Can You Play Outbreak Split-Screen? The Definitive Answer and More
The short, disappointing answer is: No, you cannot play Outbreak in split-screen mode. While Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War offers split-screen functionality in other game modes, including regular Zombies, the popular Outbreak mode is unfortunately limited to online co-op only. This means you cannot experience the expansive, open-world zombie survival with a friend on the same console. This has been a consistent point of frustration for many players who enjoy the social experience of local co-op. Although some community members have requested the feature, it remains absent. Let’s delve deeper into the specifics of split-screen in Cold War, and explore related questions to understand what options are available.
Understanding Split-Screen Limitations in Cold War Zombies
Split-Screen Availability in Standard Zombies
While Outbreak lacks split-screen support, the standard round-based Zombies mode in Black Ops Cold War does indeed offer it. You can play with a friend on the same console, using the familiar split-screen format. However, it’s crucial to note that this feature is limited to two players. You can’t have a 3- or 4-player split-screen experience, either locally or online in standard Zombies.
Platform-Specific Restrictions
The availability of split-screen is further restricted by the platform you’re using. This feature is generally exclusive to console versions of the game. PC players do not have access to split-screen. Therefore, if you want to play local split-screen, you’ll need to be on either an Xbox or PlayStation console.
Online Play vs. Local Play
Cold War Zombies allows two players to engage in split-screen either online or in local play. You can team up with a friend on the couch and still join an online game to play with other players. Or, you can enjoy a two-player split-screen experience without needing an internet connection.
Why Outbreak Doesn’t Support Split-Screen
The absence of split-screen in Outbreak is likely due to the technical challenges associated with rendering the large, open maps on a single console multiple times. Outbreak maps are significantly larger and more complex than the traditional round-based maps in Zombies. Adding another screen to process would add more strain to the console, and could severely hamper performance, or crash. The developers may have determined that split-screen in Outbreak wasn’t feasible with acceptable performance standards. It is worth pointing out that local co-op has been requested by the community.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Cold War Split-Screen & Outbreak
To help you navigate the complexities of split-screen in Cold War Zombies, and other related questions, here are 15 of the most frequently asked questions:
1. Can you play 3 player split-screen on Cold War Zombies?
No, you cannot. The split-screen feature in Cold War Zombies is strictly limited to two players only. There is no support for 3- or 4-player split-screen.
2. Can you play Outbreak offline?
While Outbreak is an online mode, it is also a co-op game mode with both online and offline functionality. However, split-screen is NOT included for local co-op. If you want to play alone, you can play in offline mode, you can’t play with a friend split-screen offline.
3. Is Zombie War split-screen?
You’re likely referring to the Campaign mode of Cold War, the answer is no. The Campaign offers co-op with up to four players either online or local wireless, but there is no split-screen option in Campaign.
4. How many split-screen zombies are there?
You can have two players playing on the same console using split-screen. This applies to both online and local play in regular Zombies modes but not in Outbreak.
5. Is Black Ops 3 zombies split-screen?
Yes, Call of Duty: Black Ops III supports two-player split-screen online play in both Multiplayer and Zombies game modes. It even supported up to four players in split-screen, but only for local play.
6. Does Cold War have 4 player split screen?
No, Cold War does not have 4-player split-screen in any of its modes. Split-screen functionality is limited to two players in Zombies (but not in Outbreak), and in Multiplayer.
7. Which COD games have 4 player split screen?
The primary Call of Duty game that offered 4-player split-screen is Call of Duty: Black Ops III. In both Black Ops and Modern Warfare 3 when playing online, only two players can play on split-screen.
8. Does mw2 have split-screen?
Yes, Modern Warfare 2 has split-screen, but only for Private Matches in Multiplayer. It is limited to two players, not the classic four-player split-screen.
9. Can you play Outbreak for free?
The Free Access Week for Outbreak was a limited-time event. You can’t play it for free any longer unless you have access to the Cold War game.
10. Is Black Ops 2 4-player split-screen?
Yes, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 allows four players to play split-screen co-op on one system.
11. What is the Outbreak game mode?
Outbreak is a special large-scale zombies mode of Black Ops Cold War. It’s a large open world environment where players travel through vast maps, fight hordes of zombies, complete objectives, and explore the Dark Aether.
12. Do you need multiplayer for Outbreak?
Yes, you need to have downloaded the Multiplayer pack in order to play Outbreak.
13. Can you play Outbreak offline?
Yes, you can play Outbreak offline, you are not required to play online, but you cannot play split screen mode offline.
14. How many players can play Outbreak zombies?
Outbreak can support up to four players in online co-op. When playing solo, you can also play offline in all game modes.
15. Can you do Outbreak Easter egg with 2 players?
Yes, the Outbreak Easter egg can be completed either in solo or with up to four players. The number of players do not affect the ability to complete the easter egg.
Conclusion
While the inability to play Outbreak in split-screen is undoubtedly a disappointment for many players, particularly those who enjoy local co-op, it’s important to understand the technical limitations and the available alternatives within Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. Though Outbreak itself does not support this feature, the standard Zombies mode still provides a two-player split-screen option. We hope that this detailed article and comprehensive FAQ section has helped to clarify the possibilities and restrictions surrounding split-screen in Cold War Zombies. It remains to be seen whether the developers might revisit this feature for future iterations of the game, or if a community-made mod will solve this problem first.