The crossover no one really expected just hit your hard drive.
Black Ops 6 and Netflix’s Squid Game have officially collided, and it's honestly a bit surreal to see the pink guards sprinting through Nuketown. This isn't just some lazy skin pack either. Activision actually went all in on this mid-season update for Season 1 Reloaded, bringing some high-stakes energy that feels weirdly at home in a Call of Duty lobby.
If you’ve been living under a rock, here is the basic gist: the event kicked off on January 3, 2025, and it’s running through January 28. That’s almost a full month of chaos.
The Controversy You’ve Probably Heard About
Let’s be real. People are kind of annoyed. For the first time ever, Call of Duty has introduced a "Premium Event Pass." Usually, these limited-time events are just a bunch of challenges where you earn some stickers and maybe a weapon blueprint for free. Not this time.
While there is still a free track, the coolest stuff—like the Front Man Operator—is locked behind a 1,100 COD Point paywall. That’s about ten bucks. It’s basically a mini-battle pass. Is it a cash grab? Probably. But if you're a die-hard fan of the show, it's hard to ignore that mask.
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What's actually in the pass?
- Free Track: You get the "Player 006" and "Player 115" skins (Niran and Maya in the green tracksuits) and the new Cleaver melee weapon.
- Premium Track: This is where the High Authority XM4 Blueprint and the Front Man live. You also get a "Throwdown" emote and a few other blueprints for the Saug and GS45.
Red Light, Green Light is Stressful
The standout feature is the Red Light, Green Light mode. It’s played on the Red Card stadium map, and it is exactly what it sounds like.
Young-hee, the giant creepy doll, stands at one end of the pitch. You have to move when she’s not looking and freeze when she turns around. In the first round, nobody has weapons. You’re just a bunch of operators awkwardly shuffling and freezing in mid-air.
By the second and third rounds, the game lets you pick up weapons. Now you’re trying to freeze while someone is literally aiming a sniper at your head. If you move during the "Red Light" phase, you don't just lose—you get sniped instantly.
It’s not just Multiplayer
Zombies fans didn’t get left out either. There’s a variant called Dead Light, Green Light. It works similarly, but instead of just getting shot, moving during the red light drains your Essence. If you move during the green light, you get bonus Essence. It adds a weird layer of rhythm to the usual zombie-slaying madness that I didn't think I’d like as much as I do.
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The Roulette Handgun Gamble
One of the most chaotic additions to the Squid Game Moshpit is the Roulette Handgun. This thing spawns in the middle of the map and gives you a permanent UAV while you’re holding it.
The catch? Every time you pull the trigger, there is a random chance the gun just explodes in your hand and kills you. It’s high risk, high reward, and perfectly fits the "gambling with your life" theme of the show.
Plus, there’s the Piggy Bank TDM. In this mode, every kill adds score to a "Mega Piggy Bank" that drops into the map later on. It basically turns a standard Team Deathmatch into a frantic game of King of the Hill once that giant pig starts glowing.
Why this event actually matters for BO6
Look, some people think these crossovers ruin the "vibe" of Call of Duty. I get it. Seeing a guy in a giant lion mask (the VIP skins) sliding around with an SMG is a long way from the gritty "Black Ops" roots.
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But honestly? This is the most creative Activision has been with an event in years. They didn't just slap a logo on a gun; they fundamentally changed how some matches play out. The Red Light, Green Light Scorestreak is a perfect example. Imagine being in the middle of a heated Hardpoint match and suddenly the entire enemy team is forced to stand still or die. It’s a total game-changer.
Pro-Tips for the Event:
- Don't prone in Red Light, Green Light: Sometimes the game registered my character's "settling" animation as movement and I got blasted. Stay crouched or standing for a cleaner stop.
- Watch the Mega Piggy Bank: Don't waste your streaks early. Save them for when the bank drops, because that’s when everyone bunches up in one spot.
- Check the Cleaver: The new melee weapon isn't just for show. It has a heavy attack that is surprisingly fast in close quarters.
What's Next?
If you’re planning on finishing the event pass, you’ve got until January 28, 2025. If you haven't bought the premium track yet, I’d suggest playing through the free one first to see if you actually care about the rewards.
The Season 1 Reloaded content doesn't stop here, but the Squid Game stuff is definitely the loudest part of the update. Grab the Cleaver while it's still an easy unlock, because once the event is gone, it’ll likely move to a much harder challenge.
Go jump into the Moshpit and see if you can survive the doll. Just... seriously, don't move when she turns around. It’s embarrassing to get taken out by a statue.
Next Step: Head to the "Events" tab in the main menu to track your progress on the Squid Game Event Pass and make sure you've claimed your instant "Player 006" reward.