiltration

The game begins with all players in transport helicopters flying across the map in a randomly chosen straight line. When prompted, players can exit the helicopter whenever they choose.

Players then navigate the drop process using a Wingsuit. You can point in the general direction you want to head, but for extra speed and distance, fall straight towards the ground to gather maximum momentum. You can also set a waypoint marker anywhere on the map, which can be especially useful to coordinate landing spots in Duos or Quads.

When you get close to the ground, your parachute will deploy automatically, giving you a short amount of time to steer and finesse your landing.

Collecting and Managing Items

Generally speaking, an item refers to anything you can pick up and use in the world.

Getting Equipped

Most items in Blackout need to be equipped to be used. Unlike Multiplayer, you don't customize and select a loadout before the game starts. You need to search for everything.

There are seven sections to store all of your Inventory items:

• Weapons – You can carry two Weapons, and you are not limited by Primary and Secondary weapons. Most Weapons have slots for up to five Attachments: Optic, Barrel, Mag, Body, and Stock. Note that attachment capabilities vary based on the Weapon type, and you cannot apply Attachments to Launchers.
• Ammo – Eight Ammo slots can carry up to 200 rounds each. Rockets, however, are much more limited in how many you can hold.
• Health – Slots one of three different levels of health packs. First Aid Kits can be stacked. Trauma Kits and Med Kits restore more health but cannot be stacked.
• Gear – Holds tactical Armor. You can only carry and equip one piece of Armor at a time. There are three levels of Armor available, each providing increased protection.
• Inventory – These slots hold a wide range of items, including Equipment, extra Health, unused Attachments, and consumable Perks.
• Storage – Find and carry a Backpack to double your Inventory capacity.
• Equipment – Holds Specialist Weapons and Equipment used in Multiplayer, as well as a few other Black Ops fan favorites

Managing your Inventory

Items are managed two ways:

The Inventory menu allows you to fully manage everything you have. You can consume Perks, drop items for teammates, make space for new items you find, apply Attachments to Weapons, and more.

The Quick Equip menu will appear the first time you have something you can interact with in your Inventory. The goal of Quick Equip is to allow you to access Inventory items on the fly, which can be critical in firefights or if you have enemies bearing down on you.

Example of Quick Equip functions include:

• Changing your active Health item
• Activating a special item or consumable perk
• Swapping out your active Weapon's Optic

Items in the world can often be equipped immediately without using either Inventory menu. For example, if you pick up an Attachment, the default action will be to equip it on your active Weapon as long as the Weapon supports that Attachment and the Attachment slot is open. If the applicable Attachment slot is occupied and your Inventory is not full, the Attachment will be added to an open Inventory space.

Items will also be auto-equipped in the order they were picked up. For example, if the first Equipment you pick up is a Frag grenade and the second Equipment you pick up is a Concussion grenade, you will auto-equip the Concussion grenades when you use up all your Frag grenades.

Getting Around

Base Jumping

The Wingsuit stays with you after Infiltration. At certain heights, such as bridges and cliff faces, the Wingsuit can be reused for base jumping. Sprint toward the edge, then press and hold the Jump button to re-deploy your Wingsuit. When base jumping, you are unlikely to take fall damage under normal circumstances, and you cannot re-deploy the parachute.

Vehicles

Need to get around faster than running? Be on the lookout for four vehicle types scattered around Blackout:

• ATV – Holds up to two people, and offers off-roading capability with medium speed.
• Cargo Truck – Seats one in the cab with room for others in the truck bed. Speed and off-roading capabilities are limited. Allows you to drop Weapons and items in the bed to share with teammates or save for later use.
• Tactical Raft – Fits two comfortably, but can transport a few more if you don't mind getting cozy. A great way to navigate the abundant water in Blackout.
• Light Helicopter – Features four seats behind the pilot, allowing passengers to choose the best spot to pick off other players. The helicopter will start to malfunction in the later stages of the game, and is very susceptible to lock-on Missile Launchers. Still, it's easily the fastest way from Point A to Point B.

Vehicles are a great option to move quickly when the collapse is closing in, or to pursue or flee enemies. Whatever your tactics may be, finding a vehicle is a way to enhance your mobility and game strategies and potentially extend your survival time.

The Collapse

You'll want to grab as much as you can while being mindful of the map and the countdown timer. Open the map to reveal the Safe Zone, a white circle randomly placed on the map. When the timer expires, a blue circle will begin to collapse toward the white circle. Players caught outside the blue circle will slowly take damage until getting inside the blue circle. Players outside the white circle will see a dotted line on the HUD's minimap, indicating the straightest path to the white circle.

Collapses will occur more rapidly as the game progresses, forcing the action to heat up.

Merits

Progression in Blackout is strictly performance-based. You will earn Merits after every match for kills, Top 5 finishes, and Victories, each with a different amount of Merits awarded. There are also several secret Challenges that can be completed to earn Merits.

Continue earning Merits to reach set milestones called Echelons. With each Echelon reached, you will be rewarded with a special Blackout Character and Calling Card.