Activision clears the air on Black Ops 6 hiding player level icons – Call of Duty
Activision Addresses Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Season 4 Issues and Announces Exciting Crossover
Player Level Display Bug Sparks Community Concerns
Activision has responded to widespread player complaints regarding a controversial issue in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Season 4, where the levels of players outside a user’s party were not displayed in multiplayer lobbies. The absence of level indicators, which typically show a player’s rank and experience, led to significant speculation within the gaming community. Some players theorized that the change was intentional, designed to prevent “lobby shopping”—a practice where players exit matches upon encountering higher-ranked opponents to avoid challenging games. Others suspected it was an unintentional bug disrupting the game’s transparency.
The issue, which emerged shortly after the launch of Season 4 on May 28, 2025, frustrated players who rely on level displays to gauge the skill and experience of opponents in public lobbies. Without this information, players reported feeling disadvantaged in matchmaking, as they could not assess the competitive balance of a lobby before a match began. Community discussions on platforms like Reddit and X highlighted growing discontent, with some users accusing Activision of deliberately hiding levels to manipulate matchmaking dynamics.
Activision’s Official Response and Investigation
On June 1, 2025, Activision addressed the issue through a statement posted on its official social media channels, clarifying that the missing level displays were not intentional. “We’re investigating a bug where Player Levels and Level Icons may not appear for matchmade players in the Lobby list,” the statement read. The post included a link to the game’s official Trello board, a public-facing project management tool used by the developers to track reported issues and updates.
On the Trello board, a dedicated card for the level display bug provided further details. The follow-up message thanked the Call of Duty community for their reports and confirmed that the development team at Treyarch, the studio behind Black Ops 6, is “actively investigating” the issue. While no specific timeline for a fix was provided, Activision’s acknowledgment reassured players that the problem is a priority. The Trello update also encouraged players to continue reporting issues to help expedite solutions.
Additional Season 4 Technical Issues
The level display bug is one of several technical issues plaguing Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 in Season 4. The Trello board lists other reported problems affecting gameplay and user experience, including:
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Incorrect Platform Icons: Players have noticed that platform indicators (e.g., PlayStation, Xbox, or PC icons next to player names) are sometimes displayed incorrectly, causing confusion in cross-platform lobbies.
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Placeholder Graphics in Loadout Menus: Some loadout screens show placeholder images or incomplete textures, detracting from the polished interface expected in a premium title.
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AI Enemy Pathfinding Issues: In modes like Zombies, AI-controlled enemies, such as the Mangler enemy type, have been observed getting stuck or repeatedly walking into walls after spawning, disrupting gameplay flow.
These issues, while not game-breaking, have contributed to player frustration, as they detract from the seamless experience expected from a flagship franchise like Call of Duty. Activision has noted that its development team is working on patches to address these problems, with updates expected to roll out in the coming weeks.
Ana de Armas ‘Ballerina’ Crossover Brings Hollywood Flair
Amid the technical challenges, Activision has also unveiled an exciting collaboration to keep players engaged. On May 30, 2025, a post on X announced a crossover with the upcoming film Ballerina, a spin-off from the John Wick franchise starring Ana de Armas. The post featured a promotional image of de Armas as Eve Macarro, the film’s titular character, wearing a sparkling red dress seen in the movie’s trailers. The caption read: “New contract just dropped. Deploying from the World of Wick, Ana de Armas as
@BallerinaMovie
’s Eve Macarro joins the fight in Call of Duty for Season 04.”
The Ballerina crossover introduces a new operator skin modeled after Ana de Armas’s character, set to release in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 on June 5, 2025. The skin is expected to include unique cosmetic features, such as themed voice lines, weapon blueprints, and possibly a finishing move inspired by the film’s action choreography. This collaboration follows Call of Duty’s tradition of integrating pop culture icons, with past crossovers featuring characters like John McClane from Die Hard and Ghostface from Scream. The Ballerina skin is anticipated to be available through the in-game store, likely as part of a premium bundle, though pricing details have not been disclosed.
Community Reactions and Expectations
The Ballerina crossover has generated significant buzz, with fans of both Call of Duty and the John Wick franchise expressing enthusiasm on social media. However, some players have voiced concerns that Activision’s focus on cosmetic collaborations may divert resources from addressing technical issues like the level display bug. On X, posts from community members range from excitement about the Ana de Armas skin to calls for faster bug fixes, reflecting the dual nature of the community’s response.
As Season 4 progresses, players are hopeful that Activision will deliver timely updates to resolve the reported issues while continuing to enhance the game with engaging content. The Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Trello board remains a key resource for tracking progress, and Activision has encouraged players to stay tuned for further announcements. With the Ballerina crossover set to launch in just a few days, the coming weeks will be critical for balancing technical improvements with new content to maintain player satisfaction.