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When it comes to eSports, Starcraft 2 has been the undisputed king of the hill for quite some time now.  But with the exciting new livestreaming and shoutcasting (dubbed “CODcasting” by the community at large) options recently revealed for Black Ops 2, Treyarch has made it perfectly clear that they are gunning for the eSports top spot once and for all by bringing the ability to stream competitive online play to the masses.

The Call of Duty franchise has long been praised by some and lambasted by others over one key element in its oh-so-successful formula: accessibility. While some particularly vocal purists have lamented the game’s signature arcadey approach, it cannot be denied that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare reinvigorated the stagnating console multiplayer landscape in a way no other title had since Halo. And though some detractors felt as though recent iterations of the franchise had become too formulaic, the addition of cross-platform streaming options and a ladder-based progression system might be just the thing to elevate both the Call of Duty franchise and eSports in general to new heights.

Upon joining a match in Black Ops 2, players will have the option of entering a ‘spectator mode,’ effectively becoming eSports commentators. They will be able to switch between an overhead map, complete with picture-in-picture mode, and first and third person views from any player’s perspective. A simple HUD element at the top of the screen will show the viewer both the score and the time remaining in the match. ‘Listen-in mode’ will allow viewers to hear players’ mic feeds to get a taste of the emotion and strategy involved in high-level competitive online play. Player HUD elements displayed to the viewer will be individually customizable as well, to ensure that all viewers will have the optimal experience. Player nameplates will be displayed in the lower left of the screen, allowing for personalities to emerge from the Call of Duty eSports scene just like they have in Starcraft 2 and Street Fighter 4 professional play. Match information like top kills and flag carrier location will ensure that shoutcasters will be able to always display the most relevant viewpoint to their audience. 

All of these tools being packed in with every copy of the game sold will ensure that all potential eSports commentators have everything they need to create engaging CODcasts at their fingertips without having to buy capture software or tools for editing and livestreaming. It will also bring a much wider audience than ever before to the world of professional video game broadcasts, as every single match played has the potential to be livestreamed or CODcasted at any time by any player. To prevent abuse of this system by particularly crafty exploiters, there will be a 15 second delay programmed into all livestreams, and players will not be able to hear commentators.

The league system introduced will not only lend itself well to the seasonal format of eSports, but it will also add balance and longevity to Black Ops 2′s multiplayer. By playing a few skill-testing matches, players will be sorted into one of seven league divisions to ensure that players will only be matched with others of a similar skill level to themselves. Ideally, this system should make sure that online play is always challenging but never frustrating.

While several details still remain unclear, game design director David Vonderhaar wrote in a blog post that details will be forthcoming. “We’re still in development here so, requirements, rules, availability and launch timing of this new feature have yet to be announced, but rest assured, we’re eager to share more as soon as possible.” He writes. We’ll bring you those details as soon as they emerge, but in the mean time, check out our Black Ops 2 section for more information.