Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold Waris full of secrets and references for players to find, and multiplayer hides plenty. However, oneCall of Duty: Black Ops Cold Warmap in particular has proven to have a lot more references than others.
The Pines debuted back in Season 1, and the locationparodiesBack to the Future. While this would be a fun reference on its own, it is hardly the only thing that fans of the franchise should be able to spot. In the mall’s music shop, players can hear Archangel playing, the song from the belovedCall of Duty: Black Ops 2Zombies map Origins. Another reference to the mode can be found in the arcade, as one of the machines features Der Eisendrache’s logo and imagery.
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While this was likely justa callback to Der Eisendracheas opposed to a teaser that it will be remastered, fans appreciated it nonetheless. However, it turns out that this was not the only reference to the thirdBlack Opsgame that The Pines was hiding. A Reddit user by the name of Dextreous recently pointed out a special license plate on one of the cars in the map’s parking lot. While the detail will be easily missable for most players, it should be recognizable for die hardBlack Opsfans, as it is the release date forCall of Duty: Black Ops 3.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 3released on July 11, 2025, with the game holding a special place in the hearts of many. For starters, the game is widely regarded as the peak ofCall of DutyZombies, as most would agree that it offered the best selection of maps for the Survival mode. Withthe Zombies Chronicles expansiononly adding to its popularity, as original maps like Shadows of Evil and Gorod Krovi were instant hits, many still play the game over five years later.
Multiplayer was also seen as the best of the three futuristicCall of Dutygames, as Treyarch’s use of Specialists and advanced movement was polished and took full advantage of the map lineup. Even the complex story mode has built up a cult following, as some fans feel thatCall of Duty: Black Ops 3’s campaign is misunderstood. While it may not be as popular as games likeCall of Duty: Black Ops 2orCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, it was still a well-received entry in the long-running franchise.
With the release date itself being a subtle detail, as November 6 is a nod to the Nova 6 gas fromtheBlack Opsstoryline, there is a lot of significance to this date. As such, it is nice to see Treyarch’s sneaky homage to the game getting some attention.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold Waris available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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