Final January 2025 Update for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Warzone

Overview of January 31 Update for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Warzone

The January 31 update introduces key cross-play updates aimed at resolving matchmaking conflicts in Ranked Play.
Significant changes have been made to weapon dynamics, with the XM4 Assault Rifle experiencing notable nerfs and the PPSh-41 SMG receiving substantial buffs.
A multitude of bug fixes have been implemented across multiplayer, Zombies modes in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, and Warzone.

The latest update for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Warzone, released on January 31, 2025, arrives ahead of the previously scheduled February updates and addresses critical gameplay issues. This patch emphasizes improvements to cross-play functionality and balances weapon performance, particularly for two fan-favorite firearms—the newly introduced PPSh-41 SMG from Season 2 and the well-established XM4 Assault Rifle.

On January 30, the developers at Raven Software stated their intention to monitor Season 2’s launch and hinted at significant adjustments to the weapon balance of the XM4 Assault Rifle and PPSh-41 SMG. This announcement laid the groundwork for the unanticipated release of the January 31 patch, which detailed a variety of alterations and fixes aimed at enhancing player experience in both titles.

The January 31 update primarily targets weapon balance modifications: the XM4 Assault Rifle has seen its damage ranging abilities reduced, alongside an increased sprint-to-fire penalty, whereas the PPSh-41 SMG benefits from bolstered damage range and improved control for horizontal recoil. These changes are predicted to enhance the operational reliability of the PPSh-41 at extended firing distances.

Enhancements made in this update particularly focus on the cross-play functionality in Black Ops 6, addressing Ranked Play compatibility. Future matchmaking will align with the party leader’s cross-play settings contextually. Players wishing to enter a mixed platform party while having cross-play disabled will experience a temporary shift to “Cross-Play On”settings, which aims to avoid compatibility issues. While these improvements may lengthen matchmaking times, the developers are currently looking into a potential bug that causes cross-play settings to reset upon game restart.

Additionally, the update includes crucial fixes for multiplayer and Zombies modes. Particularly noteworthy changes involve reduced muzzle flash visibility for all SMGs, a fix for the glitch affecting the Staff of Ice Wonder Weapon upgrade, and the introduction of spawn protection in hardcore modes, addressing player concerns from Season 2’s initial phase.

Detailed Patch Notes for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Warzone (January 31 Update)

Global Improvements in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

Party Join Issues

Resolved a problem preventing players from joining friends’ parties due to version discrepancies.

Split-Screen Functionality

Fixed an issue causing immediate kicks for Player 2 when split-screen was enabled.

Ranked Play Cross-Play Adjustments

The update introduces new Cross-Play options for Ranked Play, which allow console players to select platform matchmaking preferences.

Players within the same console group will match with the party leader’s chosen cross-play settings.
Parties using “Cross-Play Off”settings and comprising different console platforms will temporarily switch to “Cross-Play On (Consoles Only)”for matchmaking. Leaving the party will restore original preferences.
For mixed parties including PC players, similar temporary adjustments will occur, reverting back after disbanding the party.
Note: Changes to Cross-Play settings might lead to extended matchmaking times.

Known Issues

Investigating a reset issue affecting “Cross-Play On (Consoles Only)” and “Cross-Play Off” settings upon relaunching the game.

User Interface Enhancements

Addressed various issues including incorrect display of prestige challenges and tier visibility on the Challenge Tracker.
Corrected XP Earned discrepancies during match conclusion screens.

Weapons and Visibility Adjustments

Improved muzzle flash visibility across all SMGs when aiming down sights.

Multiplayer Updates

New Modes

Hardcore: Spawn protection is now enabled.

Leaderboard Additions

A filter has been introduced for Multiplayer leaderboards, allowing toggling between Core and Hardcore modes.

Improvements in Zombies Mode

Maps Updates

Fixed multiple issues affecting The Tomb and Terminus maps, including interaction problems with artifacts and crashes during gameplay.

Leaderboards and UI Corrections

New toggle for Zombies leaderboards between Solo and Squads.
Addressed various UI issues, including HUD preset settings affecting gameplay performance.

General Changes in Warzone

Updated Buy Station locations in Urzikstan.
The Tracker is now fully unrestricted in Ranked Play.
Temporarily disabled the LTV Vehicle while issues are investigated.

Weapon Balance Changes and Fixes

Updates for XM4 Assault Rifle

Maximum Damage Range reduced from 29 to 27.
Medium Damage Range 1 decreased from 26 to 24.
Increased sprint-to-fire penalties, affecting the 100 Round Mag and Buffer Stock attachments.

Improvements for PPSh-41 SMG

Increased maximum damage range and enhanced leg damage multipliers.
Improved recoil control bonuses with the Vertical and Precision Foregrip attachments.

Overall Bug Fixes

Solved various bugs related to party joining, custom match crashes, and weapon malfunction issues.
Various stability fixes have been applied to improve overall game performance.

For a detailed list of updates and changes, check the [original announcement](https://gamerant.com/call-of-duty-black-ops-6-warzone-january-2025-update-xm4-ppsh-41-changes/).