Treyarch nerfs Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War jump-shotting

Treyarch has nerfed Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War jump-shotting.

Jump-shotting - one of the more advanced tactics of Call of Duty competitive multiplayer - is done by players to make them harder to shoot, or to make it more likely they will be shot below the head and thus take less damage, while also shooting themselves. You tend to see players jump-shot around corners when they suspect an enemy is waiting for them.

Jump-shotting has always been the subject of debate within the Call of Duty community, with some saying it has no place in the series, and others saying it benefits the skill gap.

Treyarch made the change to Black Ops Cold War's movement on 4th February alongside its big mid-season update without revealing the tweak in the patch notes. It didn't take long for players to pick up on it, though, and then last night the developer confirmed the change in follow-up patch notes.

The patch has added a small speed penalty and jump height penalty after landing from a jump, Treyarch said. Pre-patch, after a jump-shot you'd be able to continue your movement, getting back up to speed quickly enough to continue strafing while aiming down sights, or even go for another jump / slide combo (bunny-hopping).

Post-patch, once your feet hit the ground, you're locked into place for a short amount of time, preventing you from continuing to strafe while aiming down sights for that short period.

It's a subtle change, but it does amount to a significant nerf to jump-shotting, and certainly makes it a more risky tactic. The video below from Call of Duty YouTuber explains how it all works:

Treyarch said it will monitor this change to see how it goes, and will make further changes as needed.

Elsewhere, Black Ops Cold War's Prestige Shop now has Prestige icons from previous Call of Duty games, including Prestige Icons from Black Ops 3 Zombies, Black Ops 4 Zombies, and Blackout. Black Ops Cold War and Warzone are currently running a double XP weekend.