Call of Duty: Black Ops and Black Ops 2 return to PS4 and PS5

Call of Duty’s Black Ops era is coming back to PlayStation, and this is less about a visual overhaul than about finally getting two cornerstone games back where a huge part of the audience still wants them. Treyarch confirmed on June 17 that Black Ops and Black Ops 2 are headed to PS4 and PS5 in July, with Iron Galaxy handling the ports and no remaster treatment in sight.

That distinction matters. These are being positioned as ports, not rebuilt editions, so players should not expect a big lighting pass, modernized assets or the kind of heavy lift that usually comes with a full remaster. What PlayStation owners do get is the original package: campaign, multiplayer and Zombies. That is the right call for games that built their reputation on more than just story mode, and it makes the return feel useful instead of purely nostalgic.

The timing gives this a practical edge for lapsed Call of Duty fans and split-platform friend groups. PlayStation players had not had native access to these games since the PS3 era, even though Black Ops, which launched on November 9, 2010, and Black Ops 2, which arrived in 2012, remain two of the series’ most familiar touchstones. If your squad split across platforms over the years, this is the first clean chance in a long while to pull those old lobbies and Zombies sessions back into modern hardware without dragging out aging consoles.

There is still some fine print. No exact release day in July has been announced, and there is no confirmation yet on DLC or other post-launch content. Even so, the base offering is already enough to matter for trophy hunters and completionists, especially if these releases track the original structure closely and keep the full trio of campaign, multiplayer and Zombies intact.

Iron Galaxy’s involvement also fits the moment. The studio recently handled Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4, and Activision appears to be leaning on specialist porting work rather than chasing a full internal rebuild. With Modern Warfare 4 slated for Xbox Series X|S, PS5, Switch 2 and PC later this year, the return of Black Ops and Black Ops 2 looks like both a preservation move and a brand play. For PlayStation players, though, the immediate takeaway is simpler: two hard-to-access classics are finally back on PS4 and PS5, and that alone gives the Black Ops name fresh life.