Black Ops 1 and 2 Are Now Available on PS4 and PS5

Activision dropped them without a word of warning. Following the June 17 announcement, Call of Duty: Black Ops and Black Ops II are now available to purchase on PS4 and PS5. The ports were handled by Iron Galaxy — and it's worth emphasizing that word: ports, not remasters. Both include campaign, multiplayer, and Zombies modes, priced at €39.99 each, with a 50% discount for PS Plus subscribers through August 6.

It sounds good. And in some ways it is — fans have been asking for this for years. But scratch beneath the surface and the nostalgia starts to smell a lot like a cash grab.

Let's start with what's not in the box. DLC is not included: it's sold separately and, according to store listings, runs around $30 per pack. Translation: the Zombies maps you actually care about — Mob of the Dead, Origins — aren't there. You have to pay for them.

And that's where the smile fades. A DLC pack for a 2010 game should cost $10 or $15 at most — maybe $5 or $7 on sale. Charging $30 to replay maps you already bought a decade ago isn't honoring a classic: it's double-dipping. Personally, this is the part that bothers me most.

The base price raises the same concerns. To be direct: $40 for a port feels excessive. A port should cost $20 — maybe $25 or $30 if you're being generous. And this isn't a matter of opinion, it's simple math: there's nothing new here. No remaster, no new content, no technical leap that justifies the price tag. You're paying full modern-game prices for two games that are nearly fifteen years old.

The PS Plus discount is a nice gesture, but it should be permanent — not a three-week window. And speaking of PS Plus: it still feels absurd to require a monthly or annual subscription just to play online. The fact that a reasonable price on a classic depends on being locked into a subscription says a lot about the model.

Now for the elephant in the room: multiplayer. This is what will ultimately determine whether this purchase ages well. The best part of both games was always the multiplayer — especially Black Ops II's, which in my view remains the series' peak. For campaign and Zombies, though, the original Black Ops is the better game.

How will it hold up? My bet is about a year with a healthy player count, with a dedicated community sticking around after that. But there's a problem almost nobody is talking about: these are also launching on PS4. The PS4 can be jailbroken, which opens the door to console-side hacks. Add in the fact that Black Ops 1 and 2's anti-cheat is nowhere near the level of modern systems and you have a classic scenario: a beloved multiplayer experience that starts filling up with cheaters within months. If Activision doesn't pair this release with serious anti-cheat support, the thing that makes this purchase worthwhile has an expiration date.

And why now? I don't believe in coincidences. This release is designed to build a player base ahead of the upcoming Modern Warfare 4 — to rekindle the nostalgia and keep the community warm and primed for the big launch.

The problem is that it's a double-edged sword. If the new Call of Duty doesn't deliver, plenty of players will stay right where they are — in Black Ops II, where they were happy. Activision is reopening a door it doesn't know if it can close.

So, should you buy it? I'm not going to tell you yes or no. It's a personal decision, and your wallet is your own.

What I will say: if you genuinely miss these games and want to relive those moments, buy without hesitation. You'll enjoy it. But go in with your eyes open — you're paying modern prices for a bare-bones port, the good Zombies content costs extra, and the multiplayer is living on borrowed time.

And if you can, take advantage of the 50% PS Plus discount before August 6. At twenty euros, it's a different conversation entirely.