Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War 2020 release date, trailer, Warzone changes, and how to get the new game on Xbox Series X, PS5 and PC

The latest game in the hugely popular Call of Duty franchise of shooters has been officially unveiled.

Call of Duty releases a new game every year, so it's no surprise that 2020 would also see a new instalment in the long-running series.

But by mid-August, fans usually have some idea of what to expect from the next iteration of the blockbuster gaming behemoth.

Obviously, 2020 has been a year much different from any other, and it's believed that widespread working from home protocols delayed the official reveal of the new game.

But now Activision have announced that Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War will be the title of the next game.

Here's everything you need to know:

What do we know about the game?

Activision have revealed fresh new details about the game – and in particular, its single-player campaign mode – at this year’s Gamescom Opening Night Live.

An initial, two-minute 'Know Your History' teaser trailer was relatively substantial length, but contained no footage of gameplay.

Instead, the two minutes were used to give some narrative background on the new game.

Black Ops Cold War claims to be based on real life events, and the teaser recounted the true story of Yuri Bezmenov.

Bezmenov was a Soviet Russian journalist and former KGB informant who defected to the West in 1970.

He was granted asylum in Canada by Pierre Trudeau, the father of current Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau.

The trailer also referenced “Perseus", the code name of a Soviet spy thought to have breached US intelligence during the height of the Cold War's nuclear arms race.

But the new clip shown by Activision and its development studios, Treyarch and Raven Software, included even more links to the real world, featuring an eerie and unexpected new cameo from President Ronald Reagan.

What will be included in the game?

Cold War was the first game to be shown off at this year’s online-only Gamescom event.

Raven Software's Dan Vondrak called the game "a dream project for us to work on," and explained that the game drops players into the 1980s at the height of the Cold War with iconic characters Black Ops characters, Woods, Hudson and Mason returning.

The campaign takes place in 1981 as a direct sequel to Black Ops, and will be "infused with player choices and freedom," such as the option for users can create their own character; there will also be multiple endings to the game

Until even more information is divulged by Activision, all we can do is piece together the clues found on pawntakespawn.com, the game's cryptic, teaser website.

Speculation is rife that the game will bring a brand new map to Warzone, which could outright replace that game's Verdansk location.

People are also crossing their fingers for a return of the popular 'Zombies' mode, which sees players team up to take on an unrelenting hoard of the undead in an attempt to survive for as long as possible.

What platforms will Black Ops Cold War be on?

It's not yet been confirmed which consoles Black Ops Cold War will be made available for, but releases for the current gen machines - Xbox One and PlayStation 4 - seem a safe bet.

But with next generation tech coming with the release of the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 later in the year, fans will be hoping for an enhanced version of the game that'll take advantage of the new consoles' more powerful tech.

These editions seem likely, though no official confirmation has yet been made.

When will it be released?

Black Ops Cold War will be released on Friday 13 November 2020.