Activision has confirmed that the Directed mode in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has significantly increased player engagement with the main quest, nearly doubling the participation rate. While many players of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Zombies traditionally focus on survival, the introduction of Directed mode has shifted the focus for a substantial number of players towards the story.

Since its inception in World at War, the Zombies mode has always had a narrative component that has grown more complex and expansive with each new release. This trend continues with Black Ops 6, despite a general decline in the overall player base since its launch. The Zombies mode remains a favorite among a dedicated community, centered around a wave-based system where up to four players fend off increasingly difficult waves of enemies. This often leads players to prioritize upgrading their weapons and defenses over completing the story. However, the introduction of Zombies Directed mode in the Season 1 update has been a game-changer, quickly gaining popularity within the community.

A recent Call of Duty blog post highlighted that Directed mode has boosted the main quest completion rate from 4% to 8.23%. This statistic is derived from 480 million hours of gameplay, with a small but impactful portion of that time logged since Directed mode's release on November 14. Treyarch's goal with Directed mode was to encourage more players to engage with the Zombies main quest, and the doubling of completion rates is seen as a clear success. Despite this, over 90% of players still do not complete the main quest, prompting ongoing efforts to further increase this figure.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's Directed Mode Made Major Improvements in One Key Area

Zombies' Directed mode, introduced in the Season 1 update of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, brought not only three new maps and two new game modes but also a new approach to storytelling. While Directed mode provides structured guidance for players navigating the story, earlier Zombies modes often left players to explore and piece together the narrative on their own. The Zombies storyline, involving elements like interdimensional portals, zero-point energy, time travel, and teleportation, can be daunting for newcomers. Directed mode helps players follow the latest chapter of the Zombies saga more easily.

With Directed mode in place, more Zombies enthusiasts than ever before have the opportunity to complete the main quest. As Treyarch continues to refine and update Black Ops 6, future enhancements to both Zombies and Directed mode could further improve engagement and completion rates of the main quest.