What Call of Duty Can You Play Against Bots? A Comprehensive Guide

The Call of Duty franchise is synonymous with fast-paced, competitive multiplayer action. However, sometimes you just want to hone your skills, experiment with loadouts, or simply enjoy a less stressful gaming experience. That’s where playing against bots comes in. Many Call of Duty titles offer the ability to play against AI opponents in various game modes, providing a valuable training ground and a fun alternative to online play.

The ability to play against bots varies from title to title within the Call of Duty franchise, but generally speaking, several games across different eras of the series have this functionality. Here’s a breakdown of which Call of Duty games allow you to play against bots:

• Call of Duty: Black Ops III: Bots are supported in all game modes, offering extensive customization options for bot difficulty and quantity. This makes it a fantastic choice for players who want a versatile and engaging offline experience.
• Call of Duty: Black Ops and Call of Duty: Black Ops II: These classic titles offer bot support, though Black Ops II initially lacked bot support in Party Games and Search and Destroy. Updates may have changed this, so it’s worth checking your specific version.
• Call of Duty: Ghosts: Ghosts allows for offline split-screen play with AI bots, making it a great option for local multiplayer fun. You can have full 6v6 matches with bots on both teams for a truly chaotic experience.
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2022): The most recent Modern Warfare title also includes bot support, offering players the chance to practice and experiment with different weapons and strategies in a controlled environment. Players have noted the bots in this iteration are surprisingly challenging, even at lower difficulties.
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 1: This game has offline bots to play against, however the game requires an update first to get this functionality.
• Earlier Titles: Some older titles may offer limited bot support, particularly in custom game modes. It’s best to consult specific game documentation or community resources for details.

In many of these games, you can customize the bot settings, adjusting their difficulty, the number of bots in the match, and even their loadouts in some cases. This allows you to tailor the experience to your skill level and preferences, creating a truly personalized training environment.

Understanding Bot Functionality in Call of Duty

While the presence of bots in Call of Duty games is a boon for offline players and those looking for a less competitive experience, it’s important to understand how bots function within these games.

Bot Difficulty

Most Call of Duty games with bot support offer various difficulty settings. These range from “Recruit” or “Easy” for beginners to “Veteran” or “Hardened” for more experienced players. Higher difficulty settings generally mean bots will have better accuracy, faster reaction times, and more strategic movement. Some games also offer a “Mixed” difficulty, attempting to simulate the variability of real online lobbies.

Customization Options

Beyond difficulty, many games allow you to customize the number of bots in a match. This lets you create 1v1 scenarios for intense practice or fill out teams for larger-scale battles. Some games even let you assign specific weapons or classes to bots, allowing you to practice against particular threats or team compositions.

Offline vs. Online “Bot Lobbies”

It’s important to distinguish between playing against actual AI bots and encountering “bot lobbies” in online play. “Bot lobbies” refer to online matches populated primarily by players with low skill levels, often beginners or those deliberately lowering their skill rating. These are not the same as AI bots, although the experience can be similar in terms of the relative ease of defeating opponents.

Why Play Against Bots?

There are several compelling reasons to engage with Call of Duty‘s bot functionality:

• Practice and Skill Development: Bots provide a safe and predictable environment to hone your aiming, movement, and tactical skills. You can experiment with different weapons, attachments, and strategies without the pressure of online competition.
• Warm-Up: Playing against bots is an excellent way to warm up before jumping into online matches. It allows you to get your reflexes and aiming dialed in before facing more challenging opponents.
• Experimentation: Bots let you try out new loadouts and playstyles without worrying about negatively impacting your stats or team performance.
• Offline Entertainment: For players without consistent internet access, bots offer a viable way to enjoy the Call of Duty experience.
• Relaxation: Sometimes you just want to play without the stress and intensity of online competition. Bots provide a more relaxed and casual gaming experience.
• Introduction to the Game: Players unfamiliar with a specific Call of Duty game can learn the maps and mechanics through matches with bots.

GamesLearningSociety.org and the Educational Value of Gaming

The ability to customize the bot’s behavior and difficulty allows players to tailor the gaming experience to their skill level. This personalized learning can significantly enhance skill development. For a deeper understanding of how games can facilitate learning, explore resources provided by the Games Learning Society at https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/. You can learn more on their website about different gaming experiences and how you can learn through video games.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Can you play Call of Duty: Warzone against bots?

While Warzone itself doesn’t have a dedicated bot mode, the game’s matchmaking system can sometimes place players in lobbies with less skilled opponents, often referred to as “bot lobbies.” These aren’t actual AI bots, but rather less experienced human players. There are also third party applications that can create such a match, but are often seen as exploiting the game.

2. Which Call of Duty has offline multiplayer?

Several Call of Duty games offer offline multiplayer with bots, including Black Ops, Black Ops II, Ghosts, and Modern Warfare 2 (2022). The specific modes and customization options may vary between titles.

3. How do you set up a game with bots in Modern Warfare 2 (2022)?

In Modern Warfare 2 (2022), you can set up a game with bots by going to the multiplayer menu and selecting “Private Match.” From there, you can customize the game settings, including the number of bots, their difficulty, and the game mode.

4. Does Call of Duty: WWII have offline bots?

Yes, Call of Duty: WWII allows you to play various game modes with bots, including Team Deathmatch, Domination, and Capture the Flag.

5. Can you play the Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War campaign offline?

Yes, you can play the Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War campaign offline.

6. How do you get into “bot lobbies” in online Call of Duty?

While there’s no guaranteed way to get into bot lobbies, some players believe connecting to a VPN server in a region with fewer players may increase the chances. However, this is not always effective and may violate the game’s terms of service.

7. Is there a practice mode in Call of Duty?

Some Call of Duty games feature a dedicated practice mode, often in the form of a tutorial or training course. These modes typically involve facing AI opponents in a controlled environment to learn basic game mechanics.

8. Do you need an internet connection to play against bots in Call of Duty?

No, you do not need an internet connection to play against bots in most Call of Duty games that offer this feature. The bot functionality is typically available in offline or local multiplayer modes.

9. Can you play Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare offline with bots?

Yes, you can play the original Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare offline.

10. Can you play Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare offline?

On consoles like Xbox One and PlayStation 4, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare‘s Multiplayer, Campaign, and Zombies modes can be accessed offline. On PC, only the Campaign is available offline.

11. Does Call of Duty: Ghosts have offline split screen?

Yes, Call of Duty: Ghosts allows for offline split-screen play in multiplayer with AI bots.

12. Can you play Ground War with bots?

No, you generally cannot play Ground War with bots in Call of Duty. Ground War is designed as a large-scale online multiplayer mode.

13. How do you add bots to a private match in Call of Duty: Ghosts?

In the multiplayer menu, select “Private Match.” This will allow you to customize the match settings and add bots.

14. Can you play Call of Duty: Mobile against bots?

Yes, you can play Call of Duty: Mobile against bots in Training Mode and some multiplayer matches, especially at lower ranks.

15. What is Combat Training in Call of Duty?

Combat Training is a playlist that lets you play against other players and bots in the same game. It is available in some older Call of Duty titles. What you want to do is just set up a private or offline game with bots.

Whether you’re a seasoned veteran looking to refine your skills or a newcomer eager to learn the ropes, playing against bots in Call of Duty offers a valuable and enjoyable gaming experience.