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Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is just around the corner, and, much like many AAA studios these days, it's already stirring up controversies. The latest one revolves around the game's built-in support for a third-party audio tool, which many fans are labeling a "pay-to-win crutch" because of its ability to improve your in-game hearing – if you're willing to pay a little extra.
Activision
In a recent blog post, Activision revealed the game will feature an Enhanced Headphone Mode (EHM) that enhances the directional accuracy of sounds in the game world, something that is crucial in serious and competitive matches, where being able to hear every explosion, gunshot, and footstep can make the difference between fragging or being fragged.
The EHM is powered by Immerse Spatial Audio technology from Embody, a personalized spatial audio company that has worked on games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Final Fantasy 14. However, unlike those two, where spatial audio mainly enhances the atmosphere and immersion, Black Ops 6 is a competitive first-person shooter, where better audio can directly impact gameplay. Luckily though, the Enhanced Headphone Mode will be available to all players for free and accessible through the Sound Settings menu.
What the blog post failed to mention, however, is that besides the free-to-use EHM, the upcoming shooter will also include the option to create a Personalized Profile in the Enhanced Headphone Mode configuration, which, according to Embody, can "take your tactical hearing to the next level."
This feature customizes spatial sound to your unique physiology, making it much easier to pinpoint the origin of sounds in a 3D space. The catch is that this enhanced audio experience comes with a $20 price tag for a five-year subscription, which, in the context of a competitive FPS game, could indeed be seen as a pay-to-win advantage.
When news about Black Ops 6 started making headlines, the CoD community was largely split into two camps. One side argued that while the inclusion of the Personalized Profile feature was a concern, a bigger issue was the prospect of Activision intentionally crippling the free audio system to push sales of the paid option.
The other side claimed that the Personalized Profile wouldn't have much of an impact on matches, if any, comparing it to cosmetic character skins, which can also affect how the games play out, yet are purchased without complaint.
As of now, it's impossible to predict the true impact the $20 audio enhancement will have on competitive matches, and we'll have to wait until Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 launches tomorrow, October 25, 2024, to find out.
Activision
And what do you think about Personalized Profile? Is it a "pay-to-win crutch" or an audio version of character skins? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!
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